Assateague Island National Seashore

Contact Information

Assateague Island National Seashore
7206 National Seashore Lane
Berlin, MD 21811-9742
410-641-3030 or 641-1441

Camping

Seashore camping can be a memory to treasure—or a bad experience for the unprepared. There is no shade and mosquitoes can be abundant from mid-May to October. High winds can pull short tent pegs out of sand. Campgrounds at the Maryland end can be full in summer and waiting lists are kept.

To make a tour reservation, call 800-365-CAMP (2267).

Reservation Hours of Operation
Daily: 10-10 p.m. Eastern Time 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Pacific Time
Reservation Center CLOSED Christmas and New Year's Day

If you are calling from outside the U.S. or Canada, please dial 301-722-1257. The TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 888-530-9796. The National Park Reservation Service (NPRS) and the National Park Service (NPS) have implemented a reservation window to make booking your camping reservations more convenient. On the 15th of each month, campers will have access to an entire month of available start dates—up to three months in advance (see schedule below)—except Katmai National Park. You may book reservations as late as one day prior to arrival, subject to availability.

Virginia: Camping is not allowed on the wildlife refuge. However, commercial campgrounds are available on nearby Chincoteague Island. Call its Chamber of Commerce, 757-336-6161, for information.

Maryland: The National Park Service offers two campgrounds, Oceanside and Bayside, with some sites available year-round. Primitive outdoor facilities include chemical toilets, drinking water, and cold, rinse-off showers. Any size camping unit can be accommodated (dump station only, no hookups). Some oceanside "walk-in" sites are for tents only. A campsite reservation system is available from May 15 to October 31. Assateague State Park offers a campground featuring bathhouses with hot showers and flush toilets. Any size camping unit can be accommodated (dump station only, no hookups). During winter, campgrounds may be closed. A small camp store and restaurant are open in summer. (National seashore campers must pay the state park day-use fee to enter the park and use these facilities.) Summer reservations are available for a full-week stay only—call 410-641-2120. Maryland's Pocomoke River State Park, a 45-minute drive from either end of the island, offers inland camping. Call 410-632-2566.

Visitor Centers

The National Park Service operates visitor centers serving both the Maryland and Virginia ends of the island. Visitor centers are the places to find out about naturalist activities, among other things. The Barrier Island Visitor Center near the Maryland entrance features hands-on aquarium and beachcombing exhibits (very popular with children), seashore films, a museum store, and park naturalists to answer questions. In Virginia, the Chincoteague Refuge and Toms Cove Visitor Centers offer similar opportunities. During summer the centers are a hub for information about the many educational programs provided by park rangers or refuge staff.