Assateague Island Map
Two nights on a wild barrier-island beach, with the ponies.
3-day Assateague Island backpacking itinerary. Hike the open Atlantic beach to a primitive oceanside campsite, camp two nights beside wild ponies and the surf, then hike out, all from the Maryland ranger station south of Ocean City.
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13 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Assateague: every stop pinned in order.
Ranger Station → Little Levels oceanside site · Maryland
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Assateague in photos: 3 of the stops.
Plan and book your 3 days in Assateague, one step at a time
- All six backcountry sites close during firearm hunting seasons: October 21 to 31, November 13 to 15 and November 27 to December 12, 2026, then January 7 to 10, 2027. Pick dates outside those windows. Source
How 3 days in Assateague split up
Plan 3 days for Assateague. Distance: ~8-mi round trip. Terrain: Flat sand. Permits: Required. For a weekend of backpacking in Maryland, few trips beat the primitive oceanside campsites of Assateague Island National Seashore. There is no elevation and no marked trail, just the open Atlantic beach, and the reward is two nights of solitude beside the surf where wild ponies roam free.
Day 1: Check In & Hike to Little Levels
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Explore the Dunes, Shore & Ponies
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Hike Out & Depart
4 stops · Day three
Check In & Hike to Little Levels
Drive over the Verrazano Bridge onto the Maryland side of Assateague and stop first at the ranger station to buy your backcountry permit and get your site assignment. Top off every water bottle here, no fresh water exists past this point, then drive to the backcountry parking lot at the end of the paved road.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive from
~11 mi via MD-611 & the Verrazano Bridge · car required · DriveBase your weekend out of Ocean City or the historic town of Berlin, then drive south on MD-611 and over the Verrazano Bridge onto the Maryland side of Assateague. GPS units often misroute here, so download the park map ahead of time. No public transportation reaches the island, so a car is required.
- Acroterion / CC BY-SA 4.0Ranger station check-in & permit
6633 Bayberry Drive · $10/person · first-come · ViewpointStop at the Maryland ranger station to buy your backcountry permit and get your site assignment. Permits are first-come, first-served in person, $10 per person for ages 16 and up, valid up to 7 days, plus the park entrance fee. Rangers give you the tide chart and a sunset check-in cutoff based on how far your site sits.
Official info → - Backcountry parking & water fill-up
End of the paved road · last water source · DriveDrive to the backcountry parking lot at the end of the paved road and top off every bottle and reservoir at the spigot here. This is the last fresh water before you hike in, so plan at least one gallon per person per day. Lock the car and shoulder your pack for the beach.
- Hike in to Little Levels oceanside site
~4 mi south along the beach · soft sand · HikeHike south along the open Atlantic beach to the Little Levels oceanside site, roughly 4 miles down the shore. There is no marked trail; the beach itself is the route. Pitch a freestanding tent behind the primary dune and store all food and scented items in a hard-sided container, away from the wild ponies.
- Camp at Little Levels backcountry site
Primitive · no water · permit from the ranger station · lodgeFirst night at the Little Levels oceanside site. There is no fresh water at any backcountry site, so everything you drink came in on your back. Pitch behind the primary dune and keep food in a hard-sided container away from the ponies.
Explore the Dunes, Shore & Ponies
Wake to sunrise over the Atlantic and give the day to the island itself. Walk the shoreline for shells, scan the dunes for grazing wild ponies (keep at least 40 feet back, they are wild and can kick or bite), and watch for shorebirds working the wrack line. If you reserved consecutive nights at the same site, you can day-hike light; if you were assigned a second site, move camp a short distance south.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Sunrise & wild-pony watching
Stay 40+ ft back · never feed the herd · ViewpointWake to sunrise over the Atlantic and scan the dunes for grazing wild ponies. Keep at least 40 feet away at all times, they are wild and can kick or bite, and never feed them. Store food locked up even during the day, since ponies raid unattended camps.
Beachcomb, birdwatch & swimUndeveloped shoreline · no lifeguards · HikeGive the day to the shoreline: walk for shells, watch shorebirds work the wrack line, and swim if the surf allows, though there are no lifeguards in the backcountry so respect the currents. Time longer walks for the outgoing tide, since high tide narrows the beach.
Notyourbroom / CC BY 3.0Life of the Dunes nature trailOptional short interpretive dune loop · activityIf you day-hike light back toward the developed area, the short Life of the Dunes interpretive loop near the campground explains how the barrier island builds, migrates, and shelters its wildlife. It is an easy, flat add-on to a slow island day.
See the trail →
Aq279 / CC BY-SA 4.0Second night at Little LevelsPrimitive · no amenities · dark-sky stargazing · lodgeSpend your second night at the primitive oceanside site. Keep practicing Leave No Trace, secure all food and trash, and enjoy the stars, the lack of light pollution makes for some of the best stargazing on the Mid-Atlantic coast. Review the tide chart for the morning hike out.
Hike Out & Depart
Break camp with the cool morning air and hike north along the beach back to the backcountry parking lot, retracing your line up the shore. Do a careful Leave No Trace sweep first, including micro-trash and any buried waste; the island's dune ecosystem is fragile and heavily used. A full pack in soft sand is slow, so give yourself extra time.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Notyourbroom / CC BY 3.0Hike out to the backcountry lot~3–4 mi north · easier in cool morning · HikeBreak camp early and hike north along the beach back to the parking lot, retracing your line up the shore. Do a careful Leave No Trace sweep first, including micro-trash and buried waste. Cool morning temperatures and firmer, damp sand near the tide line make the loaded walk much easier.
Notyourbroom / CC BY 3.0Assateague Island Visitor CenterMainland side · restrooms, water & exhibits · ViewpointCross back to the mainland and stop at the Assateague Island Visitor Center just before the bridge. It has restrooms, drinking water, and exhibits on the barrier-island ecosystem and the wild-pony herd, a good place to clean up and learn more before the drive home.
Official info →
Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0Lunch in Berlin, MDHistoric downtown · refuel before the drive home · ViewpointRefuel in Berlin, a walkable historic town just inland, or in Ocean City on the way home. A shower and a real meal feel earned after two nights on the beach, and Berlin's downtown is an easy, charming place to wind down the trip.
Boat cruise to see the Assateague ponies from the bayOptional · 1 to 2.75 hr · 4.84 from 236 reviews · activityBefore the drive home, see the island from the water. The OC Bay Hopper runs down Sinepuxent Bay to the marsh side of Assateague, where the ponies graze in places you cannot reach on foot, and the captain answers the questions two nights of camping raise. It leaves from downtown Ocean City, about 20 minutes from Berlin.
Book this →
Sort where you sleep each night
Most nights on this trip are in a tent. Reserve any campsite the route needs, and the room either side of it if you want one.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling: the rooms either side, and the guided days in between. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Assateague
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping out 2 nights
For the drive to the trailhead
Essential barrier-island rules & planning.
Store all food from the ponies
Wild ponies are drawn to food and will tear into soft bags and tents to get it. Store all food, trash, and scented items in a hard-sided container at all times, day and night, and never feed or approach the herd; stay at least 40 feet away.
Carry every drop of water
No fresh water is available at any backcountry site. Fill up at the parking-lot spigot and pack in at least one gallon per person per day. A filter is only a backup, since surface water on the island is brackish.
Permits are in-person, first-come
Backcountry permits are not reservable online. Get them at the Maryland ranger station (6633 Bayberry Drive, Berlin) on a first-come, first-served basis, $10 per person for ages 16 and up, valid up to 7 days, plus the park entrance fee. Weekends and holidays fill fast.
Go spring or fall
April through early June and September through October bring mild temperatures, fewer bugs, and clear days. Summer is hot, humid, and swarming with mosquitoes and biting flies, which turn brutal on a west wind that carries them off the marshes, so bring heavy-duty insect repellent whenever it is warm. Winter is cold, windy, and storm-prone. The primitive oceanside beaches are unpatrolled, so watch for rip currents and swim cautiously.
Leave No Trace & no pets
Pack out all trash including micro-trash. Bury human waste 6–8 inches deep and 200 feet from water and camps. Small ground fires are allowed below the high-tide line using dead and downed wood only. Pets are prohibited in the backcountry.
Getting there needs a car
The Maryland entrance is at the end of MD-611, about 8 miles south of Ocean City, over the Verrazano Bridge. GPS often misroutes here, so download the park map. No public transit reaches the trailhead, and you drive to the backcountry lot before hiking in.
Assateague: questions before you go
Assateague oceanside camping: the questions people ask most.
Yes. A backcountry permit is required for all primitive oceanside and bayside camping. On the Maryland side these are issued in person at the ranger station on a first-come, first-served basis, $10 per person for ages 16 and up and valid up to 7 days, plus the park entrance fee. They are not reservable online, so arrive early on weekends and holidays.
Budget the park entrance fee (about $25 per vehicle for 7 days) plus a backcountry permit of $10 per person for ages 16 and older, valid up to 7 days. Check nps.gov/asis for current rates before you go.
The Little Levels oceanside site sits roughly 4 miles south of the backcountry parking lot, making an 8-mile round trip over the weekend. There is no elevation, but hiking soft sand with a full pack of water is moderate work. The far State Line site is up to about 13 miles in and is a much bigger undertaking.
You must store all food, trash, and scented items in a hard-sided container such as a bear canister, day and night. Wild ponies are drawn to food and will damage tents and soft bags to reach it. Keep at least 40 feet from the herd and never feed them.
Spring (April to early June) and fall (September to October) are ideal, with mild temperatures, fewer bugs, and clear skies. Summer is hot, humid, buggy, and crowded, and is not recommended for backpacking. Winter is cold, windy, and storm-prone and needs cold-weather gear.
No. Pets are prohibited in the backcountry campsites and on the primitive beaches of the Maryland side of Assateague Island National Seashore. Leave the dog at home for this trip.
Assateague Island is split into two parts that share the same barrier island and its wild ponies. Assateague State Park, on the Maryland north end, is the developed, family-focused side with a guarded swimming beach, hot showers, flushing toilets, and food service, plus a per-person day-use service charge (about $5 for Maryland residents). Assateague Island National Seashore, which wraps the rest of the Maryland side and continues into Virginia, is the rustic, remote side: outdoor rinse-off showers, pit toilets, no food, multiple nature trails, and a $25 per-vehicle fee good for 7 days. The primitive oceanside and bayside backcountry camping in this itinerary is all within the National Seashore.
Federal law requires you to stay at least 40 feet away, roughly a bus length, from the ponies at all times, and it is illegal to feed or touch them. They are feral animals that bite and kick, and they are food-aggressive: they will nose into coolers, packs, and tents for a snack, which is exactly why hard-sided food storage is required here. You will often see them crossing the road, in parking lots, and along the marsh trails, so give them room and never let one back you into a corner.
Tell us your dates and we ask a local guide who works this area what they can do on your days and what it costs. If nobody is free, we tell you. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 3-day route. Same 9 stops.
- 2 nights, Little Levels backcountry site, $10 per person permit issued in person
- $20
- Assateague pony cruise (Ocean City)
- $80
- Rental car, 3 days
- $180
- A private local guide, campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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