Assateague Island National Seashore

Barrier island operated by the National Park Service of the United States

Assateague Island National Seashore is a unit of the National Park Service system of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Located on the East Coast along the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland and Virginia, Assateague Island is the largest natural barrier island ecosystem in the Middle Atlantic states region that remains predominantly unaffected by human development. Located within a three-hour drive from Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and major metropolitan areas, plus being north of the several clustered smaller cities around the Hampton Roads harbor of Virginia including Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, the National Seashore offers a setting in which to experience a dynamic barrier island and to pursue a multitude of recreational opportunities. The stated mission of the park is to preserve and protect "unique coastal resources and the natural ecosystem conditions and processes upon which they depend, provide high-quality resource-based recreational opportunities compatible with resource protection and educate the public as to the values and significance of the area."