The ponies of Assateague Island National Seashore are popular with tourists who flock to the Virginia coastline to view them. Legend says they are descended from ponies escaping a sunken Spanish galleon. They live close to similar herds of ponies that reside at the nearby Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. Only a narrow channel of water separates them. Once a year the ponies swim across the channel. Many are sold to the public to reduce the herd. The ponies are wild and often hard to locate.
Drive slowly along the roads of the Assateague National Seashore. Ponies often wander in the road or along the shoulders. Sometimes they gather in the brush just off the road and parking lots.
Walk the backcountry trails. Especially during the height of a summer day's heat, the ponies will gather under the shade of the backcountry trees for most of the day.
Stop at Black Duck Marsh's designated observation platforms. You can find the platforms along Woodland Trail and Beach Road.
Attend the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim. It occurs on the last Wednesday in July. People gather in the tidal basins at both the Assateague National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
