assateague island national seashore visitor center

When visiting, you have a good chance of seeing the ponies no matter what time of day you visit. The best time of year to visit Assateague Island is April through mid-October, with summer being the best time to see the foals. The visitor center is open from 9am to 5pm daily. You may even catch a glimpse of the wild ponies strolling around in the parking lot! Watch your step though, they do leave behind some not so pleasant surprises!įrom the visitor center it is a short drive over the bridge to the entrances of both Assateague Island State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore. Inside you will find a museum with history on Assateague Island and the ponies and a gift shop.

The visitor center is found before the Verrazano Bridge leading to Assateague Island. To begin your journey at Assateague Island National Seashore, make a stop at the Assateague Visitor Center. Following this pasturing of the ponies on Assateague Island is believed to have ended, but it is believed some ponies survived and their offspring continue to wander the island. In 1749 Assateague Island was hit with a storm surge that covered a good portion of the island in water and very few ponies survived. The theory that is believed to be the actual origin of the Assateague wild ponies is the use of Assateague Island as a seasonal space for the mainland farmers, who would send the ponies to the island during the winter months to graze with plenty of food availability for them, and then bring them back to the mainland after the winter season. Two other theories are that locals living in the area sent their horses to Assateague Island to avoid fencing laws set for mainland farmers or sent there to avoid paying taxes on the horses.

One legend has it that a Spanish galleon shipwrecked 300 years ago and the ponies that were aboard the ship swam to Assateague Island, making it their home and where they have roamed ever since. While the exact events surrounding how the ponies came to call Assateague Island home is unknown, there are many legends and speculations about this. How Did The Ponies Get There: The Legends

What To Do On the Assateague National Seashore.

How Did The Ponies Get There: The Legends.

Assateague island national seashore visitor center