Our stay at Assateague State Park was like an incredible dream. Almost from the time we drove through the park entrance, we began to see wild horses grazing and walking everywhere. Soon after we entered the park, we crossed a steep bridge. We were so awed by the wild horses we'd just seen that my fiancee almost wiped out a large group of horses on the downside of the bridge. Even after 11 years, I am still awed by the wild horses we saw everywhere.
We didn't arrive at Assateague until late in the day. Only primitive camping was available during our stay. This meant no electrical hook-ups and cold water showers in stalls that were barely private. The campsites were only separated from the ocean by the dunes. We saw dozens of horses walking across the dunes and along the beach. They would travel in groups, usually from three to eight horses in a group.
We slept in our van that had a bed in the back. We left the windows (which had screens) open so we could get a breeze and, when we awoke in the morning, there were three horses staring in at us. What a site to wake up to!
The year before we stayed at Assateague State Park, National Geographic Travel magazine has selected it as one of the 10 best state parks in the United States. Neither one of us would argue with that choice.
Due to time constraints, we were only able to spend one night at Assateague State Park, but it's a night I'll never forget.
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