Assateague Island Backcountry

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland District (near Berlin)

Assateague Island is a barrier island on the Maryland and Virginia coast, and the National Park Service manages a long stretch of it as backcountry with six designated campsites. There’s no trail system: you walk the beach, carrying all your water, to a site on the ocean side or cut across to one on the bay.

A 2015 trip report on Backcountry Post describes a “12 mile stretch of the National Park” set aside for backcountry use, with wild horses grazing the salt marshes.

The hike

Backpackers start at the Maryland ranger station, just past the Verrazzano Bridge, according to The Outbound, and the NPS says all backcountry permits must be purchased there. Backpackers park at North Beach, while paddlers use Old Ferry Landing or the Bayside Picnic Area. Moving campers or gear by motorized boat or vehicle is not allowed.

From there, the NPS lists sites 2.5 to 13 miles away. The oceanside sites are Little Levels and State Line, where camping is limited to posted boundaries and not allowed on the beach or dunes. The bayside sites are Tingles Island, Pine Tree, Green Run, and Pope Bay. The Outbound gives distances of 2 miles to Tingles Island, 4 to Little Levels, 5 to Pine Tree, 9.5 to Green Run, 12 to Pope Bay, and 13 to State Line; a 2008 NPS brochure gives slightly longer figures for most. Each site is marked by two colored stakes beside the path, The Outbound says.

The walking itself is the work. The Outbound warns that the soft, deep sand makes beach walking “harder than it sounds,” so pack light. The Backcountry Post writer, who went in late February 2015, found frozen sand much easier but saw temperatures fall below zero both nights and broke three tent stakes in frozen ground. His navigation tip: on the beach, “If the ocean is on your left you are heading south.” To reach the bay side, he used an over-sand vehicle path to avoid the marshes, and he advises dropping a GPS waypoint for your site.

The horses are wild. The NPS prohibits petting, feeding, or approaching them. The Backcountry Post writer had a band of five graze about 30 feet from him.

The park’s Oct. 11, 2026 conditions page lists Maryland trails and campgrounds open but the Maryland over-sand vehicle zone closed due to overwash (a general line on the same page still calls the zone open), and warns that tide and wind can cause overwash.

Tips

Arrive early. Permits aren’t issued after the posted cutoff, and The Outbound says rangers are strict about it.
Carry a gallon of water per person per day, the NPS minimum.
Bring strong repellent and long sleeves for bayside sites in warm months.
Pack a freestanding tent; stakes hold poorly in sand.
Leave pets and glass at home. Both are prohibited at backcountry sites.
Keep your distance from the horses.

Camping

Permits are first come, first served at the Maryland ranger station, with no advance reservations, and cover up to seven days, according to the NPS. Itineraries can’t be changed after you leave the station. Bayside fires are allowed only in campsite fire rings; oceanside fires must be on the beach below the high tide line. Collect only dead wood on the ground, and put fires out with water, not sand. Pack out all trash. The 2008 brochure says bayside sites have picnic tables and fire rings and share a chemical toilet.

Inside Intel: The Backcountry Post writer, facing a hard freeze, switched from State Line to the closer Little Levels on the ocean side. He also notes that Pine Tree, on the bay side, has picnic tables and spare firewood.

Trail facts

Distance: About 4 miles each way to Little Levels; other sites 2 to 14 miles depending on site and source
Route type: Out and back along the beach
Difficulty: Moderate; soft sand
Campsites: Oceanside: Little Levels, State Line. Bayside: Tingles Island, Pine Tree, Green Run, Pope Bay
Water: None; carry at least a gallon per person per day
Permits: Required, first come, first served, in person at the Maryland ranger station
Fires: Fire rings on the bay side; below the high tide line on the ocean side
Dogs: Not allowed at backcountry sites
Trailhead: North Beach parking, Maryland District
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Frozen sand at Little Levels:

One February camper on Assateague saw temperatures fall below zero both nights and broke three tent stakes in frozen ground. If you sleep on your side, see tips like adding a foam pad under your inflatable on cold ground.

See the tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.