Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Assateague Island National Seashore

Whether you love camping in your RV or a tent, Assateague Island National Seashore is an incredible place to visit. From the docile wild ponies on the beach, to the gorgeous sunrise every morning, to being able to see the Milky Way with the naked eye, there is no shortage of sights to see here. The showers and bathrooms on campsite are clean and comfortable, and the rangers are amazing and helpful. At night, there are hundreds of ghost crabs to see scurrying about. You can also spend a day in Ocean City, Maryland or head down to Chincoteague for the best ice cream you'll ever have! Arguably the best camping trip I've ever been on.

We don’t always pick campgrounds for their spacious sites and scenic views. BUT we do pick them based on the outdoor activities we can do from the campground itself via bike riding or walking. Since we don’t bring a car location is very important to us.

This private campground is in a fantastic location. Waking distance to stores, water slide park, kayaking, fishing/crabbing from bridges and Biking distance to Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge & Assateague Island National Seashore . There is even a complimentary trolley that will take you to the beach during the “in season”.

You can rent kayaks and bikes from this resort. There is a pool, jumping pillow, and playground. The water park adjacent cost an additional fee. They have 3 day passes and after 3pm packages. (You May also get a discount from KOA front desk)

The campground- tight and efficient with a lot of options for staying here from little cabins safari style tent cabins, rental Rv’s, grassy tent area to full hook up rv sites. We had a premium RV site and since we were here off season in late April- the campground was not super busy. Just expect that you will be in very close proximity of your neighbors and it will be loud and boisterous in the evening. Our solution?? Hike and Bike all day so you are exhausted. That way after dinner and a couple of glasses of wine... you really don’t care.

We came here specifically to experience the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island VA National Seashore and the parks did not disappoint. We biked and hiked the the parks but you can easily enjoy a lot of the sites via car. Just know that pets are NOT allowed. There are Ubers in this area. Here is a link to the trail and park map.
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Region_5/NWRS/South_Zone/Chincoteague_Complex/Chincoteague/Chincoteague%20Refuge%20Trail%20Map%20(1).pdf

There is a fee of $10 per car for 7 day pass. Bikers and Pedestrians get in free. (The fee gets you into both parks).

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Beautiful camping spot with all the amenities. Loops with electric or no electric, Pet-friendly loops and non-pet friendly loops. I have been camping there off and on for 40 years first as a kid and now with my family. I love to go there every year at all seasons of the year. The best campground I've ever found in Maryland. Close proximity to both Ocean City and Assateague Island.

 If I could give them a negative star I would. My daughter(5) was attacked by a Pitt bull while riding her bike at our site( loop h). When trying to confront the owners in(loop g) to get their site to report to the police they refused to give any information and proceeded to speak vulgarity. Then stated their dog never bit her when I witnessed the incident as well as another family. The family lied to the ranger saying their dog never touched my daughter and the ranger made not only my family leave but my parents as well who had another week to stay. Im extremely disappointed that my daughter's well-being was never discussed it was if they didn't care. They never even came to our site I had to the ranger again to even have someone come to my site. The pet rules state that any pet that is dangerous loud or is a problem at the park would be ask to leave immediately however they were not told to leave. My family had to.

This is our favorite campground! It is close enough to ocean city we can enjoy the beach daily but far enough to relax in the woods! This campground is the small sister campground to frontier town. They have a free shuttle bus to provide transportation to assateaque island, frontier town, and ocean city. Campers here are eligible for discounts at frontier town as well! We tent camp but there are RV sites and cabins as well. There is an arcade, camp store, heated pool, playground, dog park, and mini golfing! The main pavilion has rentals for recreational equipment at no extra cost (hula hoops, balls, etc.) There are also themed weekends and scheduled activities throughout the week! The bathhouses are cleaned many times a day and the showers are spacious enough. The staff here is friendly and welcoming. Each tent site is far enough away from the other that you feel spread out and private. This is definitely a place I recommend to friends and family.

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!).

Not many pet sites, nice pool, new bath houses, descent animal resource center

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.

Has waterpark, putt putt golf, pools, allows pets. Also has Wild West Show and Ice Cream Parlor. Very enjoyable campground for the whole family. Pavilion offers crafts and DJ nights.

Great spot for a secluded and quiet experience. I have seen horses everytime I have camped here. We always go during the winter or early spring months to avoid the bugs as they are awful during the spring and summer. Do not feed or pet the horses!

Tall Pines Harbor is a great place for a family with kids. Management was very welcoming — the park does themed weekends throughout the entire year. Surprisingly enough, the campground was very quiet for being booked the entire weekend. Pets are welcome, everyone was friendly, and there is a lot of socializing opportunities at this park.

The owners and staff are very friendly and accommodating.

Nice quiet campground. Make sure you go down and visit their black swans. Like love to come over and talk to you.

Overall, we lived our time there. Good rates. Just a bike ride from the main street in Chincoteague. Pet friendly. We will definitely go back.

Several things give this place 5 stars. Loop G - Acorn trail is for campers with pets. The camp sites are in the outer loop of the circular road with lots of space between each site. Lots of shade. There are several paths (like spokes on a wheel) that lead to the bathrooms which are in the middle of the loop. Lots of great hiking trails.

Wild horses, wide, clean stretches of beach, safe surroundings, close to town. This is the best beach camping in all of Maryland. Pros:

• the beach is wide with plenty of room to stretch out and is much cleaner than that of OC and surrounding beach areas
• the wild horses walk right up to your site!
• almost glamping- water pumps, outhouses, showers on each loop- much appreciated after days of sand, sun, and sweat
• pet friendly
• fire rings at each site, bonfires on the beach

Cons:

• it's expensive! Sites average $30 per night AND each car is $20 to enter the park
• reservations are practically mandatory- they book fast with little vacancy
• this is a barrier island- mosquitos are legit. Bring bug spray with DEET. You should also expect little protection from the sun, so a canopy shelter may be helpful
• lack of privacy- each site is only several feet from the next. Take a look at the map and book large group sites or several in a loop together for friends

Wow, stayed on this place en route up the East Coast and I was amazed! The bathrooms and cabins must have been new, or at least just renovated. The bathroom was almost like showering at a spa! Stainless steel, wood paneling, very clean. The cabins included ac/heater, ceiling fan, nice bed padding, and plastic chairs/table. The site also included a picnic table and fire pit. Pet friendly as we stayed with our golden retriever with a great view of the river. This campsite is a must stay, especially for glampers and probably a good choice for those who love ac/heating!

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!

Janes Island State Park is a wonderful place for scenic state park camping. There are spots for tents and rvs. There is a marina and kayak trails. They have both primitive and full service cabins.

There are 3 camping loops. Loop B is the all electric loop with plenty of large sites that can accommodate bigger rigs. This is where my family stayed. We were directly across the street from the water and the views were amazing. Loop B is pet friendly, and all of the owners there were very responsible.

Due to the high water table, there were plenty of mosquitoes but with the breeze they were held largely in check.

My family and I cannot wait to go back.

We had a great time at this Campground. The facilities are clean and well maintained and all of the staff was very accommodating.

We loved riding the bus to the water park (which is free) but we chose to drive to Assateague because they only drop off and pick up at the visitors center and the distance from there to the beach was a little far. Plus there was so many fun places to see on the island that we would not have done if we didn't drive ourselves, crabfishing and clamdigging can be done on the bay side, but it's a little far to walk with small children.

The campground has enough to keep you busy and most of it was surprisingly free. There are pedal boats and canoes that you can take out on the lake, which you can also fish in. My son had the most fun with just a solo cup scooping up minnows, tadpoles and these crazy jumping shrimp (which startled the hell out of me when he proudly brought the cup over for me to inspect his catch lol). There is a nice pool and a very nice mini golf course that we played almost every night because it was a fun thing to do after dark and before bed. The daytime activities for kids were fun as well and my son even "set the alarm" so he wouldn't miss out on tie dyeing a t-shirt. They also have a variety of sporting goods to borrow at the store, horseshoes, basketballs, and whiffle ball sets to name a few. The playgrounds were nice and they also have a small skateboard\BMX ramp area, as well as a very cute dog park with their own playground equipment.

As with any campground store, things are a bit pricey but I was surprised to find out that their price on a container of Old Bay seasoning was actually cheaper than the crab shack where we bought a bushel of crabs for dinner. I had intended to stop at a dollar general but forgot and decided to check the camp store before going back out and they were a few dollars cheaper than the crab shack and even though I don't know how much it would have been at a different store, I was happy to not have to go anywhere else. Ice is also comparible to Walmart or other convenience stores. However, if you intend to have a campfire, find a cheaper place along the road because you're going to pay about $1.25 per log at the camp store.

Overall, we had a great time at this campground and the rates were very reasonable compared to other places nearby. We would love to camp on Assateague someday but, like Burning Man, you have to be prepared to camp on sand in full sun and put up with wild animals raiding your camp looking for food, lol. Someday maybe, but I would definitely be interested in coming back to Fort Whaley!

We enjoyed our stay there. It is a brand new campground so the place is immaculate. The staff is friendly, the campground and their beach were clean and in order, the pool was awesome and the band at the pool each day was a nice touch. At night time the pool is lit up with different lights, the pool nearest the swim up bar is heated and the live band plays till about 10 pm. There is also a café for coffee and icecream, The Jackspot restaurant for vittles, a gym, a playground, a beach and a fenced in playground for your pets, it has an security arm that activates once you swipe through to enter the campground and you can wear wrist bands that have an RDIF. Once you load money on them, you do not have to carry your wallet around. The only thing we didn't like were the showers. Push button showers with two small children are not fun at all. The location is very close to Rehoboth Beach and Ocean City.