Wildlife

• It is prohibited to feed ponies, deer or other wildlife.
• Feeding encourages wild animals to become accustomed to humans and potentially more dangerous.
• Feeding wild ponies trains them to wander along the roads where they can be hit by cars.
• Remember, the ponies are wild. Please help keep the wild in the wildlife.

Pets

Pets are prohibited at:

• Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge,
• Assateague National Seashore (Virginia side),
• Assateague State Park, backcountry campsites and in the primitive area north of the State Park.

Safety

• Get off the beach during lightning storms.
• Use the lifeguarded beaches when available.
• Surfboards and tubes are prohibited on lifeguarded beaches.
• Watch surf and local weather reports before your vacation.
• Avoid overexposure to the sun, which can cause heat exhaustion and/or severe sunburn.
• Bring footwear for hot sand on beaches.
• Be cautious if you approach ponies. Wild Ponies kick and bite.
• Guard against poison ivy, ticks and mosquitos. To avoid getting bitten, stay on the trails, explore remote areas of Assateague by boat and use repellents. Inspect yourself carefully if you do walk through tall grass.