Oceanside Campground

Absolutely loved camping in the Oceanside Campground at Assateague Island National Seashore. I stayed in late April for 3 nights in site 25, and then again for 1 night in early May on a different weekend in site 35.

Site 25 was in many ways the worst of all in the 2nd loop of the Oceanside Campground, but we enjoyed it anyway. It runs parallel to the beach rather than as a diagonal back-in site, so the sand dunes blow straight across the vehicle spot and have encroached on the site. The actual space for a trailer or a camper is quite small. We just barely fit in with a 21' camper van and a small car for my guest who was joining us...her car was literally a foot or so out of the site itself into the road. Nevertheless, in a camper van we still enjoyed Site 25, as my pop-top had visibility beyond the dunes to the beach itself. The site had a fire ring with grill (which we didn't use - too windy) and an oversized picnic table, but there was not much level ground on the site for spreading out things like an extra tent or a screen room.

While we were there, we scoped out all the sites and decided #35 would be best, as the current sand dune condition means that our pop-top could see over the dunes and to the actual crashing waves. When we saw a one-night cancellation on Recreation.gov in May, we snagged it immediately and enjoyed an absolutely spectacular overnight stay in site 35, loving every minute of the easy walk to the beach and the sunrise view of the ocean from the poptop. The sound of crashing waves as you fall asleep is amazing. Site 35 is level and VERY wide, so there is plenty of space to spread out chairs and set up tents or a screen room (though the wind isn't great for that). The site has a fire ring with grill rack and an oversized picnic table.

This campground loop had vault toilets and outdoor (cold) showers. Just outside the loop was the dump station and water.

We drove through the Bayside loops and thought those were nice sites, too, especially because many had water views from the sites themselves, but we vastly preferred the sounds of the crashing waves and the easy walk over the dune to the beautiful, nearly deserted oceanfront.

The absolute best part of the stay were the 3x daily visits from the wild horses to the campground. During our May visit, we got to see a foal that had just been born a few days earlier, awkwardly toddling and exploring with its Mama and others in the band of horses. Just magical. The only thing that marred the delight of the wild horse visits was the fact that many campers IGNORED the abundant "A Fed Horse is a Dead Horse" warnings and were far more concerned about taking video/selfies than securing their food, so we saw several picnic tables being raided by horses while campers just filmed and let them scavenge among the human food. A disgrace, given that you have to sign an agreement to lock away your food in your vehicle when you register for the site. The horses typically meander slowly throughout the campground, so there is no excuse for not putting away all food if you see them coming.

Bring your bikes to enjoy riding along the wide bike lane of the main park road. You can ride up to the Visitor Center or over to the state park. Exhibits at the visitor center are interesting and the Junior Ranger program was okay. There were special desks for Junior Rangers, a unique touch.

I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and parked in the site #15, a dry, BI site for $15/night with an America the Beautiful Sr. Pass. The roads and sites are asphalt and were easy to navigate. If you want to fill with water before setting up, you will have to go past the Oceanside Loop entrance to the dump station and then circle back. #14 was easy to get into. Many of the sites that backed up to the dunes had a lot of sand carried into them by the wind or rain water. The sites across the road (like this one) didn’t have that same problem. I had 2 bars 5G with Verizon, no wifi and I didn’t check for OTA channels. Had 25 mbps download speed at 4:00 pm. There were vault toilets and no showers. Sometimes you can go to the state park up the road and take a shower (if you buy a pass), but they had closed for the season already when I went there. Note: Maryland has a Golden Age Pass - $10 for Seniors, lifetime. There are definitely horses around and take the warnings to keep your cars and things closed up. We saw one horse with his head down to his shoulders inside someone’s van pulling stuff out. Some trails were closed for maintenance, but overall I really liked the vibe of the park and the dune feel of the Oceanside Loop as compared to Bay Side CG or the State Park up the road. I would choose site 12 or 21 in Oceanside or sites A14 or A24 in Bay Side if I came here again. It was a bit of a drive to visit Chincoteague and Wallops NASA station, but worth it. I would definitely come here again.

We camped for 2 nights in site 14. The sites are nestled among the dunes and a short walk over them takes you to the pristine beach. The wild ponies roam freely throughout the park. Our t-mobile cell service was better at night. This park is dry camping only, with nice and clean pit toilets and outdoor showers available. Many sites are for tent campers. Like ours, most of the rigs we saw were on the smaller side. The back in pads are asphalt surrounded by soft sand. It is a buggy place, so plan to bring insect repellent. We stayed in mid September so they may not been quite as bad. We had warm days and cool nights with a cooling ocean breeze all the time. Lack of AC was not a problem. Due to bugs, we did not sit outside our trailer, but if we went down to the beach the bugs weren’t a problem. The price we paid reflects a senior pass. Loved this place and would definitely go back!

Spent for windy rainy foggy days here. spots are paved with horse proof food storage under the picnic tables. First come first serve d camping in off season, was only 1/2 full Easy access to beach over dune paths. Quality outhouses, ocean sounds and the dunes keep noise from neighbors to nearly zero. The horses will stroll through at dusk when they smell campfires. They won’t hesitate to bully their way into your outdoor food prep, and don’t scare off easily — so be alert!

This was a bucket list location for us and it delivered. Site 23 offered shelter from the coastal winds but easy access to the beach. This stretch of beach was gorgeous and with only campers using it so we had it to ourselves most of the time.

Many reviews and information from the NPS warned of mosquitos, but we did not notice mosiquitos. One of our neighbors started a fire at their campsite one morning. The smoke from the fire apparently will draw the wild horses in if they are being pestered by flies. This can be a nuisance if you are trying to cook a meal at your campsite.

Besides the wild horses, we enjoyed watching the other wildlife at the seashore. Pelicans and gulls were numerous. We caught a glimpse of a bald eagle soaring over the coast. During our stay the Monarch butterflies were on their fall migration and were plentiful among the flowers blooming on the dunes.

We really enjoyed the bike lanes throughout the park. Even the bridge to the island has a protected bike/pedestrian lane.

Most of the sites were quite open with little to no privacy, but with site 23 we felt like we had our own beach front hideaway.

I stayed in site 14 loop 1 for five days in early Oct. brisk winds kept the bugs away. Lovely over the dune walkway made beach access easy. There are latrines and a kind of open or minimal shower. Bayside showers are better. Ocean side spots are more sand swept so don’t hesitate to reserve interior loop Oceanside spots. Views and access don’t change. Be prepared for change in weather. Rustic but beautiful campground. The horses may come through and I had a wonderful morning sipping coffee while the herd munched their way through me campsite

This is a very popular campground so be prepared to book several months in advance. A beautiful location on the ocean that offers great views and opportunities to have ponies wandering through your campsite and other areas if the park. Just a few short hiking trails here but a very large beach with plenty of space to relax and enjoy the scenery. Can be very windy at times, so tents can be problematic.

*Cell signal review based on the use of the WeBoost RV 65 kit.

Best sites: 12 and 34

Our site was really nice, walking distance to the beach, we could see the ocean from our patio. It is a paved site with plenty of room. The wild horses loved our site for some reason and spent 30 minutes every day at our site. The only bad thing are the morons that come too close to the horses. This is their land and they come through your site and you have to let them be, I actually had to alert the rangers because one of the campers was not happy that they were there and tried to slap one....this is against the law and the guy was lucky that the horse didn't retaliate. Please, be careful around them, they seem gentle but that can change in a blink of an eye.
We did get some weather but the way our rig was angled the wind was hitting us from the front or the back and not the sides. Beautiful sunrises on that side, not as many bugs. We were lucky because it was cooler so not as many bugs. We had one day where the horses were losing their minds with the bugs and that sent them to the beach which was magical. There is a dump station nearby, no electricity or water at the site.

The park s gorgeous and who doesn’t love wild ponies wandering on the beach? Sites are basic with fire pit, paved pad, and table but they are nicely spaced so you can hear the waves, not the neighbors. The park is small and very walkable. Great bike paths too. Our experience was perfect except for the cleanliness of our site...it was just nasty! Plastic bottles, cigarette buts, candy wrappers, etc. We cleaned it up and it wasn’t a big deal but it’s too bad the employees don’t care enough to keep the place looking good. We checked in around 4pm, which is five hours past check out time. Plenty of time for someone to swing by with a grabber and trash bucket. We didn’t use the restrooms or showers so I can’t comment on their condition. Because there aren’t any electric hookups, the place is dark and perfect for stargazing. Beach is leashed dog friendly. Overall, a spectacular place to spend a few nights.

This campsite is accessed via a bridge from Berlin, Maryland. There is bayside and oceanside camping. The oceanside camp ground has 2 loops. Both loops have black top roads and pads, however loop 2 is a little more sand swept.
These site are literally on the edge of the dunes. There are no hookups, but they do offer composting bathrooms. Although there is no greenery separating sites, the sites are well spaced. Its lovely to listen to the ocean at night. Each site has a fire ring.
20min from the hustle and bustle of Ocean City but feels like you are worlds away. The beach is beautiful and you can obtain a 4WD permit to do some beach driving. The horses roam around the campground and like to venture down onto the beach. Winter (until April) is first come first served.
Check-in is easy at the park office at the entrance. If you arrive after hours they leave a site map marked with which sites are free.