Chincoteague And Assateague Islands VA Tourism: Attractions

The Wildlife Refuge

You first enter the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, which is open May 1 to September 30, daily from 5am to 10pm; April and October, daily from 6am to 8pm; November 1 to March 31, daily from 6am to 6pm. Owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge accepts the annual entrance passes issued at national parks; otherwise, admission is $10 per car for 1 week, free for pedestrians and bikers.

The refuge's visitor center (tel. 757/336-3696), on the left, 1/4-mile east of the bridge, shows a video about the refuge on request and is the departure point for the paved Wildlife Drive, which runs through the marshes and is the best place to see the horses. This one-lane, one-way road is open to pedestrians and bicyclists all day, to motorized vehicles after 3pm. The visitor center is open daily from 9am to 5pm except New Year's Day and Christmas.

An excellent way to see the multitudinous wildlife -- minus mosquitoes -- is to take a Wildlife Tour in an air-conditioned bus. The 1 3/4-hour narrated rides depart the visitor center daily at 10am, 1 and 4pm from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day and cost $12 for adults, $8 for children 2 to 12. Buy your tickets at the visitor center.

Built in 1867, the Assateague Island Lighthouse, near the visitor center, is open to the public 1 weekend each month during the summer. Call the local U.S. Coast Guard station (tel. 757/336-2822) for the schedule.

For information about the refuge and visitor-center seasons and programs, contact the Refuge Manager, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 62, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336 (tel. 757/336-6122; http://chinco.fws.gov).

Pony Rides -- You can't bring a child to Chincoteague without letting him or her ride a pony -- perhaps one of Misty's descendants -- at the Chincoteague Pony Centre, 6417 Carriage Dr. (tel. 757/336-2776; www.chincoteague.com/ponycentre), off Chicken City Road south of Maddox Boulevard. This small-scale equestrian center is open daily from 9am to 9pm, with pony rides ($5) from 3:30 to 6pm and a pony show at 8pm daily except Sunday during summer.

The National Seashore

The beach itself is in the Assateague Island National Seashore, operated by the National Park Service. You'll find a visitor center, bathhouses, and summertime lifeguards. In addition to swimming and sunning, activities at the beach include shell collecting (most productive at the tip of the Tom's Cove spit of land, on the island's southern tip) and hiking. Biking is allowed on the paved roads and along a bike path beside the road from Chincoteague to the refuge visitor center, then along Wildlife Drive to the Tom's Cove Visitor Center, which is open daily from 9am to 6pm in summer, 9am to 5pm spring and autumn, 9am to 4pm in winter. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Several regulations apply. Pets and alcoholic beverages are prohibited, even in your vehicle. In-line skating is not allowed, and off-road vehicles are permitted only at Tom's Cove. Surf fishing with a Virginia state license is allowed except on the lifeguard beach at Tom's Cove. Climbing and digging in the sand dunes is illegal. No overnight sleeping is allowed anywhere (backcountry camping is permitted on the Maryland end, a 12-mile hike from the Virginia-side visitor centers). And finally, thou shalt not feed the horses.

For information about the national seashore, contact the Superintendent, Assateague Island National Seashore, 8586 Beach Rd. (P.O. Box 38), Chincoteague Island, VA 23336 (tel. 757/336-6577; www.nps.gov/asis).

Museums

You'll pass a large airstrip as you drive to Chincoteague on Va. 175, it's part of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, a research and testing center for rockets, balloons, and aircraft. The facility also tracks NASA's spacecraft and satellites, including the space shuttles. Across the highway is the NASA Visitor Center (tel. 757/824-1344; www.wff.nasa.gov), one of the best places to park the kids on a rainy day. The center's exhibits and entertaining 20-minute film explain the facility's history and role in the space program. Kids will get a kick out of seeing a practice space suit from Apollo 9. Admission is free. The visitor center is open from July 4 to Labor Day, daily from 10am to 4pm; March to June and September to November, Thursday through Monday from 10am to 4pm; winter Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm. The center is 5 miles west of Chincoteague.

On Maddox Boulevard, between the traffic circle and the bridge to Assateague, are two small marine-themed museums. The Oyster and Maritime Museum (tel. 757/336-6117) tells the area's history and the role played by the vital seafood industry from the 1600s to the present, with examples of marine life (some of them live). The highlight is the original lens from the Assateague Lighthouse, which mariners could see 23 miles offshore from 1865 to 1961. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday noon to 4pm. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for children 12 and under.

Virtually next door, the Refuge Waterfowl Museum (tel. 757/336-5800) has a variety of antique decoys, boats, traps, art, and carvings by outstanding craftspeople, some of whom do their carving here. There's very good shopping here, although it's difficult to tell what's for sale and what's not. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday through Monday from 10am to 5pm. Call for off-season hours. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for children under 12.

In the Landmark Plaza on North Main Street, the small Island Aquarium (tel. 757/336-6508) contains a marsh exhibit and touch tanks, where children can handle some of the marine life from local waters. It's a good place for kids on a rainy day, but you'll learn much, much more at the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for children under 15. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, Monday to Friday 5 to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm. Call for off-season hours.