Has anybody been to Assateague Island?

So I'm going down Ocean City Maryland next week and I saw that it's possible to drive on the actual Beach with a truck on assateague Island. I was curious if anybody ever has done this in this group. Now other than deflating my tires and making sure I have straps and whatnot I'm curious if I drive my stock 2021 off-road double cab on there without getting stuck. I'd feel more comfortable if I had better tires but right now I don't. Also does it get very crowded?

 

My family has had a place on Chincoteague Island for 20 yrs, and we go to the beach on the other end of Assateague all the time.
In order to go out on the beach you need a ORV permit and recovery gear as well.

 

Was there last weekend for some camping, but I didn't do any of the driving on the sand. I never really had interest in simply driving on a beach, and the line was SUPER long to get onto the driving area.

 

I think you need a permit sticker

Somebody who actually knows, might know.

 

never been but been wanting to for some time.
i know you need to get a permit and head there super early because of the limit they have for how many cars on the beach at one time

 

Yeah I've read the permit can be like 70-145 a year probably not worth it for a few days. I wanted to do it mostly bc I have a truck tent and stuff to chill in. Guess I'll just be walking my ass

 

@jwizzmasterwet might have a lot of good info for you. There is also this site, if you’ve not seen it- https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/osv.htm

 

@RedDeadTaco
Help this guy out

 

You only need the pass if you want to drive on the sand in the designated "OSV" (On Sand Vehicle) section which has a personnel cap @145ish vehicles, then it's a 1 on 1 off rule. The beach is open to you once you get into the national park if you just want beach access and no driving on Sand. There's other designated camping spots. I haven't camped there, but you may be able to call the park ranger station for details on camping

 

Yes, I go there all the time. I highly recommend it. Here’s my advice:

Arrive early. They only let 145 vehicle on. If it’s full you’ll have to wait until someone comes off. There is a gate with a counter to keep track.

Your stock tires will do very well. 18-20psi will probably be perfect.

Once you are on, drive for awhile. Most people stop in a first few miles. If you work your way down the beach, it becomes very sparse. It’s never really crowded since it’s 13 miles of beach with only 145 vehicles. But it’s less “crowded” further down.

I think it’s worth the permit fee. It’s the only way I’ll go to the beach now. Take everything you want with you cause it takes a while to drive down the beach. So you don’t really want to have to leave for anything.

Take a shovel just in case. If you start you spin your wheels and get stuck, just stop. Use the shovel to fill in and remove sand around your wheels. Back up and try again. Let more air out of your tires if necessary. But you really shouldn’t have any issues if you air down from the start.

 

I'm going to be down there all week. Is it maybe less busy during the weekdays? And what about like restroom facilities are they available that far down the beach? I'm definitely interested in the convenience of it lol. Be nice to chill on the tailgate instead of hauling all the crap down there by foot.

 

Yes it will be less busy during the week. There are no amenities or facilities on the OSV beach. if you want that, you’ll need to go to the walk on beach. I usually just take a 5-gallon bucket with a trash bag in it as a toilet. Also, I try to shit before going out. Really makes things less messy.

 

I try to make it to Assateague yearly. There are also things to do and see on the bay side.

 

That’s shitty advice.

 

•15psi and a plan to re-inflate when you leave
•Proper shovel
•Chunk of 2x12 for your jack (I have seen beach flats… all sorts of junk can hide in the sand)
•MaxxTraxx and a Bubba Rope recommended
•Water
•Sunscreen
•Check the tide table
•Wash your truck undercarriage ASAP



ETA: first aid and lineman’s pliers - cut the eye of the hook off and pull/push it the rest of the way through your toe with the pliers.

 

More beach pictures.

 

This is all good advice on this thread. Definitely watch your speed driving down the beach and stay away from the dunes. They never check but highly recommend a shovel, piece of wood for your jack, and a tow/recovery strap. There are air stations to inflate after your done on the beach but with it being summertime, everybody and their mother wants to drive on the beach. Most of the time there is a line to leave because everyone is inflating their tires. Kinda crazy but I recommend getting there around 4:45-5am maybe earlier, especially if it’s a weekend. So many stock trucks out there I’d doubt you’d get stuck.

 

What time of day were you there?

 

Are you guys talking Maryland side or Virginia side accessing from Chincoteague Island? There is no gate with a vehicle counter on the Chincoteague side except for the North OSV zone in VA. Last year in September they did have volunteers there at the entrance checking for permits in your window.

 

I was there around 6am and lines were getting busy around 9-10am.