Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is on the Virginia half of Assateague Island. Visitors to this barrier island come mainly to see the Chincoteague ponies, feral horses of diminished size due to their poor diet of salt marsh plants and grasses. The entire Virginia half of the island is a refuge for animals, some of them endangered, such as the sika deer and the piping plover. Visitors may also see brown pelicans, merlins, red fox, fox squirrels, and white-tailed deer. There are areas on the island for ocean swimming, boating, horseback riding, and driving over-sand vehicles. Snorkelers love to explore the shipwrecks that dot the island’s shores and that were the reason for the installation of a lighthouse in 1833. Fishing, crabbing, and clamming are permitted in designated areas with a valid Virginia fishing license.

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