Assateague State Park Campground

The best time to go is in May. In May it's hot enough to get a tan but it's not miserable heat and there aren't many bugs. At this time, it's a super relaxing trip.

Only a 2 minute walk from the Atlantic Ocean. Coffee on the beach in the early hours, watching the waves crashing only yards from us, was breathtaking. We walked for miles both north and south of the campgrounds on a pristine beach, with only a few other beach-goers to greet along the way. Though this was our first time at this Maryland State campground, everyone we met had been coming to the park for decades. The veterans said May and September were the ideal months to be there, and our late September visit made us believers.

The bathhouses were beautifully remodeled in the last couple of years, and have flush toilets and hot-water sinks and showers for cleaning up after a day splashing in the water or combing the shore. The ponies roaming the grounds are fun to watch and capture (on video or by photo!), but you are warned to give them wide berth by signage throughout the park.

All-in-all, this is a spectacular place!

We have camped here every summer since 2011. Beach, sand, sun, wildlife, hiking trails, horses and much more. There is something for just about anyone who is an outdoors person. The staff and campers are very nice and friendly.

Let's talk about the whole package.

Arrival:

When you arrive you will take the second right hand turn once you get on the island. You will be greeted by a campground host working a "guard" shack. They will verify your reservation and allow you to enter. As you enter you will find a large parking lot. If you are checking in just pull off the main road a little to allow traffic to pass and enter the state park office. Be sure to have your license plate number of your tow vehicle or the vehicle you will be driving in and out of the park. Once you sign in you will be given a gate code. You will need this to enter the park when entering. Now armed with the campground map and site number (which you might already know the site number) you pull up to the gate and enter the gate code. The arm will lift and you are off to one unique camping experience. Please follow all rules but especially the speed limit signs. There are people, children and animals all around. We have been around to help several turtles cross the road and horses run in a blink of an eye. You will notice that all loops are one way traffic. You enter the loop on the far side and it loops towards the loop before it. The pavement is usually marked where you enter the loop along with the loop letter. Also remember that the water fill and rv dump station is located down near loop G. There is one fill station and 1 dump station so there can be a line during busy times.

Found your site:

Ok, finally you have found your site. I personally have found this to be one of the easiest campgrounds to back into. There are no pull through sites. Please keep your tires on the pavement. You may find a time here or there where you will need to hit the sand a little but try to avoid it as this is a barrier island. You will be glad to know that the sites are very level. I rarely need to level the rv side to side. Once you have blocked the tires, disconnected and stabilized the unit you are ready to enjoy.

Bath houses:

We have found these to be plentiful and clean. I can't remember every waiting for a shower. I also shower at 6am. They use bleach to clean and that makes me a feel a lot better. We have been in them right after cleaning on many occasions and you can tell they clean them thoroughly. These were also just remodeled in that past few years.

No hookup:

Unless you are one of the few lucky people to snag a campsite in the one and only electric loop G you will be dry camping. For some there will be no problem for others this might be a big problem. As I mentioned above we use the bath houses so water and sewer are not important to us. The only thing I miss is the AC. So to prep for this awesome site let's go over a few helpful tips. Make sure you have a good battery. This will let you run lights, charge devices, run your water pump, ignite the water heater and refrigerator. I have found a group 27 lead acid battery gets us about two days. Next how to recharge the battery. Two options: A. Generator and B. Solar. 2nd tip, propane. Our water heater and refrigerator both run off of propane. We found 2 20lb tanks last us a week. Tip 3, BUG SPRAY. Don't forget this one. I would personally rather forget the sunscreen lol. If there is a nice ocean breeze however, it tends to blow them away from the campsites a little, but be prepared for the mosquito bites.

Generators:

Let's talk a little about generators. Be respectful on both sides of the spectrum. Try to use a quiet gas generator if possible. If this isn't possible try your best to keep the noise down, you can keep the generator closer to your rv, point the exhaust at something to deflect the sound and also run it only to charge the battery or cool off the rv with the ac. I know these won't turn the sound down but it might make it tolerable in short runs. As for the other campers around, we might not like the person running their generator but remember, it might be for reasons you cannot see or know. Maybe they are charging up to run a cpap machine or other medical devices.

Camp fires:

Same general rules apply here:

Every site has a fire ring. Some have a grill top and some do not. You can purchase firewood directly from the state park or there are multiple places near by and some even have delivery. We have a 5 gallon collapsible container we fill with water before the fire starts and use it to put it out at the end. They ask that you do not leave firewood behind. We normally have some left and all we do is toss it out near the street during our pack up time. Most times someone stops by and asks if they can have it.

Things to do:

There is a calendar that is usually given to you at check in and if not there is one at each bath house. This is the State parks schedule of activities and events. There are things for most age groups and a decent amount are at no cost. There are a few that have a small fee and these usually include kayaking and craft activities. You can also enjoy many of your own activities such as the beach, swimming, kite flying, bicycle riding, walking and anything else you can think of. The fun doesn't stop there. You have the option to enjoy the National park right next door. You can walk or ride your bike there and enter for free. If you drive you will need to pay an entrance fee which I believe is around $20 for the week or $40 for the year. On the National park side, you can enjoy many of the same activities with a few added ones. There are bicycle, kayak and paddle board rentals. There is also the bay. Knee deep at best in most common areas, warm water and just a calm relaxing area. Don't forget you are just a short distance from Ocean City Maryland and some shopping outlets.

Campground hosts:

You will find these sites clearly marked. Some loops have 1 and some have multiple. Most times they will introduce themselves but not always. These people are here to help. Any questions or issues you can go directly to them. If it is an emergency still dial 911. There are state and national park rangers all over. They will be there quickly. I have seen this first hand. You can always talk to them if you have any left over firewood as some hosts will use it for themselves or give it to someone that needs some for the first night.

Garbage:

As always clean up after yourself. These beautiful areas can only stay this way if we all chip in and do a little more. You will find garbage dumpsters in every loop. You will also find recycling near the dump station in Loop G.

Camp store:

There is a camp store and a rangers station. Ranger station is where you checked in. You can also purchase some basic items like ice and firewood. They also have the most important items which are the items needed for s'mores. The camp store has most everything a normal camp store would have. It also has a small food and ice cream service. This is shared with the day use part of the park so it can get very busy. The store also closes very early and the hours seem to follow the day use schedule.

The sad day:

Check out day is upon us and no one wants to leave. Here are a few tips to stream line the process. Check out is at 11AM. The closer you get to 11 the longer the line at the dump station. On your way out don't forget to toss you vehicle tag in the drop box near the lift gate. You can easily do this if you have a passenger if not you will need to run it into the ranger station.

I hope this helps and enjoy the experience!

Boondocking sites with water and a nearby dump station. Open year round. Breathtaking views, wild ponies, deer and water fowl,. Well maintained, friendly staff and very peaceful. We've stayed here 4 different times and plan to come back.
The only negative would be the drifting sand which can make it difficult to maneuver but you're yards from the ocean so that's to be expected.
The stars at night and sounds of the ocean make you feel you're in another world.

We absolutely loved staying here. Good internet signal for work, practically right on the beach, quiet, and wild ponies!

A few sites have hookups but ours didn’t. There are decent bath houses with showers. There’s a playground by the D loop. Beach access points all over. Sites further out from the ocean where there is more grass will have better odds for pony visitors.

DO NOT LEAVE OUT ANY TRASH, FOOD OR LEAVE FOOD INSIDE YOUR TENT.

We saw a pony raid and they trashed the site, and were biting the tent trying to rip it open. Signs say to strap your cooler closed because they know how to open coolers, and will knock coolers out from under tables to get to them. The people whose site got ransacked told me “we only left out trash, there wasn’t any food in it.” Well, food trash will still smell like food, even if it’s all gone. Do not leave anything outside of a trailer or vehicle. The ponies have no fear of people and walked right into occupied sites to get to food. Same thing for the beach. I think I saw a sign that no food is allowed on the beach either for that reason.

There are nice nature trails nearby in the National seashore area. The bay side had nice shallow waters for playing in.

After reviewing the reviews, I notice only one posted about the summer months, and now I know why. Our last night during our August trip, the humidity was 98% making it about 90 deg in our camper. I have yet to use a sauna, but I imagine that was close enough. Since I wasn't able to get a power spot to run AC, we had to adapt to the heat. The horses occasionally paid us a visit, and at least once at night, which did not help us get to sleep. The beach was great, and very close by. Beware of the weeds at sites further away from the dunes. They contain jaggers?(not sure what to call them) and they hurt when you step on them. Not much can be done to protect you from the bugs, the mosquitos were relentless, even with Deet applied. The only thing I didn't try was a Thermocell. We were able to get over 20 channels and Verizon and AT&T came in just fine. Ocean City is about 20 mins away and was very crowded when we were there. There are nice bathhouses, with 2 indoor/2 outdoor showers each. Also note, Only one dump station for the entire campground as far as I could tell.

This is a great place to camp. I just want to report that with AT&T, I can only check the weather.

The Maryland State Park campground is a pure beach camping experience. If you’re looking for privacy, this is not where you want to be. All the sites are close together with nothing but sand and grass in between; and an occasional wild pony which the kids will love seeing. On the plus side the sites nearly dead level, in fact the entire CG is nearly dead level. Come prepared for wind, sand stakes are called for. The bathhouses are up-to-date and well maintained. The Atlantic Ocean is just over the dune a short walk from the campsites; be sure to use the access points and keep the kids off the dunes, they’re much more fragile than they look. Ocean City is a short drive away for supplies; prices reflect the relative remoteness of this barrier island location. For a more forested habitat take the level bike paths over to the Assateague National Wildlife Reserve a few miles further South on the island; there is some excellent bay side birding here. A word to the wise, reserve early (like 12 months early) if you want any hookups as this CG books up quick.

Don’t show up before 2pm- check in time is enforced. All back in sites. Plenty of room between sites. Facilities are very clean. All sites are close to the beach which is only open to the campground people. On July 4th last year we were no others swimming within 100 yards in each direction. No water at sites, electricity only in loop G and I. Did I mention that wild horses walk through the sites regularly?

One of our favorite places to stay.

Our stay… May 2nd thru 5th, 3 nights for $64 including service charge and MD’s Golden age discount for site # G178 (one in the electric/pet loop). First time staying at the State Park. Was impressed with the length of the pad and the ample distance from your neighbor…more than enough room for the ponies to pass thru. Only electric at the site so be sure to fill water at dump station area, located on the opposite side so not to be confused with the non-potable water, neither had a hose, so be prepared. While I never tried the showers, the bath house was always very clean but was a very long walk from our site. The walk to the beach enjoyable, 2 access points for the loop. On the inside turns of this double loop, the sites are setup as pull-thru, the rest are back in and many large RV’s had trouble. Too early in the season for many bugs except flies, be sure to bring bug spray or a swatter. Weather app pin-pointed us on “Campground road” and was able to stream movies (ATT) on iphone. We (and the critters) will be returning, during cool weather of course.