Assateague State Park camping is Maryland's only oceanfront park. It is located on Assateague Island, a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Sinepuxent Bay on the west. Its two miles of ocean beaches offer swimming, beachcombing, sunbathing, surfing and fishing. The bayside offers visitors the chance to explore secluded coves by canoe or kayak. The marsh areas have a variety of wildlife, including deer, waterfowl and feral horses.

-342 sites are available, each with a fire ring and picnic table.

-Electric hook-ups are available in the G-Loop and a limited number of sites in I-Loop only.

-Most campsites can be reserved from the last week of April through the last weekend of October.

Assateague State Park Campground

Our site E-106 was a perfect site for my wife and I.
Close to beach access, clean facilities and friendly staff.
Surf fishing was slow but the bay offered up some opportunities to reel in a few fish.
Warm fall temperatures, only a handful of other campers made our stay enjoyable.
The campers we met with are friendly along with our camp host and staff.
Beautiful sunsets, Asseateague
ponies with there new foals and a beautiful full moon rounded out our stay. 


Peaceful, otherworldly 

Beach camping just got even cooler! We stayed here in late May 2015. It is actually on an island off the shore. Campsites are right off of the beach -- so sandy! They felt softer than dirt when sleeping. Cars can park right next to campsite. Really, really nice bathroom and shower facilities are available close to every group of campsites. The beach is beautiful, totally untouched and preserved so both the beach and the water just feel very clean. Wild horses roam the island-- you WILL see them. Be careful about leaving food out, we left some pretzels and chips in our tent for a few minutes while cleaning up and before we knew it there was a horse in our tent eating them!! Such a cool experience though. 10/10 would recommend. 

One of the best!!

There are two camping sites on the Assategue Island. One is run by the National Park and the other by the state of MD. 
I do prefer the campsite run by the National Park I think its a bit less crowded. The state run park does offer nicer facilities. Flush-able toilets and hot showers are available unlike the national park with they have nice portapotties and only cold showers. 

Read my other reviews for the National Park for both seaside and bayside.

Assategue State Park MD

Family of 7 stayed 5 days. Super nice showers with hot water, easy beach access and close to ocean city and boardwalk. Great beaches and swimming! Bugs not bad this time and wild horses visited a few times!

Amazing beaches!! Ohv area close!

Where to start? Amazing boondocking experience where the only light at night is the shuttle glow of the bathhouse the moon and the campfires. Falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean is one of the relaxing thing there is. Waking to see wild horses each morning is an experience I'll never forget.

The Beach and wild horses! 

Paradise 

Pristine beach and easy access to Bay. The state park has immaculate bathhouses. The mosquitos are no joke. Bring your grill Some loops are pet friendly.

Serene but bring your DEET

Beach, wild ponies, Sika deer, nature everywhere. Has very nice bath houses, Snack bar/store. Some sites have electric. Very nice campground, my favorite. Close to Ocean City.

Awesome

Absolutely amazing time! The only thing to be be prepared with, your own shade tents! Other then that, the bathroom/shower facilities are fantastic and it’s a clean campground. I really enjoyed seeing how protected the horses were with their own “body guards” which were the rangers that followed them. I’ll absolutely be back next year ❤️

Incredible vacation with wild horses!! 

Family friendly, clean, spacious, wonderful outdoor showers and sink for washing dishes. A lot of campers, but it was nice for tent camping too. The horses were magestic!!

Beautiful and well maintained!

Relaxing beach camping. Newly renovated bath houses are great! Love the outdoor/private showers. Love the weekly activities, ie, beach yoga.

Best beach camping ⛺️ 

We've been camping here every summer ever since we discovered this. If you want rustic, camp at the National Park. If you want nice a nicer bathhouse, go with the State Park! When beach camping, I opt for nicer bathrooms... as dealing with washing sand off with kids is not fun in more primitive camping conditions! This isn't a camping resort with all the annoying amenities that jack up the price. Come here for a good beach experience in a very natural environment. As it is beach camping, it is advisable to be prepared with shelter from the sun as there aren't trees and shade. Also prepare for mosquitos... There are lots of RVs, but tent campers too. The bathhouses are nice: great family shower if you have little ones. There is also a nice sink you can use for washing dishes. You do have to watch your food and put it away if you aren't using it... the horses (and even seagulls) will get your food. I've had horses in my face at my car, in our trunk when left open while setting up. They are an interesting challenge and may be an annoyance to many, but for our family, they are a part of the charm of camping at Assateague!

Beach Camping Perfection

We set out to hike the 12 miles down to the Virginia side of Assateague. would have been lovely if we had gotten an early start. we got stuck in a nasty storm about 6 miles into our hike and had to take shelter at the nearest campsite. The mosquitos were awful! I’ve never encountered as many pesky little demon bloody thirst insects in my entire life. They are horrible on Assateague! If you’re planning on staying here just make sure you pick a campsite on the BEACH! Any wooded areas, or anything away from the ocean for that matter is infested with mosquitos. My boyfriend wore his mosquito net and wore his body suit and my stupid ass made fun of how silly he looked until I was the one getting devoured by mosquitos EVEN WITH BUG SPRAY. Be prepared if you plan on doing the 12.5 mile hike down all of Assateague Island. It’s all sand and fairly hard to walk on. I ended up taking my shoes off because of how uneven it was. Also, bring a duster so you can get your shoes back on without having to worry about sand particles cutting your feet! 

Backpacking on Assateague

Awesome place to camp if you want to be surrounded by beach and wild ponies. I highly recommend safe food storage that is pony proof. They do know how to get into coolers

Horses!!!

If you want to camp with full amenities- this is a good fit. The facilities are clean and provide hot water, electricity, showers, flushing toilets. There is a visitors center with soda, maps, info, firewood, etc. There is even a cafe on site. You are walking distance to the beach and could even camp on the dunes. Walk in sites and RV sites available. If it’s peak season, be prepared for A LOT of people. Many kids and families. Of course, be prepared for the ponies. They are neat and beautiful but they are also wild animals. They will walk right through your site and won’t care if they bother you. They will eat your food if they can get to it. They will also poop in huge piles. Bring lots of bug spray cause the mosquitoes and horse flies are terrible. 

Glamping at its peak

This campground is a great choice if you are looking for a family oriented, beach campsite. They have multiple sections and the one I stayed in is closest to the water/beach. The sites do have sand so there is a risk of getting sand in your tent. It is amazing that at any moment you will see a wild horse at your site or on the beach. Be careful to not get too close to the horses, they are WILD horses. It is pet friendly on the sites as well as the beach, but they need to be leashed. This site was sooo much fun. I loved being so close to the beach. There are a few bathroom buildings, but you cannot bring your dog in there. The showers pressure is pretty good for a campsite. The bathrooms also have outlets to charge your phone. Some of the campsites have electrical hookups for an RV, but I used a tent on a tent campsite. Mostly people with RVs stay here, but you will see some tents, if you prefer that kind of arrangement. There is limited shade so if you are going in the summer make sure to WEAR SUNSCREEN!

I LOVED camping here. I will most definitely be back!

Beautiful, Eclectic, Calming

Great place for beach camping. Wild ponies are common so watch your food. Also pay attention to the weather winds can get really strong.

Camping on the beach with ponies 

Campground has hot water at bathhouses. Loops are filled with lots of campers and lots of generators

Great beach camping

They ate our pasta salad! Left a closed COOLER alone for thirty (30) seconds and they knocked it over and opened the Tupperware!  Evolution at its finest I guess. The hikes are sandy and (on a non windy day) buggy but the water makes up for it. Perfect place to fly a kite by day and make s’mores by night. 

BEWARE OF HORSES

Absolutely beautiful location, campsites were good, the beach was a short walk away, restrooms were good,  just had to keep food in the car and not prepare dinner during dinner time. A family across the way from us had their dinner eaten by the wild horses. Overall fun place to camp! 

Beautiful beach, but watch your dinner

Great campground and park. Sites are somewhat well separated, some on the grass, some right on the dunes. The restrooms are probably the best we've seen amongst any Md campground. Beaches are very very enjoyable. Only downside I can think of is how hard it is to book a site (we book ours a year in advance and it still a race). Something to keep in mind is that, because of the natural layout of the park, no shade is provided by trees, be prepared. Great place to go

We come back every year

Great site  !  Most of the sites are non- power or water hookup,  but you can bring a generator to use 

Camp sites are level and big 
Plus you may get a visit from a pony or two

Beach and Pony’s 

**Site Details:** We stayed on site #I328, in the I loop at the very end of the campground. The site was level but on the small side; I wouldn’t recommend attempting to fit in with anything larger than a pop-up or hybrid. That said, it had electrical service(a hot commodity in this park!), and was well situated, with a nice open space between the edge of the site and the dunes. This open space was pretty low-lying, so I imagine flooding/standing water could bring some major bug issues in the summer. As with all other loops in the park, this loop is separated from the beach by a row of sand dunes, so beach access is very quick and easy. There is no shade to speak of; all sites are surrounded by scrub brush and other plants typical of a beach/marsh environment. Watch out for sandburs! 

  

**Facilities/Overall Park:** Assateague SP is widely known, loved, and hard to book for a reason. The scenery and setting simply cannot be beat. The beautiful beaches, unspoiled natural setting, and wild ponies all make for an incredible and truly unique camping experience. Additionally, the rangers are very helpful, and the bath houses are pristine. We visited in the fall, and the weather happened to be perfect, with no bugs. Based on other campers’ experiences, as well as having grown up on the Eastern Shore, I would honestly avoid the summertime due to the extreme heat and bugs. Summertime is undoubtedly a more popular time, and a more convenient time for many to travel and take advantage of the beach, but I’d lean toward going in the fall if you can. 

  

**Surrounding Area/Attractions:** There is so much to do and see nearby, if you can tear yourself away from the park. The state park sits adjacent to Assateague National Seashore, with its own visitor center, campground, and beaches. The NP side has more primitive facilities, and tends to be less crowded and a bit more “wild.” Outside the island, there is of course Ocean City nearby, with plenty to do, see, and eat. It’s a typical tourist beach town, which I have no desire to visit again, but might be worth checking out if you’re into boardwalks, shopping, mini golf, etc. If you do go, make sure to grab some Thrasher’s fries and Fisher’s popcorn. Also nearby is the cute small town of Berlin. 

  

Overall, this is a fantastic park for beach and nature lovers, and lives up to its hype. Make sure you book far in advance (especially for the electric sites!); be prepared for bugs, heat, and wind; and you’ll be sure to have a memorable experience.

Location, wildlife, and scenery can't be beat!

Make no mistake, this is beach camping, but it is the best. Despite constant 20mph winds for the first two days which prevented us from pitching our tent (we slept in our SUV just fine) we had a blast. It was a bonus when we got the tent up, but the hiking, relaxing on the beach, campfire and watching the wild ponies is unbeatable.

Best in seashore camping

This campground is for beach lovers!  That’s not me and what it gets a 3 star for.   I would say 5 star for the wild horse experience.
As for the campground, it has no trees or cover.  If there is any bad weather and you’re in a tent... good luck.  The bugs/fleas are horrible.  But it’s right on the water so an easy walk to the beach.  

If you like beach camping

Assateague State Park is a very well run campground with a prime location by a lovely wild beach.  We visited in May - it was very windy and a bit cold, but no bugs!  The best thing about this place are the sparkling clean bathrooms with flush toilets and free hot water showers.  They also offer sinks with running hot water for washing dishes which makes more ambitious campsite cooking a breeze.  We also loved the horses, but you do have to be very mindful and careful with food and trash.  We witnessed a neighbor’s campsite being pulled apart by horses who had been attracted by food on a picnic table.   While there’s little privacy from the neighbors, everyone was very nice and chatty.  We had a great time.

Great beachside campsite with nice amenities

i've camped here 3 times, twice at a group campground and once at a single. the sites are right on the beach, there are bathrooms, showers, and places to grab food and firewood. there's also a bayside to explore if you're looking for calmer waters. on top of it all: wild ponies roam around so like, win win win.

if you like beach camping, this is the place

The massive state park on the ocean and next door to the Assateague National Seashore offers a large number of campsites with paved parking pads as well as a few walk-in sites for tents only(J-loop). Because it’s at the beach, there are no trees to provide shade, so it’s worth pacing a canopy for shade or even a shade house for both shade and insect protection. Plan to keep your food items secured in your vehicle or at least a locking cooler because the other visitors to the campsites, the wild horses or Assateague, have the run of the place and they’ve learned that they can find food at the campground. Alcohol not permitted.

  

There are group campsite available as well.

  

Some of the sites at the edge of the loop closest to the to the beach are a bit larger, but size is not an issue with any of these sites. Showers are available at the bathrooms. You have easy access to the beach just over the dunes and it’s worth getting up to see the sunrise.  Generator noise can be an issue from sites that don't offer electric. There's a fee to use the boat launch at the park. Fishing is permitted from the beach and bay marina.

  

You can explore Assateague National Seashore as well, but keep in mind that there is a separate entrance fee for that area. Camping in the national seashore is more rustic, but less crowded. There’s ORV travel permitted…the line forms early in the morning! You can also rent kayak at the national lakeshore.

Huge beachfront campground.

If you want to spend some quality time on the beach not crowded, this is the place to be.

Bathrooms are clean and showers are separate from the bathrooms, which I liked.

Campgrounds are pretty basic and are very open without any shades. Wind can get really wild for tent campers. Wild horses roam around even at night times so keep your food inside the car.   

Ocean City is just 30 min drive from the campground.  

Overall, we loved it.

Best campground right next to the beach, in Maryland!

Playing on the beach in the evening, watching dolphins just yards away, waking up with horses in your campsite - what’s not to love.

Facilities were nice.

Cell coverage good.

Plenty of things to do in the area.


Beaches and Horses Make a Unique Stay

The wild ponies are fantastic. The sites are level and paved. There is NO water/electric on the majority of the sites (there is both at the bath house, which is clean and remodeled and beautiful). There is also zero shade (which was great because I was charging my teardrop via solar panels). 

The bugs will eat you alive. Bring bug spray. And fly paper strips. 

Absolutely beautiful! 

**BOTTOM LINE**: Assateague State Park was a fantastic family tent camping experience. 

  

**BACKGROUND**: We camped with our then-3 year old for two nights in early-October 2022 and stayed on the J Loop (walk-in tent camping only). The temp was low-40s to mid-60s, clear skies, slight continuous breeze. 

*   Key equipment: Nemo Wagontop 6-person tent, Exped MegaMat (double), ThermaRest single sleeping mat, Eureka! Ignite+ camp stove  
    

**DETAILS**: Sorry for the random order of things, but here it goes...

  

Assateague State Park is very well-run and in great shape. Rangers are very friendly, though we interacted with a few rangers/staff who couldn't answer certain questions (but they did try to help or found someone who knew). There are also camp hosts--long-term visitors with additional responsibilities for managing camping areas--who were helpful, knowledgeable, and nice.   

  

**The facilities are really great. Particularly the bathhouses**, which were immaculate for park bathrooms/showers. Expect potable water, private shower stalls with warm water, and very clean bathrooms.

  

Loops A-H were too cramped for our liking.  Spaces are very close together, and it appears &gt;75% of visitors are RV/camp trailers, so tent campers were stuck in between towering, loud vehicles. I Loop was still mostly vehicle campers, but there was a bit more space. I'd consider staying there if J Loop wasn't available.

J Loop (where we stayed) is a no-vehicle, no-generator area. It's technically a "walk-in" site, but the parking lot is about 200 feet from the loop entrance (it took about 2 mins to walk from our truck to the tent). We were able to quickly and easily carry all our gear from car to site, and still manage a toddler running around. J Loop sites are spaced-out far enough that you cannot hear each other--even during the quiet morning period or in the evening as the late-nighters stay up by their fires--but you have the comfort of knowing you're not totally alone and isolated. From J Loop sites, the walk to the beach is about 3-4 mins down a pedestrian (and horse) only sand trail. In October, the beach was effectively empty. We **highly recommend J Loop for tent campers.**

  

Tent pads are soft beach sand. **Bring tent stakes made for sand!** Regular piton stakes will not hold your tent in even the slightest wind. We used some plastic screw-in stakes from Amazon and they worked beautifully. Recommend 10" stakes, but you could get by with 7.5".

  

Sites include **picnic tables** (very sturdy and in very good shape), with a built-in **food locker** underneath the table. Lockers are not raccoon or bear proof -- just horse proof. Being so close to the beach, there's a steady light breeze all the time; and sometimes it a mild wind with slightly stronger gusts. Nothing worrisome--sand and dust were not flying in the air or anything--but for camp stove bring your wind shield, and for tents be sure to use sand stakes.

  

Sites also include **fire rings** with adjustable grills. **Fire wood** is sold at the ranger station, $5 per bundle. It's mostly yellow pine, which burns pretty quickly, so you'll probably go through 1-2 bundles per night, depending on your usage. After hours, firewood payments are on the honor system (cash box), or you can pay by card during business hours. Firewood sold out on our last night, so I recommend stocking up for a couple days worth of wood at a time. **Sites do not have much in the way of natural shade**, so if it's going to be sunny and/or if you are particularly sensitive to sunlight/burns, then **consider bringing your own canopy, sun shade, or umbrella.**

  

**Weather-wise**, in early October, the temperature was perfect for camping: warm enough during the day to be comfortable in pants or shorts and a long sleeve shirt, but not sweat; but cool enough to keep away all the bugs, and enjoy the warmth of a camp fire in the evening. We were able to enjoy daytime temps on the beach, and we could splash in the surf a little, but the water was way too cold to go swimming. For sleeping, this time of year I recommend a regular **3-season sleeping bag**, but bring an extra warming layer if you sleep cold. (**Of note,** during warmer months the mosquitoes and flies can be overwhelming and oppressive. We were lucky to mitigate this by choosing a cooler time to camp.)

  

The **Nature Center** was closed while we were there, but it looked interesting -- a small building on stilts. It wouldn't be enough to fill a day, but maybe an hour or so (pending any programming the rangers might have). There was also a decent little **playground**, if you have kids -- but who needs a pg when you've got nature and a beach!?

  

From the state park, it's a short 7-10 min drive out, around, and south to the National Seashore (operated by the National Park Service). **Assateague National Seashore** has some nice, but short hiking trails/boardwalks, a couple historic sites, and more beach to explore. Being an entirely separate park, you will have to pay to access the Natl Seashore. To access the Chincoteague side of the national seashore, you'll have to drive the 1.5 hours back over the bridge, south to Chincoteague, and re-enter from the south entrance. You cannot get to Chincoteague (Virginia) from Assateague (Maryland).

  

The ranger station itself is pretty basic. They do sell **ice and firewood**, but not food/water/provisions, and the selection of knick-knacks was pretty scant. 

  

In the future, we'll probably bring our bikes so we can quickly move between the state park and national seashore (it's probably quicker and simpler than driving), and we'll definitely bring our own canopy/sun shade.

Fantastic for autumn tent camping at J Loop

Very short walk to the beach! Horses came right up to the camp site one morning to check us out. The free showers were nice/clean! Had a very nice relaxing time here. 

We Had An Amazing Time Here

When we retire, we are going to take the camper and stay here for a week….better yet, might have to try the campground host thing……that's how much I love going here!  I'm sure spring and fall are best because bugs in Assateague are notorious!  It's also the reason that all of our trips have been in the fall!  It's so beautiful.  We have only had our battery power both times we have been there, but we've never been unhappy.  There is so much to do….walks, bike riding, watching the horses….our big joke seems to be that the horses show up the same time everyday and I swear they have a button up at the ranger station that they use that's like \*Cue the horses\*!  Seriously though, this is a GREAT PARK!  Bathrooms and clean and tidy, you can hear the ocean on a nice day….it's just peaceful and relaxing!  Never have too much of an issue getting the camper level and the sites are amazing in size compared to the commercial places close by.  To make a reservation, you will need to start going in when they let sites loose.  We'd love full hooks up here, but we will have solar soon.  Just so much wu sah there!

I'm including two trips to include our pictures from when we owned our teardrop Minion.  This is a fun way to get out of a tent and be comfy!  Highly recommended!