United States
Maryland (MD)
Berlin
Things to Do in Berlin
Assateague State Park
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Assateague State Park

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See all things to do
Assateague State Park
4.5
765
#1 of 11 things to do in Berlin
State Parks
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7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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About
State park that is managed by Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
6 within 3 miles
Assateague Crab House
212
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Seafood • Gluten Free Options
Grill At Rum Pointe
3
0.8 miAmerican
Lombardi's Carry-Out
6
1.5 mi$ • Italian • Pizza
Assateague Island Surf Cafe
7
2.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American
Buck's
6
2.3 miPub
Frontier Town Lazy River Saloon
16
2.5 miAmerican • Cafe
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Attractions
8 within 6 miles
Assateague Island National Seashore
1,161
0.7 miNational Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Assateague Island Visitor Center
4
0.7 miVisitor Centers
Main Street Berlin
354
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Frontier Town
720
2.6 miAmusement & Theme Parks • Water Parks
Burley Oak Brewing Company
135
Breweries
Calvin B. Taylor House Museum
10
Historic Sites • History Museums
Town Center Antiques
13
Antique Shops
Mermaid Museum
5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
765 reviews
Excellent
555
Very good
166
Average
29
Poor
9
Terrible
6
rayej
Clifton, NJ410 contributions
Highlight of my trip
Highlight of my vacation! Highly recommended, one of the best places I have ever visited. Stop in the visitor's center first to ask questions, staff/rangers are very informative. There is also a gift shop and educational center. There are 2 section to the beach, state and federal. State is $5 pp per day, Federal is $25 but you can come back for an entire week. (TIP: if you are a senior and have a discount card, admission to the Federal side is free!) All in all, the beach areas are continuous and the horses roam freely back and forth all day long. We did not see horses on the beach when we went because it was very hot, they tend to me inland but you can see them from the roadways, bike paths, walkways, etc. We stayed on the federal beach section 4 (You can get a map inside the visitors center). Perfect location as suggested by the rangers. There are life guards, restrooms and snack shops on both beaches. The water was perfect with beautiful waves. I will DEFINITELY be back.
Written July 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sean C
Belmar, NJ1,267 contributions
clean beach with wild ponies
We got the OSV pass and were able to take our truck on the beaches. There is not an option for a daily pass so we had to pay $110 for the annual pass. There were horses all over the park, including when we first entered in the parking lots, walking down the road, and on the beaches. The beaches are clean, the water is clear, and there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy privacy. We saw foxes, different species of birds, dolphins, horses, etc. It was an excellent experience and a must do!
Written April 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kree
Baltimore, MD114 contributions
Don’t miss out this place!!!!
Couples
What a mesmerizing park. We were welcomed by the beautiful horses. The beach was so beautiful.
Don’t forget to stop at each lookout. You will be happily surprised to see so many places.
Personally one of my favorite beach.
It is only half an hour drive from Ocean city. If you are somebody like me who likes nature and calmness you rather prefer this park over Ocean city.
I was completely in Zen!!
A must if you are around Ocean city!
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
GreenUnicorn
New Jersey3,467 contributions
So Much Less than We thought it would be
Couples
We were sooooo glad we had a National Parks pass and did not pay a $25 admission fee.

How lucky we were to spot about a half dozen horses on the way in at about 9:30 am. From reading other reviews, I now know that spot is one where they are seen. Didn't see any more horses, but my husband read there are only about 79 on that end of the island.

We were not going to the beach. The 2 main activities seemed to be bicycle riding and the beach.

The three mini trails totalled 2 miles of walking. Sand dunes trail was slightly interesting due to the remnants of the Baltimore Boulevard, macadam destroyed by a 1962 storm. Pine trail was totally unremarkable.

Toilets were standard national national Park cesspool toilets.

We're done. No need to drive to Chincoteague.
Written October 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TLSeymour
West Monroe, NY91 contributions
Beautiful sunset/sunrise and horses
This was our second camping experience there in 2 years, and similar experiences. Our campsite was E108, right at the foot of the dune where people walk over the dune to access the beach. The site was clean and accommodated our truck and 28 foot trailer. The site had a paved driveway, and a good sized area of deep, soft sand.
Womens bathroom was 'okay', men's bathroom (per hubby) was 'good'. Our biggest concern was the lack of obeying the speed limit within the camping loop. There were many people walking, on bikes/skateboards, etc., and the horses, and many drivers were going way too fast around the loops. Again, as our site was right next to the beach, we had several days of high wind, yet when we walked around the loop away from the beach, it was more protected/not as windy.
Written August 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mamamia555
66 contributions
Must see!
Family
After seeing the great reviews on Trip Advisor, we decided to give this place a visit. Staying in Ocean City for vacation, this was about 20 minutes away. The beaches were clean, beautiful, quiet. Softer sand and more shells than OC. Wild horses were fun to see roaming the island. Was a great day trip. Cost us $5/family member. We agreed was worth the $. We visited the state park beach. The other entrance was @$25/car, offered weekly rates. Had to choose one or the other, fee not applicable to both parks. Was fun to watch the horses come to the beach for an unknowing families snacks and food to eat! Great experience!
Written July 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sharon M
Windham, NH633 contributions
Ponies, Lighthouse and Hike!
We were lucky enough to see the ponies - 7 in total all together with a foul. We also stopped and took a 4 mile walk - there were flies that kept buzzing our heads so wear a hat if possible and load up on bug spray. We were there on a cooler day "60" so I can imagine it being quite a bit buggier on a warmer day with no wind.

We also stopped and took the short walk up to the lighthouse which is very pretty - it is not open to walk into but nice spot for pictures.

It was $10 to get in.
Written May 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chuck B
D'Hanis, TX958 contributions
Been coming for yrs.
Couples
This place has many ways to kick your butt. Biting Flys mosquitoes wind rain heat wild horses loud neighbors. On the other hand we love it. You just have to be flexible and calm. If the wind comes from the west (any angle) it will blow in biting blood sucking tiny little evil things. Any angle wind with east in it will be much much better. Stay away from the horses, secure your food preferably in a vehicle or camper or your car don't leave things sitting out don't have food in your tent don't leave food in the screen house. If you do any of those things you might get away with it once or twice but eventually there will be consequences. Check your kids for ticks especially if they've been in the high weeds.

New rule this year only quiet generators. What an improvement.

Have fun
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helena6040
59 contributions
Two separate parks - state and federal, saw horses on Federal
Friends
Didn’t realize that there were two different parks. Had read a review that said to take the first right after the bridge - which we did. Saw many horses at the corner. Glad we took that right - it lead us to the federal park which we then saw more horses. The entry fee is higher for federal than the state but the land seems bigger. We later heard that others didn’t see horses on a different day so we felt fortunate to have seem them. Glad we went.
Written November 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mike
59 contributions
Read the signs!!
Four adults and we immediately came upon three ponies on the side of the road. I U-turned and stopped right beside them. Big mistake. A wildlife officer in a white SUV saw the whole thing and stopped in front of us, blue and red lights flashing. A really good guy, a true professional and he warned us of a $300.00 fine. We had not seen the "they bite, they kick and stay 40 feet away" sign(s). One of the ponies stuck his head through the passenger window and as we petted his nose, the wildlife officer responded. Two veterans in our group and we understand and obey rules and regulations. We simply missed the sign and we all appreciated the officer's response.
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Assateague State Park (Berlin) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Assateague State Park
Assateague State Park is open:
  • Sun - Sat 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM