Daily Daydream: Home of the World’s Most Famous Horses

The national park Assateague Island is most well-known for its famous residents: wild horses. There are two main herds of horses, which are divided by a fence down the Maryland and Virginia state line. The horses on the Maryland side are known as Assateague horses and the ones on the Virginia side are called Chincoteague.

The National Park Service offers a number of tours on the island for visitors, like a kayaking outing. You can even dial a special number and take a free cell-phone guided wild horses tour. There are also a number of hiking trails, including challenging ones on the island’s 37 miles of sand.

Try to visit in July for the Pony Penning festival. During this event, the Virginia horses are herded from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island, and then the younger horses are sold off. (

Where is it? Just south of Ocean City, Maryland. Fly to the small Ocean City Municipal Airport of (check prices) or to Baltimore (check prices) and then drive.

Where to Stay? You can camp on the island.

What Else Should I Know? Admire the wild horses from afar—they will kick and bite humans that get too close.

Who’s it For? The horsey set, campers, fans of Misty of Chincoteague.

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