Date: October 17, 2013
Contact: Rachelle Daigneault, 410-629-6088
Berlin, Maryland – Assateague Island National Seashore reopened this morning at 6:00 a.m. The park has been closed since October 1 due to the lapse in Congressional appropriations. “We are happy to be serving our visitors once more! We greatly appreciate the support of the public, our gateway communities, partners, and local businesses, many of whom experienced the impacts of this closure,” said superintendent Debbie Darden. “We want to welcome all of you back to your national park during this beautiful autumn season.”
Both the Maryland and Virginia districts are open.
In Maryland:
- All parking areas are open.
- Developed area camping is open on a first-come first-served basis.
- Backcountry camping is open.
- The Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone is open to marker 24.7 where a closure begins due to dangerous beach driving conditions created by recent Nor’easter activity.
- Hunting is open.
- The Assateague Island Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In Virginia (within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge):
- Parking lot one is open. Parking areas two and three are expected to open by Friday afternoon.
- The OSV zone is closed due to damage caused by recent Nor’easter activity. Please call the Refuge at 757-336-6122 for updates on the closure.
- The Toms Cove Visitor Center is open seven days per week through November when a four day per week schedule will be implemented.
“We just want to get back to serving our visitors, working with school groups, and introducing people to this incredible place. October is a stunning time to visit the island,” said Chief of Interpretation and Education, Rachelle Daigneault. For more information related to park access and activities call 410-641-1441 or visit www.nps.gov/asis
