Virginia

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

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Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Virginia

Managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Established 1943

14,000 acres

Website: www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague

Overview

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect migratory birds, like the greater snow goose. To the north, Assateague Island National Seashore was authorized 22 years later and in combination with Assateague State Park they protect a 37-mile stretch of undeveloped shoreline that crosses the border of Maryland and Virginia. The National Park Service comanages the visitor center at the refuge. Unlike Assateague Island National Seashore, no pets are allowed in the refuge, even in vehicles.

A serene sunset over the ocean with vibrant orange, pink, and purple hues reflecting on the water.

Highlights

Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center, film, Assateague Lighthouse, wild ponies, kayaking, swimming, beachcombing

Must-Do Activity

Assateague Island’s most renowned residents are its wild ponies, purported to have swum ashore from a wrecked Spanish galleon.  Every year since the 1700s, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has herded the ponies that live on Assateague Island for an auction to raise funds for firefighting.  This annual event was chronicled in the classic children’s book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (which made our Top 10 NPS Novels list).  The ponies can often be spotted by hikers on the Woodland Trail, a three-mile loop hike.  Nearby there is also a free NASA visitor center at Wallops Flight Facility where they launch rockets and 343-acre Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge, which offers hunting opportunities with a permit.

Best Trail

We mentioned the Woodland Trail above, but this park is all about walking the beach, especially the ten miles of wild beach only accessible by foot. Unlike Assateague Island National Seashore, no pets are allowed in the refuge, even in vehicles.

Watchable Wildlife

Atlantic horseshoe crabs are one of the iconic species of the beach, and you will see their shells even if you miss a spawning event correlated with the highest tides of the warmer months. Wild ponies and sika deer are non-native species to the island. Native animals commonly seen include red foxes, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels, piping plovers, and brown pelicans. A wide variety of birds migrate through this area in the spring and fall (also a good time to see monarch butterflies). There are touch tanks for visitors to dunk their hands into at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The first Assateague Lighthouse was built in 1833, while the structure seen today was completed in 1867.

A tall striped lighthouse with red and white bands standing against a clear blue sky, accompanied by a small red building at its base.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chincoteague/visit-us

Fees

$25 per vehicle or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

The access road is paved, and with a permit you can drive Wildlife Loop Trail from 3:00 p.m. to dusk (always open as a hiking and biking trail). Over-sand vehicle zones within the refuge are managed by Assateague Island National Seashore. It takes about 1.2 hours to drive the highways between the north and south bridges to Assateague Island.

Camping

Outside the refuge on the island’s northern portion in Maryland, the National Park Service (NPS) operates two campgrounds with cold showers, and the one nearby in Assateague State Park offers hot showers.  Two oceanside backpacking camps and four bayside kayak-in camps are also available by permit in the north.

Related Sites

Assateague Island National Seashore (Maryland-Virginia)

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (Maryland)

First State National Historical Park (Delaware)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (North Carolina)

A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with orange and pink hues reflecting on the water, under a cloudy sky.
Sunrise
A person standing alone on a beach at sunset, wearing a warm coat and red gloves, with waves gently lapping at the shore and a cloudy sky.
Tiff collecting shells on the beach. It was pretty cold in February, in the low 40s with some serious wind.
A marsh landscape featuring dry grasses, small water channels, and distant trees, with a lighthouse visible in the background.
Woodland Trail
A serene view of a body of water with ducks swimming, surrounded by trees and distant flying birds under a blue sky with clouds.
A serene beach scene at sunset with colorful clouds, reflecting light on the water, and several seagulls walking along the wet sand.
A woman standing in front of two informational panels depicting wildlife; one panel illustrates a deer and various birds, labeled 'Shrub Thicket Fall-Winter,' while the other panel shows tree illustrations with birds, labeled 'Forest Spring-Summer.'
Tiff in the visitor center
A tranquil beach scene at dusk, featuring soft sand and a gradient sky transitioning from blue to orange, with distant trees lining the horizon.
Bay side
A person interacting with a touch tank filled with marine life, smiling while reaching into the water.
Tiff in the visitor center
A tall lighthouse with red and white stripes against a clear blue sky, featuring small windows and a bird flying nearby.
Turkey vulture flying by the lighthouse.
Front view of the Assateague Lighthouse with a red brick facade, featuring a white door and staircase, and a plaque displaying historical information.
The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1867
A heron standing by the water's edge, reflected in the calm water, surrounded by tall grasses and sparse trees in a marshy area.
A great blue heron in breeding plumage
A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with dramatic clouds in the sky reflecting warm colors.
A brown horse grazing among yellow flowers in a grassy field.

Explore More – Not just a safe haven for wild ponies, where in the refuge do seahorses anchor to underwater grasses?

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