Tour Overview
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Join us for a 2–3 hour guided kayak tour through the diverse landscapes of Assateague Island National Seashore. Perfect for all skill levels, this relaxed-paced paddle keeps group sizes small for a personal experience. Choose a daytime tour for abundant wildlife viewing or a magical sunset option to watch the sky ignite over the marshes.
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What You’ll Experience
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Landscape & Scenery: Glide through calm back-bay waters and salt marshes, framed by rolling dunes, sandy beaches, and maritime forests. Experience the living, shifting nature of a barrier island — shaped daily by waves, winds, and storms. Hurricanes, nor’easters, and rising seas are part of the island’s story, creating a coastline that’s never the same twice.
Wildlife Encounters: Watch ospreys dive for fish, herons and egrets stalk the marsh, and migratory flocks rest along their Atlantic Flyway journey. Beneath the surface, fish and crabs thrive in the rich marsh channels. Of course, keep your eyes open for the island’s iconic feral horses, grazing freely in the dunes and marshes.
Cultural History: Paddle through waters once traveled by generations of watermen harvesting oysters, clams, and crabs. Hear stories of shipwrecks — more than 200 vessels have met their fate on Assateague’s shifting sandbars, including the legendary 1750 wreck of the Spanish treasure ship La Galga. Learn how the famous Chincoteague ponies became part of the island’s enduring legend, and how storms like the 1962 Ash Wednesday Storm shifted Assateague’s fate from development to preservation as a national seashore.
Special Features: Explore Assateague’s variety of ecosystems — windswept beaches, salt marshes alive with life, maritime forests that shelter deer and songbirds, and hidden freshwater ponds sustaining amphibians and reptiles. Discover how conservation embraces natural change, letting storms and tides shape the island’s future. At sunset, watch the marshes glow gold as the day fades and the island shifts into evening quiet.
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Highlights
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• 2–3 hour guided kayak tour
• Relaxed pace, all skill levels welcome
• Small group size for personal experience
• Ecology, wildlife & cultural history focus
• Sunset tours available seasonally
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What’s Included
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• Kayak, paddle & U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket
• Safety briefing & basic paddling instruction
• Knowledgeable naturalist guide (ACA Certified Coastal Kayak Instructor)
• Small group size for a personal experience
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What to Bring
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• Comfortable clothing (quick-dry preferred)
• Shoes that can get wet (water shoes or sandals with straps recommended)
• Refillable water bottle
• Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
• Bug repellent (especially in summer or evening)
• Small dry bag for phone/camera (optional)
• Light layers for cooler evenings (sunset tours)
