Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Trail Map (click to enlarge)
Nearly all of the land in the Virginia unit of Assateague Island National Seashore is part of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Only the beach from the high-tide mark down to the water is actually part of the National Seashore. However, no visitor would make a distinction between the two parks, so National Park Planner has included reviews of the trails in the Refuge.
Only the trails and ocean beach are open to the public—all other land is off limits. Many of the trails are paved and open to both hikers and bikers. No bikes are allowed on the non-paved trails. All are flat and easy to both hike and bike. The Wildlife Loop Road is open to vehicles after 3 PM. This is the only paved area on which vehicles are allowed, other than the road into the park. Because there is no shade on the paved trails, biking is definitely the preferred way to get around, particularly in the summer due to the heat generated by the black asphalt. Many people who come to the Refuge bring their bikes.
It is suggested that you wear insect repellent due to a plethora of mosquitoes and flies during spring, summer, and fall seasons. I only encountered mosquitoes in the parking lot of the Woodland Trail, but it was early September. I prefer to apply repellent only as a last resort, so be sure to at least carry it with you when hiking or biking just in case you run into the pests.
See the following web pages for reviews and photographs of the trails:
Paved Trails (hikers and bikers)
Non-paved Trails (hikers only)
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on October 4, 2023
