Oceanside Campground

Camped in A loop, where the outside is mostly for tents, and inside of the loop is for RVs and trailers. Was right next to the vault toilets and showers, but they are very clean and no smell. Small sites was OK for my little trailer and SUV, but big rigs should check site sizes before booking. And yes, there were horses. And deer. And lots of birds.

When it's windy, the bayside is better. And, oh, be prepared for people to walk through your campsite any time to get close to the horses. Few people seem to read the "don't get near the horses" signs and want to walk right up to them :-(

(Note: above rate is with Senior Pass discount)

We came here in a whim not knowing much about Assateague Island or the campground itself, but after our stay and almost 3 years of fulltiming Oceanside Campground easily makes its way into our top 5 best places to camp.

First, the ocean. Miles and miles and miles of unspoiled clean beautiful beach. Not much for beach-combing but you never know what the tide will bring in the next day. Excellent for sun bathing, sand castles and the like.

Second, the horses. Assateague island is know for the 70 or so wild horses that live on the island. During our visit in October they were not easy to miss. We saw a few different harems in a few different places in the national park, sometimes blocking a road or grazing through the campsites. We had horses visit our campsite at least 2 times a day, some of them even using our awning support arm as a scratching post. They eat whatever you leave out, so don’t leave food around!

Third, the crabbing. If you love fresh seafood like we do, there are a handful of places within the park to trap your own crabs or forage your own mussels. We spent 2 hours doing so and trapped and gathered enough to feed a family of 4. Trapping supplied cost about $20 and can be found at any of the local tackle shops.

Those are the big three things we loved about this park, but there’s plenty of other things to love... the miles of dedicated bike trails, the exceedingly educational visitor center with “touch tank”... lots to love.

There is a dump station just outside the camping area.

Both AT&T and Verizon were spotty, but we managed to get 1-2 bars with each at site 36. Coupled with a MIMO antenna we got about 20 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up.

PRO TIP: the mosquitos are FOR REAL, but it seems like they only come out at dusk. As long as the wind is blowing we didn’t have much problem, but made the mistake of going on a bike ride with the kids the first night and got eaten alive. Bring and use bug spray!

Assateague Island offers a combination of pristine ocean beaches, hiking and biking trails, and daily exposure to the wild horses on the island. There are no hook-ups in the campground, but fresh water, dump station, trash bins, and well maintained pit toilets are available. An added bonus is that the island is within close proximity to Ocean City, Maryland and the boardwalk. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 33.5 Mbps download speed and 3.24 upload speed. AT&T clocked in at 5.95 Mbps download speed and 3.85 upload speed. If you visit this National Seashore, please respect the rules and stay at least 10 feet away from the wild ponies and horses. Too many folks were hand feeding these horses and even petting them, which is dangerous for both the horse and people. These animals may be corralled and no longer be able to freely roam the island if visitors continue to violate the well posted park rules. Enjoy this unique place while it lasts.

Stayed three nights a stone's throw from the surf. The camping is clean, has decent ground water showers, and was very quiet.
The mosquitoes and biting flies are many and fierce. Be prepared and them some.a guy who has been going for 20-plus years told me July and August are to be avoided.
The town of Berlin is a short drive and has good foid, antiques and a lovely library.
Try main street deli grinders, wonderful!
Recommend late spring early fall visit.

We have been camped in Assateague Island National Seashore campgrounds for going on three days now.

"Assateague Island, famed for its wild horses, lies off the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Coast. This barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge each manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land." (U.S. National Park Service)

The first night we spent in the "A" Loop of the Bayside Campground, the past two nights have been in #2 Loop of the Oceanside Campground. It's relatively quiet here in late August. I suspect the next few days, however, will be busy with the Labor Day holiday approaching.

Campgrounds here are dry camping. No electric, no water at the campsites and each loop has two outside cold water showers and two pit toilets. It's not exactly primitive, but closer to it than some places we've camped. Beachside Campground loops are steps from the Atlantic Ocean.

There's a place to get potable water and there's a dump station available too.

We've lucked out on weather while we've been here. Skies have been mostly to partly cloudy, high temps in the mid 70's, low's in the low 70's upper 60's.

​We'll definitely be back. $15.00 price reflects my senior status.

I actually prefer the sites away from the beach. They have more protection from the wind. The wild ponies wander through the campground and drink from the water source by the bathroom. Windy a lot of the time but that keeps it from getting too hot and also helps with the flies. The beach and water are very nice. The water is a little cold but you get used to it.

This campsite is accessed via a bridge from Berlin, Maryland. There is bayside and oceanside camping. The oceanside camp ground has 2 loops. Both loops have black top roads and pads, however loop 2 is a little more sand swept.
These site are literally on the edge of the dunes. There are no hookups, but they do offer composting bathrooms. Although there is no greenery separating sites, the sites are well spaced. Its lovely to listen to the ocean at night. Each site has a fire ring.
20min from the hustle and bustle of Ocean City but feels like you are worlds away. The beach is beautiful and you can obtain a 4WD permit to do some beach driving. The horses roam around the campground and like to venture down onto the beach. Winter (until April) is first come first served.
Check-in is easy at the park office at the entrance. If you arrive after hours they leave a site map marked with which sites are free.

The park s gorgeous and who doesn’t love wild ponies wandering on the beach? Sites are basic with fire pit, paved pad, and table but they are nicely spaced so you can hear the waves, not the neighbors. The park is small and very walkable. Great bike paths too. Our experience was perfect except for the cleanliness of our site...it was just nasty! Plastic bottles, cigarette buts, candy wrappers, etc. We cleaned it up and it wasn’t a big deal but it’s too bad the employees don’t care enough to keep the place looking good. We checked in around 4pm, which is five hours past check out time. Plenty of time for someone to swing by with a grabber and trash bucket. We didn’t use the restrooms or showers so I can’t comment on their condition. Because there aren’t any electric hookups, the place is dark and perfect for stargazing. Beach is leashed dog friendly. Overall, a spectacular place to spend a few nights.

Our site was really nice, walking distance to the beach, we could see the ocean from our patio. It is a paved site with plenty of room. The wild horses loved our site for some reason and spent 30 minutes every day at our site. The only bad thing are the morons that come too close to the horses. This is their land and they come through your site and you have to let them be, I actually had to alert the rangers because one of the campers was not happy that they were there and tried to slap one....this is against the law and the guy was lucky that the horse didn't retaliate. Please, be careful around them, they seem gentle but that can change in a blink of an eye.
We did get some weather but the way our rig was angled the wind was hitting us from the front or the back and not the sides. Beautiful sunrises on that side, not as many bugs. We were lucky because it was cooler so not as many bugs. We had one day where the horses were losing their minds with the bugs and that sent them to the beach which was magical. There is a dump station nearby, no electricity or water at the site.

This is a very popular campground so be prepared to book several months in advance. A beautiful location on the ocean that offers great views and opportunities to have ponies wandering through your campsite and other areas if the park. Just a few short hiking trails here but a very large beach with plenty of space to relax and enjoy the scenery. Can be very windy at times, so tents can be problematic.

*Cell signal review based on the use of the WeBoost RV 65 kit.

Best sites: 12 and 34