Mark’s Score 9.4
It is early January, so it is that time of year when I drive over to Assateague National Seashore and purchase my national park senior annual pass. For those of you unaware, if you are over 62 and a US citizen you can purchase an annual park pass, allowing you to visit all national parks, refuges, and historic sites for $20. We are fortunate in that we have multiple national parks in our area, and in the off season, we have those parks to ourselves.
Assateague National Seashore encompasses most of Assateague Island, stretching from Ocean City, MD to Chincoteague, VA. The top quarter of the island is a state park. It is a place of open bay, ocean waves, sand dunes, waterfowl, marshland, coastal forests and wild horses. In 1965 the federal government established the Assateague National Seashore, ensuring that this stretch of coast would be protected for wildlife and available to the general public. The park includes miles of pristine beaches, bike paths, hiking trails, seaside camping areas, and boat launch facilities.
I rate this the best park in the area, because of the unspoiled landscapes, the excellent camping facilities, the well-marked and educational trails, and the beauty of ocean and bay. Not to mention the wild horses, deer, and a great many waterfowl. There is much wrong with the US government, but you have to say this, our national park system is top notch.
I avoid the crowds of summertime, but with the long shadows of winter I, like the Canadian geese, return to the eastern shore beaches and bays. It was a beautiful winter’s day, on the day I visited. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the wind light, the temperature mild, and barely a human to be seen. After I purchased my annual pass. I drove to the US Life Saving Station Boathouse parking lot. From this location it is an easy walk to the beach to the left, and the Life of the Forest Nature Trail to the right. The trail takes you through the bayside marshland. It is a short walk through the dunes to the ocean from this spot. On this day the ocean was smooth as glass, and though there were multiple droppings, there were no horses to be seen. So, I turned in the other direction toward the bay.
You are very likely to see horses on the Life of the Forest Trail because it passes one of the few fresh water ponds on the island. Though there was a great deal of fresh skat, there were no horses. I finally gave up, walked back to my car and started to drive out. I was almost to the entrance when there, right in front of me, without a care in the world, was a wild horse.
I love the winter here, because when winter comes, I get this park to myself. Yes, I leave it to the tourists in the summer, but in the winter, it belongs to me and the horses.
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