';free things to do in OC'; - assateague revisited

sorry to dispute a couple of you guys...but i drove down there today.

the vast majority of the roads are in the national park service area....and there IS an entry fee, and it IS year-round.

with your posts in mind, i told the ranger at the station that i was only staying an hour at the most, just driving around...still $15. good for a weeks%26#39; visits, but no discount for less.

yes, i saw some ponies well before i got to the ranger station. but i wanted to see some marsh views as well, so i paid the fee (a 70 mile round-trip drive justified this, in my view).

i suppose in the off-season you COULD just drive on by %26amp; take the risk of not having your permit on your dashboard. don%26#39;t know what happens if you%26#39;re found out without one, and i don%26#39;t want to find out.

';free things to do in OC'; - assateague revisited

I think they grind you up and sell you to Phillips.

';free things to do in OC'; - assateague revisited

No I think you went too far. Just last year I drove around saw the ponies, no charge. If you go to the ranger station and park then yes there is a fee to walk around on the beach or go to the park store. After you cross the Sinepuxent Bay there are two roads on the right (Bayberry Drive and Ocean Drive) that will let you drive around see the marsh areas and catch the ponies wondering around. You went into the park area of course you%26#39;ll need to pay, but you didn%26#39;t need too.

Actually, they impound your vehicle %26amp; indenture you to clean up horse poops in the parking areas. Cots on the floor and bread crusts %26amp; cold porridge for meals. After 30 days you get your car back %26amp; can leave. They don%26#39;t have many repeat offenders.

The last time I was there (a few Novembers ago), we parked in the area near the beach house -- close to OC. It was a voluntary pay (you put your money in an envelope) system.

I%26#39;m not certain which government owned that section, but we didn%26#39;t have any booths to stop at and pay.

';The last time I was there (a few Novembers ago), we parked in the area near the beach house -- close to OC. It was a voluntary pay (you put your money in an envelope) system. ';

Yes, I remember that too from last off season. You do the honor system and pay the fee and can walk up on the beach and can see the horse from there if you like.

LOL OCBEACHBOB %26amp; DADDIO! too funny!

i guess some people are talking about the state park %26amp; i%26#39;m talking about the national seashore...i%26#39;ve usually seen ponies before even getting to either.

but i really believe that to get a real idea of the island, the national seashore%26#39;s best.

best of all, of course, is getting into the back-country (by 4w drive, on foot, or by canoe) which of course day visitors aren%26#39;t that likely to do.

Its all the same park, do you know what your talking about. Assateague National Seashore State park. Its open year round but hours are modified through out the winter.

A lik to the site:

http://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm

It is NOT all the same park.

The northern portion is a MARYLAND STATE PARK (STATE)

The southern portion is THE NATIONAL SEASHORE (Federal)

GEEEEEEEEEZ.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assateague_Island

Here you go.

Everthing you ever wanted to know about Assateague and didn%26#39;t want to look up.

No, not even close. I guess I need to explain since again you don%26#39;t know. There are Ten National Seashores. They are established on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts; some are developed and some relatively primitive. (link:http://usparks.about.com/blparktypes-ns.htm)

Assateague Island National Seashore is a barrier island situated on the Maryland/Virginia border. There are two entrances to Assateague Island National Seashore. The north entrance is at the end of Route 611, 8 miles south of Ocean City, MD; the south entrance is at the end of Route 175, 2 miles from Chincoteague, VA. There is no vehicle access between the two entrances on Assateague Island. Vehicles must return to the mainland to access either the north or south entrance. Both entrance have diffent hours and fees.

Period........