Assateague Island National Seashore is a National Seashore in Maryland, Virginia. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Assateague Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 244° | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 255° | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 268° | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 283° | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 295° | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 301° | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 299° | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 289° | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 275° | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 260° | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:50 PM | 247° | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 241° | 9h 32m |
Computed for the park's reference point (38.0559, -75.2452); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Assateague Island, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
3 Estimated Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead.
Weather & best time to visit
Spring: Often windy and cool with lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's. Summer: Hot and humid with lows in the 60's and highs in the 80's. Fall: Warm with lows in the 50's and highs in the 70's. Winter: Damp cold and often windy. Lows in the 20's, highs in the 40's.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $25.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $20.00 |
| Entrance - Per Person | $0.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
There are two entrances to Assateague Island National Seashore. Assateague's north entrance is at the end of Route 611, eight miles south of Ocean City, MD. The south entrance is at the end of Route 175, two miles east of Chincoteague, VA. There is no vehicle access between the two entrances on Assateague Island. Vehicles must return to the mainland to access either the north or south entrance.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Auto and ATV
- Auto Off-Roading
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Canoe or Kayak Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Fishing
- Saltwater Fishing
- Guided Tours
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Off-Trail Permitted Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Horse Camping (see also camping)
Nearby parks
MD
VA
VA
VA
NJ
VA/MD