Assateague's wide, wild Atlantic beach — undeveloped for miles, shared by swimmers, ghost crabs, nesting shorebirds, and the occasional horse.
Off to your left is the reason a lot of folks come: the beach — miles of open Atlantic sand with not a high-rise, not a boardwalk, not a single neon sign in sight. Compare that to Ocean City, just a few miles north, wall-to-wall with towers. Same coast, two completely different fates, and Boone's got the story of why.
If you stop and walk out, a few things to know. Lifeguards work only the main beach, Wednesday through Sunday, ten to five, and the currents here are no joke — rip currents pull swimmers out every season, so respect the water. Down near the dune line in summer, you may see little roped-off patches: those protect the nests of piping plovers, small pale shorebirds that lay their eggs right in the open sand, and they're a threatened species, so give the ropes a wide berth.
And yes — sometimes there are horses on the beach, wading in the surf like they're on vacation too. It's a remarkable sight. Forty feet, same as always. Take it in, then let's carry on south toward the trails.
Photo: Ivy Main · CC BY-SA 3.0
