Visiting Chincoteague Beach as a First Timer
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When I was a teenager, I use to ride horses competitively in hunter/jumper competitions; equestrian was my identity throughout high school and college. Naturally, when anything involving horses becomes a potential opportunity, it gets put at the top of my bucket list. In 2019, Chincoteague was on one of our stops during our Virginia road trip, so when Peter asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday this year, I knew that I wanted to go back to Chincoteague beach.
What is the difference between Chincoteague beach and Chincoteague island?
Chincoteague Island is really the town that connects the mainland of Virginia to Assateague Island. Assateague island spans both Maryland and Virginia with different regulations around visiting the beaches, seeing the ponies, and more.
The Maryland Side
Assateague island is on the Maryland side of the twin islands. Located about 30 minutes from Ocean City Maryland, the island provides great locations to camp and enjoy a day at the beach.
When you purchase a pass on the Maryland side you can also use it for the Virginia side.
The Virginia Side
Chincoteague island is where the story of Misty and Stormy the ponies of Chincoteague became a national children’s book and helped grow the interest in the Chincoteague ponies.
The town of Chincoteague has had a lot of history throughout its years, some of which is hearsay others have dedicated placards throughout the island, but if you want to get a more homey feeling, there is no shortage of individuals who will give you a warm welcome & history lesson.
In fact, you can find many restaurants and stores around the island that offer visitors and residents the opportunity to mingle and chat on porches and in waiting areas.
How to get to the beach?
If you are in Chincoteague Virginia, you will want to get on Maddox Ave and head east. Once you pass the McDonalds on your right and the Chincoteague Museum on your left, you will drive into Assateague Island.
Cost to access Chincoteague Beach
There are many different fees associated with the Assateague and Chincoteague beaches.
The price chart below is based on July 2021 information.
Weekly Pass (Valid for 7 days with receipt)
| Private Vehicle | $25 |
| Motorcycle | $20 |
| Per Person (Bike, Walk-in) | Free |
| Groups | Inquire |
Annual Passes (Valid for 1 year from month of issue)
| Assateague Island National Seashore | $45 |
| Interagency Annual | $80 |
| Interagency Senior | $20 |
| Interagency Military (active duty) | Free |
Lifetime Passes (US Citizens/Permanent Residents)
| Interagency Senior | $80 |
| Interagency Access | Free |
*Seniors are listed as age 62+
Is Chincoteague Wheelchair Friendly?
There is handicap parking in all of the areas throughout the beaches on both Maryland and the Virginia side.
On the Virginia side of Assateague, they provide a few areas with wheelchair paths to go onto the sand, as well as sand and water-friendly wheelchairs.
The sand/water-friendly wheelchairs are throughout the parking lot in their own little sheds. You can usually find them next to one of the shower stall areas or by the handicap parking sections.
Unfortunately, in the two areas we visited on the Maryland side, I did not notice a wheelchair or wheelchair path.
This could still be available so I definitely recommend calling to find out more.
What is there to do?
Chincoteague offers visitors a bunch of different opportunities to explore the island.
From Mini Golf to renting scooters and exploring the restaurants the opportunities are endless.
During our last two trips we spent the majority of our time on the beach, but here is a list of other opportunities available as well.
- Mini Golf
- Maui Jack’s Waterpark
- Funland Amusement Park
- Surfside Golf
- Chincoteague Boat Tours
- Wildlife Loop
- Fishing
- And More
How is the beach?
We love Chincoteague beach. The sand is like powder and the waves are big. The beach offers a few lifeguards stands so if you are worried about swimming, definitely seek those locations out.
The beach can get crowded and parking on a holiday weekend like July 4th is pretty insane, so we definitely recommend getting to the beach early or later in the afternoon if you want to find close parking. Mid-day (between 10 -2) the parking is up the road and can be one hike and a half.
With that being said, the beach does clear out throughout the day around lunchtime. We usually left around 3 PM most days and returned much later in the afternoon to enjoy the sunsets.
You can purchase over the sand permits to drive on the sand, however, on our last visit, the beach was closed due to wild birds nesting. Since the island is a wildlife refuge it just makes sense that they would close this part of the beach to vehicles during the breeding season. However, the over the sand beach on the Maryland side was open. A permit costs $110 minimally so make sure to factor that into your budget if you are planning to visit.
The one main reason we love Chincoteague beach the most is that we get awesome waves for boogie boarding. So if you are looking for a great adventure and want to do some water sports without too much investment, this is one of the best locations we have found so far on the east coast.
Final Thoughts
Chincoteague beach is in our top 10 eastern seaboard beaches to visit. Between the ponies and wildlife, to the town’s offerings, this location is a great place to just reset. While we don’t plan on making the trip annually, we have marked it down as one of the locations we plan on visiting time and time again.
So if you are looking for a quiet sea town with great offerings, check out Chincoteague in Virginia it’s well worth it.
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