Bayside Assateague Campground — Assateague Island National Seashore

I was fortunate to have gorgeous weather in November. I stayed in campsite B31 Bayside and it was nice. The B loop does not allow generators, so it is definitely more peaceful. Next time I’ll plan ahead and reserve either a Bayside spot on the water side or an Oceanside spot.

The check in is very straightforward and the rangers are super helpful and kind. The rules are definitely enforced here and I appreciate that very much as it makes the experience much more pleasant.

The wild horses are amazing, but please heed the warnings about how brazen they can be if you leave food out. They WILL raid your site.

I took advantage of the beach off road access and it was incredible-highly recommend it if you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle.

I had an ocean front tent site. You park and walk in. I may pick a drive up site next time because hauling all of my equipment over the sand took several trips. Was there for the sound of the ocean and beautiful sunrises, which was amazing, and several horses came through. I never used the bathhouses (bring my own camp toilet and camp shower bag) but they have very simple facilities and water pumps at each loop. It was very windy at times (my tent didn’t make the trip home RIP) and you must have deep screw in tent anchors for the sand. Regular tent stakes don’t work. There is a store a few miles outside of the park where they sell basic camping and fishing equipment, food, snacks, firewood etc. I really enjoyed having a campfire in the ring provided at every tent site. There is nothing like having a fire on the beach at sunset. 

The Bayside Campground at Assateague is a large and crowded campground with precious little shade- but the trade off is absolutely spectacular stargazing.

We stayed one night in site #28- we initially were extremely disappointed with our site because of the lack of shade and the overall lack of friendliness towards dogs in the park. It was difficult to do anything with our dog because he wasn’t allowed anywhere and it was too warm to leave him in the car, and too warm for us to sit in the car with him- especially at the campsite, hence the problem with there not being any shade.

But we were absolutely delighted to find that the stargazing from our campsite that night was phenomenal. Our neighbor seemed to be aware that this would be the case- he had a whole telescope set up! We stayed up for a couple hours and watched the skies overhead. It was also very cool to watch the ponies walk through our campsite.

There are a handful of sites at this campground that I would consider booking again, but based on the lack of shade and activities to do with our dog in the park, we would not return to Assateague any time soon.

Wonderful experience at an oceanfront site. Beautiful view from among the dunes and during my time there, horses came by to visit 1-2 times a day. Parking area, pit toilets and shower stalls are a 3-4 minute walk from the oceanfront sites. Bring your bug spray…..otherwise a magical experience!

I’ve been coming to Assateague since I was a few months old and I can honestly say I never get tired of it’s beauty!

There is plenty of beach to swim and roam, You’ll have no problems running into wild ponies and they’re babies! Just don’t feed or get close to them, they are definitely WILD!

There is plenty of RV, Tent and van camping dispersed throughout the park in designated areas, You can get a camp pass at the main gate.

There is on beach camping as well as camping spots with picnic tables and fire rings, Bathroom and shower houses as well. Quiet park and it’s ALSO One of the best star observatory spots in the US!

You won’t regret coming here, On your way in or out check out the amazing local produce farm Assateague Farms for all kinds of organic fresh picked snacks!

Would have enjoyed it more if it weren’t for the bugs. Had to be covered head to toe in order to attempt to not get bit. Will have to try again in the fall!

Camping on the beach with wild horses

Bathrooms are cold and it’s vault toilets. Biking rentals were close by and I’ll def be putting this campground on my yearly trip list. Just beautiful. I don’t like that a lot of people ruin and don’t listen to simple rules.

Wildlife galore! Turtles, deer, birds and of course the wild horses just come right through your campsites. Use your best wildlife common sense and don’t leave food or water out. We had a blast. Plus the beach is not too far and OCMD is just a 30 min drive. If you have the proper vehicle defiantly get an OSV pass.

Quite windy but with sand/snow stakes and sand bags/mounds our tent was secure! Lovely beach and views. No bugs at this time of year. Definitely secure your food or put it in the car as the horses come around every morning.

This was absolutely perfect. Sites were not too close to one another. We had site 13 on ocean loop 1. Just a few steps, and you’re on the beach. Nice picnic table and fire pit. Bathrooms were super clean, with toilet paper, and hand sanitizer.

There are a few hiking trails that are really pretty and a great opportunity to see the wild horses.

We’re definitely coming back!!

Quick tip for firewood: when you get about 10 miles out, there will be several spots where people sell firewood. Some are just honor system. We bought a whole stack of wood for $20 bucks.

This side of the park is more buggy because it lacks the sea breeze, but we woke up to wild ponies grazing right next to us! Very cool. There is a bath house with unisex toilets & showers but only cold water!

This pin is on the state park campground, not the national seashore campground. We stayed at both. So I’ll give a review for both.

State park: there’s no privacy, but you’re right on the beach, and the bathroom/shower facilities are some of the best out of any campground we’ve stayed at. The camp hosts were some of the friendliest we’ve had. There are a couple groups of horses that hang around, they raided our campsite a couple times. Absolutely incredible experience. We actually moved from spot to spot to stay longer. Heads up: dogs only allowed in certain loops, G-I I think.

National seashore: a little more private on the spots on the bayside, dogs allowed everywhere. The walk to the beach from the bayside was a little ways. The bathrooms/showers were Stone Age haha. Hole in the ground for the toilet, the showers were only cold and there were no lights.

We didn’t know about the state park when we looked originally, so we booked the national park in advance. We found the state park campground and stayed there 7 nights, with our original reservation at the National for one night in the middle.

We’ll go back to the state park anytime we are remotely in the area!

We camped here in April with few other campers. It was magical. We picked up an Oversands permit and enjoyed the beach by ourselves other than the horses and seals. The winds were whipping but we were happy with the limited crowds. There is also a nice walking trail and a canoe launch. We really enjoyed this campground. No hot showers, so be ready for that!

Love staying here. beautiful sunsets you can see right from your tent and walking on the beach at night is amazing. Clean facilities. Horses can get in your stuff so make sure to put it away in your car

We only stayed on Assateague for 1 night on our way down the east coast. We camped on the bayside which had a really pretty view of the marsh and large camp sites. No electric hookup or water which is expected for winter camping, we managed without for the night. We took a ride over to the ocean camp sites and found some horses! Worth a stop just for the simplicity of it all!

Friendly staff, well maintained. Signs explained what could be done instead of what not to do.

At the end of the day nothing beat waking to horses grazing in our camp. Exactly what we were hoping for.

Wish we had two weeks instead of two days.

I was really looking forward to this trip. We stayed on the Bayside of the campground. Our site was close to the bathhouse, which was modest with cold water and vault toilets. Fresh water pump was nearby, as well.

Based on the reviews, I was expecting a beach camp out with the ambience of wild horses running along the shore. Sand between our toes. Fire cooked meals. Idyllic... Sadly, that’s not at all what we got.

We arrived late to meet some friends before setting up camp. We were supposed to have dinner with the them. But dinner was delayed — VERY delayed — because of horses. A small herd of them (around 8) decided to hangout in our campsite waiting for their meal. This meant we couldn’t get ours. As soon as any food would come into ‘nose-shot,’ they would start advancing on us. We waited over an hour for them to lose interest and move on to the next site. We went through this for every meal. It became a real hassle.

It’s obvious other campers have not been so responsible with their food in this area. The standard is to hide all food as soon as you see the horses. This mean storing anything with a scent in your closed vehicle or in the “horse box” under the picnic table. With the way they would wait for us to pull food out, it was very apparent other campers allowed them to have a free-for-all previously. And no amount of noise shooed them off. If anything, it made them more aggressive and we had to watch them closely.

A little while later, we finally settled in and set up camp after having our “dinner” in the confines of our car. Dinner was snacks since we couldn’t cook anything. Placing anything on the fire or stove was like a beacon to the horses.

The next problem we encountered was the mosquitoes — they were everywhere and in hoards. No matter how hard you tried, there’s no keeping them out of the tent. We left a day later covered in bumps, most from throughout the night.

One good thing was the cooler temps meant no horseflies. On a previous beach trip, we were swarmed and covered in bites within minutes of exiting our car. Be prepared because bug spray does very little.

Let’s also not forget the “stickers” — little burr-like plant pods that are all on the ground and stuck to anything and everything, especially skin. These stung bad.

Once settled in for the night, we dealt with the wind flapping the tent pretty wildly at times, horses neighing almost constantly and coming awfully close, and two raccoons fighting on the edge of our tent. A restful night was not in the cards there.

The only good thing was the location. We were a short walk away from the beach. The kids and I at least enjoyed that part.

I was beyond disappointed and cancelled my upcoming trip for the following month as soon as I got home. I don’t know if the experience was different Oceanside, but i will never be staying Bayside again.

Love this place but be prepared for the bugs. Even enjoyed this in the winter.

I stayed here for two nights during the week in late April 2019.

The weather in late April was generally OK, other than the wind.  The wind was so strong that none of my tent stakes would stay in the sand, and when I was finally able to secure a stake by putting something heavy on it, the wind ripped my guy rope.  Brutal.  I couldn't even start a campfire because the firepit was downwind and very close to my car and tent, and I didn't want them to go up in flames.

I guess the wild horses are OK, but I didn't find them particularly interesting.  They are definitely not very shy--one of them stuck his nose right in my tent.  

I had my dog with me at this campground--IIRC the campgrounds in this park in VA are non-pet friendly, but the campgrounds in MD are pet-friendly (but I might have that backwards, so check their websites to make sure!).

There are two sides. Bay and Ocean I reserved a drive in ocean front site just over the dunes. No showers, just toilets. The horses do run through the camp and on the beach so be sure to lock up your coolers. Some people in the site across from me had some uninvited guests while grilling. The horse fly bites are painful. Mosquitoes as usual-annoying. Invest in good repellents. Windy. Had to use guy lines on tent to keep from blowing over. I went in June and it was hot even with the ocean breeze. Dogs are allowed on the beach and in campsites but not on the trails. Don’t forget fly repellent for them!

Beach: The campsites are right behind the dunes from the beach, it’s a perfect spot and so convenient for spending the day on the beach but being able to run back to your site for supplies/bathroom etc. The beach itself is a proper one, the waves are good and there are often surfers out! Your area of the beach will be less crowded than the public area too, with a private entry from your camp area. 

Campsite: You’ll get a paved area for your vehicle, and then room for your tent as well. You also get a picnic table to yourself and a campfire area with a grill on top. Only firewood from the area is allowed, plenty of spots on your way in to load up. 

Facilities: The toilets and showers are right by each campground, very handy and are clean and tidy. There’s plenty of toilets, and about 2-3 showers per camp area. 

Things to know: Be prepared for some mushy areas around your campsite if it rains, but having the paved area there is great. Mosquitos and bugs do come out at night, bring your repellent! Phone reception isn’t the greatest out there but you’ll get 1 or 2 bars.

Horses!: The best part of course is the wild horses! They roam around the area, you’ll probably see them in the campgrounds or not far off! Don’t leave your food out! And no pets allowed because of this. 

My thoughts: We went in July, it was hot and perfect weather for hanging out on the beach all day! These campgrounds are perfect for any type of camping - tent, trailer, RV, or out the back of an SUV like we did! Great for families with kids, everyone is friendly and overall it was a great vacation. Recommend 100%!

The beach. A national park. Wild ponies. OC boardwalk 10 minutes away. What could be better.

It's dry camping with ice cold showers, but it's quiet and beautiful. Nothing is more magical than waking up to ponies breathing in your tent.

The breeze coming off the bay allowed for me to get one of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a while! The horses roam free, so keep your stuff locked in your vehicle. Decent trails for hiking or biking and it’s not far from the beach.

Tent sites, snack bar, warm showers and the ocean....what more could a camper want? Make sure to visit the welcome center before going over the small bridge and watch the video that is played.

Bugs can be pretty bad but it’s the beach so it can’t be THAT bad

First time camping in a long time. Oceanside walk in requires a good amount of work. You’re carrying your gear in to your site, setting up in howling wind (potentially), no water at site. Cold showers. Pit toilets. But man oh man. The rewards are high. Wild horses every day. Beach was right over the dune. Campsite is set behind one dune so there’s a little wind protection. We had one wild thunderstorm night. Survived with our good tent and screen house (do not come without some kind of screen house). But the next morning the mosquitoes were wild. Everyone had bites from our morning packing up. It was hot (camped at end of July/beginning of August), but water was a good escape. We escaped into the town of Berlin on some of the hotter hours of the day for ice cream to beat the heat (and charge our electronics in the car). Great spot. I’d come back, but maybe later in the year when it’s not so hot!

Beautiful scenery, love the wild horses. Just be careful opening the door, I've been greeted by a few horses!

No hookups but wow the views! And if course the wild horses are amazing.

Awesome campsites. Nice clean bathrooms, and plenty to do between the trails, ocean, and bay. Kayaks are available for renting and there is a general store just a few minutes up the road for whatever you would need. Only recommendation would be to make sure you do NOT get a campsite near the wetland area. The mosquitos there are terrible.