Photo by Patrick J. Hendrickson | Highcamera
Assawoman Island
Owned and managed by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
Assawoman Island, part of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Complex, is open for low-impact recreational day use, such as hiking, bird watching, surf fishing and photography from September 16th to March 14th. The island is closed March 15th to September 15th to provide undisturbed habitat for nesting birds. Please help protect sensitive habitats and wildlife by observing all visitation policies and seasonal restrictions.
Visiting Assawoman Island
The Seaside is a dynamic landscape with constantly shifting tides, sands and weather. Safety is a top concern when visiting this remote area with limited accessibility and services. Stay alert, come prepared and be aware of island use policies.
Open for recreational DAY use:
Prohibited at ALL times:
Permitted uses:
Fishing (requires a refuge permit to land a boat on the island), waterfowl hunting with a refuge permit and following VA state regulations.
Seasonal closure:
The island is closed March 15th to September 15th to provide undisturbed habitat for nesting birds. Please help protect sensitive habitats and wildlife by observing all visitation policies and seasonal restrictions.
For information about our policies, please contact the USFWS Chincoteague NWR office:
- Call us at (757) 336-6122
- Visit our website
Suggested access points
Assawoman Island is most easily and safely accessed by boat via the south end of the island. During bird nesting season (March 15 – September 15), the island is closed to all public access.
Photo by Gordon Campbell | At Altitude Gallery
About Assawoman Island
Assawoman island is a quiet 2.5 miles long barrier island, one quarter of which is beach habitat and the remainder contains extensive salt marshes. Marshes and washover areas are prominent on the North half of the island providing good habitat for nesting birds. The marsh provides waterfowl hunting opportunities, while the beach on the south end of the island is a good place for surf fishing. Before visiting, please familiarize yourself with site use policies and seasonal closures.
Discover a Coastal Wilderness
The Atlantic coastline of Virginia’s Eastern Shore is a unique coastal wilderness that spans 70 miles from the Virginia/Maryland border to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The region is characterized by vast, mostly undeveloped marshes, barrier island beaches and coastal lagoons that support globally important populations of migratory birds, are the site of intensive large scale oyster reef and eelgrass restoration projects, and provide extensive recreation opportunities in remote settings. Learn more about the natural history of this amazing coastal landscape.
OWNERSHIP AND LAND MANAGEMENT
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Complex, including Chincoteague, Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges, is just one of more than 560 in the National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is a network of lands and waters encompassing 150 million acres. These special places are managed specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat. The Refuge System represents the most comprehensive wildlife resource management program in the world. Units of the system stretch across the United States, from northern Alaska to the Florida Keys. It also includes small islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific, as well as Marine National Monuments such as the Mariana Trench. The character of the refuges is as diverse as the nation itself and these protected lands provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species and more than 1,000 species of fish. More than 380 threatened or endangered plants or animals are protected on National Wildlife Refuges.
Explore Our Seaside Partners
The seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore is almost entirely owned and managed by non-profit, state and federal agencies. These partners share the common goal of protecting natural resources, while balancing sustainable recreational and economic use of the seaside. Learn more about our partnership.
This project was funded by The Nature Conservancy with support from The Volgenau Foundation and by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program led by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality through Grant #NA17NOS4190152 of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended. All Explore Our Seaside partners also contributed significant time and effort to the project.