Fisherman Island, Ship Shoal Island, Little Cobb Island and Wallops Island are closed to the public year-round. Most of Virginia’s other barrier islands are open to the public for low-impact recreational use with seasonal restrictions in place to protect sensitive resources. Please visit site pages for specific information.
| Island Name | Owned By | Open/Closed | Seasonal Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallops | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Closed to public | |
| Assateague | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Open to public | Toms Cove Hook closed March 15 - September 1 |
| Chincoteague | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Open to public | Dunes always closed |
| Assawoman | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Open to public September 16 - March 14 | Closed March 15 - September 15 |
| Metompkin | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Cedar | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August | |
| Parramore | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Hog | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Cobb | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Little Cobb | The Nature Conservancy | Closed to public | |
| Wreck | Department of Conservation and Recreation | Open to public September 1 - April 14 | Closed April 15 - August 31 |
| Mockhorn | Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries | Open to public | No restrictions |
| Ship Shoal | The Nature Conservancy | Closed to public | |
| Myrtle/Mink | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Smith | The Nature Conservancy | Open to public | Closed above high tide line April - August |
| Fisherman | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Closed to public |
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.
