We didn't realize Assateague Island was so long.  It goes north to the Ocean City inlet and the state and national parks are only 4 miles south of the campground.  Both parks have very large campgrounds along the ocean and bay and even have walk in tent camping.  There are no utilities at the sites except for a few electric but they do have showers and restrooms.  You can even drive on the beach but need a permit.  I talked about driving on the beach but I heard something like, "over my dead body!".  An interesting option but totally unacceptable.  I believe the passes are available only on an annual basis and cost around $90.  We walked the beach and saw a pony on the bay side.  We even saw what appeared to be a whale which was probably beached and towed off the beach to decompose behind the dunes.  There are no roads connecting the VA and MD ends of the island and it would be quite a walk.  The map does show you can drive on the beach to the VA line (19 miles).  We are going to be here for two more days so we plan on coming back when the weekend crowds are down.  The temperature is hot and the water is COLD, the sand is hot but the breezes are refreshing.  We had our crabcakes at Waterman's tonight. YUM!