Chincoteague Island: Ecotourism Paradise

Chincoteague Island:  Ecotourism Paradisestriped light house guides ships attempting to navigate
Although the Chincoteague ponies may roam barefootthe barrier islands and its light is visible form 22 nautical
and free on the wilds of Assateague Island for mostmiles away.
of their lives, horseshoes are still readily found on bothPony viewing, of course, is a favorite pastime for
Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.  They'rethose visiting Chincoteague's ecotourism Paradise, and
horseshoe crabs, and they have an enormous role toduring warm weather the ponies are commonly found
play in making Chincoteague Island an ecotourismroaming Assateague's beaches to escape the heat
Paradise.  Why?and humidity of their normal inland haunts.  They have
Because the horseshoe crabs choose to lay theirthe run of the Island, and think nothing of stopping
eggs in the sand and mud flats of Toms Cove Hook,traffic while they amble across the roads!
making those areas prime feeding grounds for theWhile sun and water worshippers can crowd some of
huge flocks of shorebirds which descend onthe Assateague Island beaches during the height of
Chincoteague and Assateague Islands each year.summer, there are plenty of opportunities for the
Sandpipers, red knots, dunlin, sanderlings, and ruddysolitude-seeking ecotourist as well. Assateague's
turnstones all thrive on the horseshoe crab eggs.paved roads are only seven miles in length, and on the
Thousands of birding ecotourists come toMaryland side of the island the only way to catch a
Chincoteague each year to view the feastingglimpse of the Maryland ponies is by foot or water. 
shorebirds. On the Virginia side, in the Chincoteague Island Wildlife
But there are many more natural wonders attractingrefuge, there are five public hiking trails.
ecotourists to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Many ecotourists, however, prefer to leave civilization
The islands' position along the Atlantic Flyway makesbehind by heading out along the beach from Toms
them are ideal rest stops and nesting areas for theCove on the 13-mile trek ending at the state line public
hundreds of bird species which settle in their marshes,campground.  Or they paddle their way along the
forests, and waterways.  Eagles and ospreys soarChincoteague Bay shoreline to reach campsites at
overhead searching for prey. Swans, geese, andJim's Gut, Tingle Bay, Pine Tree, or Pope's Bay for an
ducks of all varieties grace the islands' glades andovernight stay. 
ponds. The calls of colorful songbirds fill the air aboveEach of the three biospheres on Assateague Island's
the many nature trails in the islands' pine forests, andMaryland side have something unique to offer
their hidden waterways invite long, lazy afternoons ofecotourists.  They are accessible by three separate
kayaking and canoeing while watching for ponies andtrails, introducing hikers to the Life of the marsh; the
other wildlife.Life of the Dune; and the Life of the Forest.   A
Ecotourists who want to share the same bird's-eyeclimb to the Life of the Forest Trail's observation deck
view of Assateague and Chincoteague so familiar towill reward you with a breath stopping view of
their feathered friends can head for the 142-foot tallChincoteague Bay and a clear understanding of what
Assateague Island Light House.  Built in 1867 andmakes Chincoteague and Assateague Islands a true
operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the red-and-whiteecotourism Paradise!