Federal and State Sides of Assateague Island

Federal Side of the Island is best at high tides, and is two miles south of State. The Federal Side ("Fed-Side" common called) has better beaches for wave riding and decent amounts of slope depending on where you go. Shore break ranges 2-4 feet regular days. It also gets better in hurricane season before and after the hurricane comes. The beach turns 5-7 foot barrels and walls of s-break in "canes". All waves are easy to ride. Facilities are all cold showers, dressing rooms, three parking lots (w/one overflow p-lot), foot spickets, and bathrooms. The Island's handicap accessible both State and Fed sides. There's Fees to get in the Island on Fed Side. It's around 5 dollars a day, 7 dollars a week, then there's Yearly passes for 15 dollars, and 2 years for 30, and also the senior citizen discounts and passes. They charge vehicle admittance and not every person inside.

The State Park (State-Side) beach area's really just for sand skimming NOT wave riding. Waves run 2 feet tall and under. It's ideal sand skimming at low tide. The waves blanket the low lying beach with water and DOESN'T recede quickly, same way Fed-Side. State-Side is a more expensive, charging by the head and more expensive on passes (a couple more dollars than Fed-Side) and other such items. They house a gift shop, concession stand, and drink machines. The facilities are all the same but bigger and have HOT showers. All facilities are enclosed despite the 6 outside showers. The parking lot is just one very large one. There's a overflow p-lot on the other side of the bridge about a mile away. The State-Side beach is often crowded and not as good to skim when crowded since the beach goers crowd the numerous flat sand skimming spots. There is NO REAL reason to skim State-Side unless you can rock a sander and have a boatload a cash.

Both ends are accessible by car, bike, skateboard, and on foot. There's a fee though to enter the Fed-Side park by bike/board/foot and go throughout it, it's 7 dollars for an all week pass per person. There's an Off Road Vehicle Zone (ORV-Zone) its been said to have quite a few awesome secret spots. I haven't gone down to the ORV in a year but if you will email me I will get you info on how it is. As a fellow skimmer FED-SIDE is BEST! At both parks stay to the OUTSIDE of the yellow marker flags, or just follow the surfer in front of you.

Directions

From the Chesapeake Bay Bridge linking the Western Shore of MD to the Eastern Shore (where Assateague is) you would take Route the east route 50 from Washington, DC (over the Bay Bridge) all the way to Salisbury, MD. From Salisbury follow east 50 to Berlin, MD take the East 611 turn off and follow the signs heading toward Assateague and don't stop until you get over the bridge with the bike/pedestrian bridge next to it. Turn left to got Fed, stay straight to go State once over the bridge. Or call the State Parks or Federal Parks Ranger Station for added directions.

If you have any more questions email me at the following addresses: jlthomas@gateway.net (or) jlthomas4@yahoo.com

Ocean City

Ocean City is great because it has a slope going down to the water to give you more speed and the waters are usually producing moderate size waves.  The northern side of Ocean City is best for skimboarding because it is far from the boardwalk so there are far less people. 

From Salisbury: Start out going Southeast on MITCHELL ST toward W VINE ST. <0.1 miles  2:  Turn LEFT onto W VINE ST. 0.1 miles 3:  Turn LEFT onto US-13 BR/S SALISBURY BLVD/OCEAN HWY. 0.3 miles  4:  Turn RIGHT onto MD-12. 0.1 miles  5:  Stay straight to go onto E MAIN ST. 0.6 miles 6:  Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto US-50 BR E. 2.8 miles  7:  US-50 BR E becomes US-50 E/OCEAN GTWY. 25.3 miles 8:  Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto N DIVISION ST. <0.1 miles  9:  Turn LEFT onto BALTIMORE AVE. 0.3 miles 10:  Turn LEFT onto 5TH ST. <0.1 miles  11:  Turn LEFT onto N PHILADELPHIA AVE/MD-528 S. <0.1 miles  12:  End at Ocean City MD

Submitted by: packsfan118@aol.com