Fishing and kayaking opportunities draw campers to this oceanfront campground where sites sit directly behind the dunes on Assateague Island. The National Park Service manages two distinct loops—oceanside and bayside—with the oceanside sites offering immediate beach access and bayside sites providing more shelter among trees.
Campers describe a landscape dominated by sand, wind, and wildlife encounters. Wild horses regularly move through the campground, prompting strict food storage requirements in vehicle lockboxes or sealed containers. T $. notes that "several horses came through" during their oceanfront stay, while others report horses waiting near campsites for food opportunities. The constant ocean breeze creates challenging tent conditions, requiring deep sand anchors rather than standard stakes.
Each site includes a fire ring, picnic table, and paved parking area with additional tent space in sand. Walk-in sites offer more privacy but require hauling gear across sand. The campground provides basic facilities with cold-water showers, vault toilets, and water pumps at each loop. Cell service remains limited with one to two bars reported. Mosquitoes and biting flies peak during warmer months, with bayside sites experiencing heavier insect pressure due to reduced wind flow.
The campground operates on a reservation system with oceanside sites booking months in advance for summer dates. Dogs are permitted throughout the campground and on beaches but not on trails. A nearby store outside the park sells camping supplies, firewood, and basic provisions. For additional camping options in the region, see camping spots around Assateague Island National Seashore. Backcountry alternatives include Green Run Backcountry Site less than a mile away.
Description
Overview
Assateague Island National Seashore is a 37-mile long barrier island on the Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Virginia. Famed for its wild horses, this barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. Assateague Island, dedicated as a National Seashore on September 1, 1965, lays claim to a long and rich history. Today's visitors can explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, and coastal bays. Only a couple of miles wide at its broadest point, the island's terrain offers shelter to the famed wild horses as well as sika deer, ghost crabs, and migrating birds such as the great blue heron and snowy egret. Favorite recreational activites include fishing, surfing, beachcombing, swimming, and sunbathing. The Over-Sand Vehicle (OSV) Zone at Assateague Island contains miles of unspoiled beaches managed by the National Park Service to accommodate OSV enthusiasts and other beach goers. The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge work together to manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land. For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .
Recreation
Activities are abundant on the island, with both crabbing and clamming as well as a long stretch of beach for swimming, kayaking and fishing.
Facilities
The campground is open year-round. Advance reservations are available up to 6 months in advance during the following dates: Oceanside Group sites: Year-round. Bayside Individual sites: Year-round. Equestrian Non-electric sites: From October 16 through April 15 each year (closed April 16 - October 15). Oceanside Individual sites: From March 15 through November 15 each year (first come first serve only, November 16 - March 14). Amenities include vault toilets, drinking water, and unheated showers (March 15 - November 15 only) for rinsing off sand. Water in the campground is available when temperatures are above freezing, and year round at the dump stations. The island can be accessed from the northern route in Maryland or the southern route in Virginia, but there is no through road from one end of the island to the other. Access to both Maryland and Virginia entrances are reached by bridge over mainland routes.
Natural Features
Assateague Island, famed for its wild horses, lies off the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Coast. This barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge each manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land. For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .
Nearby Attractions
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge offers a 14,000-acre wildlife preserve located at the southern end of Assateague Island. To the north, Assateague State Park features two miles of pristine ocean beaches. Ocean City, Maryland is only about 10 miles away with a 2.5 mile long boardwalk filled with shops, restaurants, and a wide variety of entertainment options. The historic town of Berlin is about 10 miles west of Assateague, offering many shops and restaurants.
Charges & Cancellations
Cancellations/Modifications: Customers can modify/cancel reservations starting 18 days after the reservation was made. Customers cancelling a reservation will be charged a $10.00 service fee. Customers wishing to modify a reservation can do so online or over the phone with Recreation.gov and may be subject to a $10.00 service fee. Late Cancellations: Customers who cancel a reservation the day before or the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first nights use fee. Cancellations for a 1-night stay will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to the additional service fee. Early Departures: Customers wishing to early depart before 11am can receive a refund for that night and subsequent nights provided they are off the campsite completely by 11am. Customers wishing to early depart after 11am can receive a refund for subsequent days, but will not get a refund for the current night. ANY early departure requires that you stop at the Ranger Station to check out with the rangers or no refunds will be given. (See Need to Know)
Fee Info
RV Road Trip Guides
Location
Public CampgroundBayside Assateague Campground — Assateague Island National Seashore is located in Maryland
Directions
Follow US Route 50 east to MD Route 611 south. Proceed over the Verrazano Bridge. Take the first right onto BayBerry Drive. Continue 2.25 miles (3.6 km) to the entrance station. An entrance fee is required unless you possess an America the Beautiful annual or lifetime pass. Take the first right to the ranger station to register and check in.
Address
7206 NATIONAL SEASHORE LN
Berlin, MD 21811
Coordinates
38.0833333 N
75.2 W
Connectivity
T-MobileNo Coverage- VerizonNo CoverageVerified by 10 users
- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 2 users
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo CoverageVerified by 10 users
- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 2 users
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Equestrian
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Drive Time
- 42 min from Salisbury, MD
- 1 hr 39 min from Dover, DE
- 3 hrs 7 min from Vineland, NJ
- 3 hrs 18 min from Lexington Park, MD
