Camping at Assateague with baby

[Anonymous]

We are avid (car) campers, but we haven't camped on the beach. We have reservations to take our preschooler and infant camping at Assateague this summer, and I wanted to hear what others have done for shade. Large canopy? Beach umbrellas? Special sun pod thing for baby? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

We camped at Assateague pre-baby, but beware the flies and the potential for wind whipping sand around. We camped in the National Park, in the tent-only (no vehicles) section. One very important tip we were grateful to have read ahead of time: regular tent stakes are ineffective in dry sand. Longer ones help, but even better was anchoring the tent to grocery bags filled with sand that we buried and then tied the tent to (basically one bag in place of each stake). Make sure your rain fly is secure or you'll get a nice sand shower if there's any wind overnight.
I would bring some kind of shade structure that has netting all around it to keep the bugs at bay. I am told the bay side has more mosquitoes and the ocean side has more flies. We were ocean side.
Oh, and they are not kidding about the ponies being total hooligans. We had all our food secured in a tightly-closed cooler and they still knocked it around at night to see if it might tumble open.
The tent-only section of the National Park camping area had extremely limited bathroom facilities (unlit porta potty, cold shower, tap of potable cold water). If I were going with young kids, I'd probably go to the state park camping area that has nice bathhouses - I think the vehicle section of the NP may have also had bathhouses, but I forget. (Or perhaps things have changed since 2008.)

I'm totally not selling Assateague camping, am I? We did have fun!

[Anonymous]

I know that you are asking about shade, but we found the flies and especially mosquitos to be the far largest challenge of camping at Assateague. I mean, we ended up wrapping the baby in her sleeping bag and making a run through a particularly mosquito-y area. The beach was stunning, and seeing the ponies was cool, but it was the most memorable part of that trip was being eaten alive by bugs. Maybe we just chose the wrong campground? We hiked in and were on the bay side, which was probably our mistake...

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PPs. Our reservation is for the state park. We will have to see what we can figure out re bugs, wind, and sun.

[Anonymous]

That does not sound pleasant to me. at all.

[Anonymous]

This sounds absolutely miserable to me, and we love to car camp. Why dont' you pick a nicer place with a beach, like Cunningham Falls State Park

[Anonymous]

I love both car camping and pack-in camping, but the mosquitoes, flies, and no-see-ums in Assateague Beach are really bad. Only place I've ever found a tick on my body. If you don't mind bugs, go for it.

[Anonymous]

I hate camping, so I'm not sure how helpful I'll be. We all love Assateague, and we find that it's fun to explore when you have another MD / DE beach area as home base. If you're staying at Bethany, for example, just go to Assateague for a day trip. The best days in my opinion are when there is a little wind - that helps disperse the bugs. Also, in windy conditions you can watch the windsurfers on the bay side, which is good entertainment during a picnic.

[Anonymous]

Close to Assateague is a water park that is quite mellow. http://www.frontiertown.com/waterpark-and-golf/gallery.cfm

Restaurants near by are Harborside which is rustic, home of the original orange Crush. Sunset grill a bit nicer. Also there is a restaurant in of called fish tales .. It has a playground and sometimes has face painting during dinner. It is on a dock so you can look at boats.

[Anonymous]

The camping at Assateague is great! Just be sure to be on the ocean not the bay side.
If you panic and decide to break camp, it's not far to Chincoteague (south on 13) and the hotel/motel rates are not too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We camped at Assateague pre-baby, but beware the flies and the potential for wind whipping sand around. We camped in the National Park, in the tent-only (no vehicles) section. One very important tip we were grateful to have read ahead of time: regular tent stakes are ineffective in dry sand. Longer ones help, but even better was anchoring the tent to grocery bags filled with sand that we buried and then tied the tent to (basically one bag in place of each stake). Make sure your rain fly is secure or you'll get a nice sand shower if there's any wind overnight.
I would bring some kind of shade structure that has netting all around it to keep the bugs at bay. I am told the bay side has more mosquitoes and the ocean side has more flies. We were ocean side.
Oh, and they are not kidding about the ponies being total hooligans. We had all our food secured in a tightly-closed cooler and they still knocked it around at night to see if it might tumble open.
The tent-only section of the National Park camping area had extremely limited bathroom facilities (unlit porta potty, cold shower, tap of potable cold water). If I were going with young kids, I'd probably go to the state park camping area that has nice bathhouses - I think the vehicle section of the NP may have also had bathhouses, but I forget. (Or perhaps things have changed since 2008.)

I'm totally not selling Assateague camping, am I? We did have fun![/quote

Ha! Not the OP but this sounds like a nightmare!

[Anonymous]

What is car camping?

[Anonymous]

I admire your bravery! I could never do that, especially when BF aged kids were under foot.

I love Assateague for the afternoon or for a beach fire after sunset, but with small kids I always opt for an ocean front suite with shower near Fenwick Island.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is car camping?

OP here. Car camping means you have your car with you at the campsite (but still sleep in a tent) vs hiking in with all your gear. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and tips.

[Anonymous]

Okay, how does Cape Henlopen compare re sun and bugs? Might this be a better alternative? Also, those who encountered many bugs, what time of year was it? We were planning for Labor Day, if that's relevant.