Websites for Chincoteague and Assateague Islands

If you are going to visit either Chincoteague Island, or Assateague Island, thanks to today's technology, information is pretty easy to come by.  I'm going to list a bunch of URLs that I think visitors to the islands will find helpful.
  The first group will be for information regarding Assateague Island itself, which  is located in both Virginia and Maryland.  Assateague State Park is located fully in Maryland, and is accessible by road from the town of Berlin, eight miles to the west.  Camping is allowed on this northern section of the island, and the wild pony herds here are size-controlled by the use of birth control measures for the mares - annual darts. For further information, please visit:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/assateague.asp

Assateague Island National Seashore covers the beaches of Assateague - more than 37 miles of sand and salt marsh - in both Maryland and Virginia.  Information on the National Seashore can be viewed at: http://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm    and  at
http://www.assateagueisland.com/

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located on the southern end of Assateague Island, in Virginia, and is accessible via boat from Virginia or Maryland, or by road via Chincoteague Island.  The famous Chincoteague ponies live on the Wildlife Refuge under a government contract.  The ponies are actually owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, and are monitored almost daily throughout the year. But the CNWR has much more on the island than the ponies - 324 different types of birds have been seen on Assateague, there are endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrels on the refuge, otters, raccoons, deer, Sika elk, butterflies, turtles and terrapins.  For further information, please see:  http://www.fws.gov/northeast/chinco/

Chincoteague Island is located wholly inside the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has its' own website:
http://www.chincoteague.com/   The island and town of Chincoteague has a great diversity of activities to keep everyone in the family intrigued.  Besides going to the neighboring island to visit the beach, fish the surf, and see all the different types of birds, there is the library, the museums, the shops, and the parks to visit. There is a self-conducted historic tour, the town trolley, bikes to ride, and the Chincoteague Pony Center to visit.  You can take a wildlife tour on a boat, rent a kayak or canoe, go fishing, oystering, crabbing and/or clamming.  Watch the local ducks parade across the street, stopping all traffic, while you lick a huge ice cream cone; or stop in one of the local restaurants and have truly  fresh seafood prepared at your order.  During the summer, there seems to be something happening every weekend, if not every day.  Coming up is the Annual Blueberry Festival and, of course, Pony Penning on July 24, 25, and 26 this year...

The Eastern Shore islands are a great place for adventure, education, excitement, a laid-back ambiance, and thorough enjoyment!