Best Equestrian Camping near Ocean City, MD

We camped in Site B35 on the Bayside, it was a large site with a little bit of shade.  An easy drive from Ocean City, MD.   The Campground bathrooms were ok, they have a composting toilet and a cold shower, always nice to have a bit of running water.  We did not get a visit from the horses the night we were there, but we did see them along the roadside in and out of camp.  Even though all campsites were full the 3 sites immediately around us were empty, which made for a super peaceful quiet night to gaze at the stars.  It was breezy and surprisingly comfortable for mid-July.

**Camping at Assateague State Park **

Assateague Island is a national park located in Maryland that offers plenty of beach camping and hiking trails. I decided to camp on the Oceanside walk-in which is means that we had to walk from the parking lot about 200 ft to our camping area. They also offer camping areas you can drive up to as well as areas that are on the bayside of the beach. Our reserved spot on the beach included a fire ring and a picnic table and the perfect beginning to a great week of camping. During our time we were able to do some hiking along the 37 mile long park, kayak on the ocean, and Bay, see some wild ponys that rove the park, and enjoy the very clean facilities that the park offered. The Island is not far from Ocean City either if you wish to go to the Board walk which we did experience one night. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to camp along the water and listen to the waves hitting the shoreline however booking must be done in advance as reservations fill up very fast every season. 

Link: https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/marylandcamping.htm

**Ice mule Pro XL **

The Icemule Pro XL was great at what it was advertised for, which is keeping items cold. My Icemule was able to keep all the ice in its solid state for about 16 hours while sitting on the hot beach(90+ degree Fahrenheit) before melting to ice cold water. Once melted though the water stayed ice cold for roughly 30 hours. This was great because I didn’t have to refill the ice every day. The cooler was very popular with the crowds as multiple beach goers and friends would stop and ask me where I got it as they thought the design and concept of having a wearable backpack cooler was very neat. While the cooler did its job and the design was a good concept I found that it was very heavy when filled to its max. I do not believe that ordering the Icemule XXL would be realistic based off of this. Another issue I found was that packing drinks had to be done logistically in that you would have to put drinks, then ice, then add more drinks, and ice on top of that. Instead of a normal cooler where you would pack all of the drinks then pour the ice on top. This was an issue because many of my friends wanted to add some of there drinks to the cooler after I had already added the ice. None the less the drinks still stayed cool with the coolers cooling material. As mentioned I used this product while camping on the beach for a week and then used it again while watching some fireworks on the 4th of July and while the cooler did hold up the coolers back pack straps already had torn after about 10 uses. One final thing I found unfortunate was how the cooler closed. In my personal opinion Folding the opening of the cooler and buckling it was very tedious and many of my friends who used it wouldn’t go through the trouble of closing it. A regular cooler is easy to close in seconds where this takes a little more time and work. In the end it is a good cooler if you are looking for something portable and hands free but it is not something to use if you don’t have a strong back. 

Link: https://icemulecoolers.com/products/the-icemule-pro-x-large

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.

Stayed here on a road trip with some friends passing through from Atlantic City. Unfortunately when we stayed we werent allowed to have a fire. But luckily, its in a great location, near Ocean City, MD and Rehoboth Beach, so there was plenty to see and do. Nice little beach too!

I spent 5 days 4 nights on the shore of Assateague. As an equestrian this was a once in a lifetime adventure. Feral chincoteague ponies everywhere you look! Both towns of chincoteague and assatesgue lean into the horse craze, they have equestrian stores, riding barns, and horse museums just about everywhere you look. During the summer there is an annual “pony swim” where the wild ponies are rounded up and swam from one island to another so they can be sold. I cannot speak from experience but from what I learned from locals this event brings in over 50,000 people. You will need to plan around this if you wish to avoid crowds, although this location seems to be heavily populated all year round, don’t let that discourage you.

Side note- the crabbing is amazing among the local marshes!

Although this is not my favorite type of camping it may be yours. Easy level sights on asphalt parking lot.Nothing separates you from others and there is no room for privacy. The bathhouses in the front are slightly cleaner and the ones toward the back are used more frequently and all could use attention-cleaning. Bike paths are easy to access and well maintained outside of the park. Ocean City, Lewes etc are a short distance.

My family loves this campground. I have been going there as a very young child to now as a grandmother. When we think of Delaware we think of this park. The bath houses are clean and we can walk to the beach. My favorite thing is at night when the rt.1 bridge lights up blue. Love that bridge. You are close to rehobeth broadwalk or ocean city. The fishing is great also. I can't say enough about this park. My favorite by far.

Park Name-Delaware Seashore State Park

Date of Stay-June 2018

Site-237

This is one of favorite local parks! The location (in between Dewey/Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach/Ocean City, Maryland) is PERFECT. You have close access to miles and miles of touristy beaches and uninhabited beaches. From the campground you can walk less than a 1/4 of a mile to get to the beach.

Even though this park is run by The State of Delaware or a subsidiary agency the park is well maintained, the sites are level. All of the RV sites are full hook up and level. If you have a larger vehicle make sure you bring your “A” game when it comes to parking and pulling out as the interior roads are a little bit tight.

Even though they don’t have the staffing levels of a KOA…there was always someone “official” around who could answer questions or help out if needed.

If you are able…try to book a site on the newer side (sites 400-480)…the sites are WIDE and DEEP

Our first time here this summer and we fell in love with how close of a walk it is to the beach. Very clean site, and bathhouse facilities. Some sites may have a lot of rocks if your tent camping so come prepared for that under a tent. Luckily our site the first night did not have any rocks under it, it was grassy. It does get a little noisy at night because of the bridge, but it is beautiful when lit up at night. Kids loved the playground. There is no boardwalk, but Rehoboth is close as well as ocean city. Kind check in staff.

This oceanside campground provides ever changing, many once in a lifetime, scenes.  As the tides change, so does the beauty that is very possibly only found here.

The tent sites are large and very easily accessed, some primitive, some with utilities, water and electric

There is a camp store, and small restaurant , as well as bathhouses, located where daytrippers find parking and dune crossing.

Many activities within the park and many more just a few miles away, in Ocean City.  Very family friendly place to visit but can be just as cozy for a couple.

Be sure not to miss the wild ponies, who gather frequently along the beach and all throughout the park.

Rates are very reasonable and quite modest. Definitely a camper's delight

I thought being in the middle of the Rehobeth to Ocean City corridor would mean traffic issues, but it was great. We were able to make day trips to both locations easily. The best part was the proximity to the beach, a short walk underneath the bridge. The camp store clerk was very friendly. At night, they light the bridge up in blue. Which is really cool to see. For the number of sites, I think there are too few bath houses...we didn't have an issue, but I could see lines forming if the time is right. The downside, is how close camping sites are to each other, if you are taking a break from everything else. Very limited room to set up outdoor cooking or a play area for the kids. We will definitely be coming back

Our first time camping here was in 2019 and we loved it! The weather that time was perfect! Last year and this year, the weather was terrible. This year it rained and was cold. Fire pits are not allowed at your site and the wind is such that you can’t sit outside when it’s chilly. The campground itself is nice. Full hookups, walking distance or short drive to 2 restaurants, though neither is dog friendly, walk to beach and also a dog beach. If the weather cooperates and you love the beach, this might be for you! Otherwise, skip it and find something inland. Site 235 was and end site with views of the bridge, at least when the fog lifted there was a nice view. Close to Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick, Lewes, and Ocean City isn’t too far away.

We camped at Frontier Town 3 years ago on a weeknight in August and had a great experience. Camp sites aren’t isolated or private, but the water park admission for free, closeness to ocean city, and other on site amenities are phenomenal. We camped again during Memorial Day weekend in 2019 and had a very troubling experience - the neighbors were loud and rude staying up all hours using foul language and smoking. Also, the bathroom facilities had to be constantly cleaned due to people clogging toilets, putting toilet paper all over the floor, and getting dirt and water everywhere. I apologized to the poor cleaning ladies whenever I saw them for the rudeness of the campers. So disappointing! We probably won’t camp there again unless smoking and noise restrictions are put in place. The free water park admission is somewhat worth it still as we have 3 kids. Would have to heavily consider a potentially horrible repeat.

Advice, go during a weekday when it may not be as crowded and hope and pray your neighbors are polite and the bathrooms are treated properly!

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

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

Great being able to take your horse and ride the beach. Great camping, riding, fishing or just walking the beach and there is wildlife of all kind. The wild horses are all over the island and have on occasion come into the campsite. Weather can be really really cold or really nice in November. (personal horses only allowed to camp on the island from Oct to April 14.) Great place to visit.

Assateague National Seashore on the Maryland side offers an incredible experience. 

Along with soft sand, balmy breezes and coastal views, wild horses wander the park at will.

We chose a campsite that did not require hiking onto the sand to reach. This made setting up camp much easier as no carrying was involved. We were early enough in the seasons that the mosquitoes hadn't kicked in yet, so it was an enjoyable stay. 

The restroom facilities are primitive. with a dump toilet, and exterior showers with warmish water. To turn on the shower water, one has to hold down a line to get it to run.

There was a good mix of tents and a variation of camper trailers on both the oceanside and bayside camp areas. The camper trailers are boondocking as no hookups are offered at this campground.

I find the restrooms on the bayside to be better, but in the warmer months, be prepared for lots of mosquitoes in that area.

The horses do their rounds in the morning for breakfast and in the evenings for dinner. DO NOT FEED THE HORSES  ! They are rather aggressive and persistent. KEEP ALL FOOD LOCKED UP IN YOUR CAR! They are Houdini's and have no trouble opening up any types of coolers with either their mouths or their hooves. There is a storage cubby below the picnic table - use it. 

The best way to shoo them away from your campsite is to bring a metal water bottle with small rocks in it. Shake it at them and they know to move along. It's what the rangers use to get them to move.

To reserve use recreation.gov

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!