People and wild horses walk the Life of the Forest Trail at Assateague Island National Seashore

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Length: .4 mile round trip
Time: 20 minutes, longer if you stop to look at wildlife
Difficulty: Easy

If driving from the entrance of Assateague Island National Seashore, the Life of the Forest Trail is located at the first parking lot on the right past Old Ferry Landing Road. As with all areas of interest in the park, it is well marked with signs along the main road. There are two trail entrances heading into the woods. The trail was once a loop, but much of it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, so the National Park Service built a new out-and-back trail. When it was a loop you went in one side and came out the other. No more. The new trail starts at the trailhead on the left.

While the trail goes through a forest and is named the Life of the Forest Trail, there is no longer any emphasis on the forest. In fact, shortly after the start you will find yourself on a boardwalk and looking at the salt marsh and Sinepuxtent Bay. A number of viewing platforms are built into the new boardwalk. In the right season this would be a great spot for bird and wildlife watching, but on a hot September day when I was there, all I saw was a windsurfer, a kiteboarder, and tourists walking the trail.