everal years ago while RVing along the east coast of the United States, I planned a visit to Assateague Island. I am a true nature lover, which means I thrive on spending time in the outdoors and photographing wild animals, flowers and scenery. Mother Nature teaches us something new every day, and there are many ways to soak in the beauty of the outdoors, either through hiking, kayaking and canoeing, bicycling, birding or even gardening. To that end, while searching the National Wildlife Refuge System’s website (fws.gov/refuges/), I discovered Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, located on Assateague Island. The National Wildlife Refuges are quite inexpensive to visit (generally $3-$5 daily) and will also accept the America the Beautiful Federal Recreational Lands Pass (Golden Pass). A Senior Pass to the National Parks is also acceptable to enter National Wildlife Refuges, as well. Assateague Island was once part of Fenwick Island, a barrier island off the coast of Maryland. Barrier islands often change in shape and size due to coastal storms and conditions that affect their landmass. In 1933, a hurricane hit Fenwick Island and separated the area into two islands, creating an inlet between them. Assateague Island was named for the tribes that had lived in the region at the time of the European invasion of explorers. Following the hurricane, jetties were built to keep the two islands separated and to create a navigational channel.

Assateague Island is 37 miles long and located off the eastern coast of Delmarva Peninsula, in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is claimed by two states, with the northern two-thirds of the island belonging to Maryland and the lower portion belonging to Virginia. You can access this island by bridges from either state, but there is no road on the island that connects the northern and southern sections of Assateague. Vehicles must return to the mainland to access either the north or south entrance of Assateague Island.

In 1965, Assateague Island National Seashore was established by the National Park Service to preserve the barrier island, as well as the surrounding waters, and to provide recreational opportunities for visitors. The daily entrance fee for the National Seashore is $20 per vehicle and the area also offers camping for tents, trailers and RVs from March 15 through November 15 (the Maryland part of the island is the only area that allows camping). There are two campgrounds in the National Seashore area, offering dry camping (no hook-ups), with picnic tables and fire rings only. You can make reservations up to six months ahead for either Oceanside Campground or Bayside Campground by going to www.recreation.gov. Reservations are through the National Park Service and cost $30 per night; if you have a Golden Access Pass, you will receive a 50% discount on camping fees.

One of the more popular programs offered is the Refuge Trek Tour, formerly known as the Wildlife Tour, an 8-mile bus drive to the northern end of the island that takes you into areas not accessible by car. The tour lasts 90 minutes and costs $14 per adult; reservations (757-336-3696) are strongly recommended. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located along the Atlantic Flyway and is a resting place for many migratory birds at different times of the year — Snow Geese are especially bountiful here, as well as American Oyster Catchers, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and Piping Plovers.

While planning our visit to Assateague Island, I learned that the island is best known for its herds of feral horses. No one knows for sure how the horses got on the island, although legends abound. The most popular tale is that the ponies swam ashore to the island from a Spanish ship that ran aground in 1750. Some locals believe these Spanish horses were the start of the now-famous herds of Assateague ponies. The horses on the island are typically smaller than most horses (due to environmental adaptation) and are referred to as ponies.

Another popular attraction is the Assateague Lighthouse. This red-and-white-striped lighthouse was constructed in 1867 and is located on the southern part of the island, within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The lighthouse is a 142-foot-tall structure and is still operational today. It’s open to the public on weekends and admission to the lighthouse is free. If you are fit enough to climb the 175 steps to the top, you will be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of Assateague Island.

Depending on the time of year that you visit Assateague Island, you may want to join one of the annual festivals. On the first Saturday in May, the annual Chincoteague Seafood Festival is held on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. This festival has been a tradition for more than 50 years and promotes the seafood industry in Virginia. During the third week of July, Chincoteague hosts its annual Blueberry Festival, followed one week later by the Chincoteague Pony Swim. Approximately 40,000 visitors come to Assateague Island at the end of July to watch the annual Pony Swim. The Chincoteague Ponies are led across Assateague Channel by “Saltwater Cowboys” when the tide is slack calm — when there is the least current, allowing for a safe swim for the ponies to the mainland. The horses are evaluated and separated and some are auctioned off a few days later. The one hundred-plus ponies are then escorted to the channel, where they swim back to their island home. The annual pony swim and auction help manage the number of horses on Assateague and prevents them from adversely impacting the sensitive barrier island and the proceeds from the auction are used to buy new equipment for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.