![]() ![]() There had been signs asking me not to pull over or stop in the road to watch the horses, so I drove slowly by them.Īfter entering the park, and seeing my fourth or fifth sign asking me to keep at least 40 feet from any horses, I parked in the Life of the Forest Trail. One thing you should know about me is that I am a rule follower. I saw my first horses almost immediately after crossing the bridge onto the island. There are signs everywhere warning you to give them space, but I’ll get to more on that in a minute. We all understand what a feral cat is, so think similar but weighing a lot more and having a propensity for biting and kicking. Their ancestors were once domesticated but now after generation, they have been “unbroken” and roam free on the island. Interestingly enough the horses are not actually wild, they are technically feral. The horses are beautiful, and like the landscape are untamed. Everyone goes to Assateague to see the horses. If you have never dealt with shore traffic in the summer, you might not understand how great this is, but for the rest of you….unbelievable right?! I grabbed a stamp for my National Parks Service passport and a map, hopped back in the car and over the bridge to the island. No traffic all the way down route 50 from the bay bridge. I arrived at the visitor center after a traffic free drive from the bay bridge. Avoiding that was high on my list for a visit as well. Especially on the marsh side of the island. I have also heard that the bugs during the summer months on Assateague are almost unbearable. It had the added benefit of scaring off almost everyone else in the world from visiting. This is why exploring Assateague Island on a blustery, rainy, 50-degree day in April, seemed like a splendid idea. The idea of trying to explore a crowded national park in 90-degree heat with 90% humidity is not my idea of a good time. This New England girl is just not made for Maryland summers. My summers on the Eastern Shore have been filled with boating, crabbing, and sitting on the patio trying not to die of the heat. My trip to Assateague Island National Seashore in early April was my first, which is surprising given I have spent at least one weekend on the Eastern Shore of Maryland every summer for the last ten years. Assateague in early spring is moody, full of muted shades of brown and gray, wiping winds, and unpredictable weather, but that made it so beautiful. Assateague in early spring isn’t a place you would want to pull out a beach chair or pitch a tent at a campsite but it certainly had its perks. I know it wasn’t true, but it sure felt that way. ![]() It felt like I was the only person on Assateague Island on a rainy April Sunday. ![]()
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