1 Chincoteague
Island
Way, way out at the
edge of anywhere – a
uniform three hours
and 20 minutes from
Washington DC,
Baltimore, Philadelphia
and Richmond – we
begin this trip at the
isolated end of the road.
That said, Chinco-
teague (Shink-oh-teeg)
hardly feels lonely.
Rather, this is a cheerful
resort island, populated
by fishermen and folks
seeking an escape in
the coastal salt marshes
of an Atlantic barrier
island.
The best activity
around is exploring said
unique environment, andwe recommend boarding
a boat with Captain
Dan (%757-894-0103; http://www.
captaindanstours.com; tours
adult/child $40/35). His
personable Around the
Island Tours take around
2 to 2.5 hours and are
excellent value. You
can also rent your own
boat or arrange fishing
charters at Captain Bob’s
Marina (%757-336-6654;
http://www.captbobsmarina.net;
2477 Main Street; boat rental
from $75/99 half/full-day;
h6am-6pm).
The big event in these
parts is the Chincoteague
Pony Swim (p232).The Drive » In the town of
Chincoteague, follow Maddox
Blvd south to the traffic circle
at the Chamber of Commerce.
Take the exit into Beach AccessRd, which leads to the National
Wildlife Refuge.2 Chincoteague
National Wildlife
Refuge
Part of the appeal
of exploring the
Delmarva Peninsula
is encountering
an incredibly rich
environment and
ecosystem, one where
several biomes are
packed into exceptionally
small physical spaces.
The Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge
(www.fws.gov/northeast/
chinco; 8231 Beach Road,
Chincoteague Island; daily/
weekly pass $8/15 ; h5am-
10pm Mon-Sat May-Sep, 6am-
6pm Nov-Feb, 6am-8pm Mar,
Apr & Oct; pc) epitomizes
this. Within these 14,000
acres you’ll encounter
breeze-kissed beaches
with no crowds, dunes,
maritime forest and
freshwater and saltwater
marshes; keep an eye
out for snapping turtles,
Virginia opossums, river
otters, great blue herons
and of course, a herd of
Chincoteague ponies.
Six trails web across the
wetlands and woodlands,
ranging from a quarter
mile to 3.25 miles in
length; none offer
any serious elevation
gain. The jewel of the
reserve is the Herbert
H Bateman Educational
and Administrative
Center (h9am-4pm
spring, fall & winter, to 5pmDelmarva
Yes:.there.is.sun,.surf.and.sand.here..But.also:.
wild.horses,.salt.marshes,.estuarine.deltas.and.
stretches.of.surprisingly.isolated.oceanfront.
scenery,.considering.we’re.mere.miles.from.the.
most.densely.populated.urban.corridor.in.the.
country..Find.neon.lights.and.a.greasy.batch.of.
boardwalk.fries,.or.a.patch.of.sea.oats.and.a.view.
of.the.ocean.–.either.option.exists.in.abundance.on.
the.Delmarva.Peninsula,.named.for.its.constituent.
three.states:.Delaware,.Maryland.and.Virginia.
19