If it Rains
Rain??? There ain't no rain!! Its sunny blue sky and beautiful here in Ocean City, perfect weather for a beach party!
Last Minute Preparations
I hope everytone is ready and excited for the beach fire! As far as firewood is concerned, I'll be supplying the wood, however, the more wood, the longer and larger the fire will be, so feel free to bring wood if you want.Concerning the fee...there is more than one park that makes up Assateague Island. You WILL NOT have to pay any other fee than the National Park fee in order to attend this event. The other park charges 3 dollars PER PERSON. If you encounter that fee, don't pay it, you're in the wrong park. Once you cross the bridge onto Assateague Island, hang a right, do not go straight, which would take you to the state park.
You will be able to park close to the beach, however you will have to carry your things up a small boardwalk and then over the sand dunes to the beach.
Here’s what it’s all about…
Come on down to Assateague Island and cook up some eats! We’ll be having an oceanfront bonfire that will start at exactly 4:06pm, (not 4:05pm) and last till the last cacher standing (not the last cacher sitting)! This is an event to kick back, relax and share caching stories with other cachers.
What kind of food are we burning?
There are plenty of places to go clamming (bring your own rake) and crabbing. Crabs must measure 5 inches from point to point in order to be kept. Fights with crab mallets will not be tolerated...well, that rule could change. Surf fishing is also allowed in some areas.
If ya have no luck with clamming, fishing or crabbing, ya better have a backup plan, cause you'll need to provide whatever meat you wish to sacrifice over the fire. I also ask that you bring a potluck dish to share with everyone. I will post a list of foods being brought by other cachers as I get responses so everyone can keep track of what is and what is not needed…it would be a great shame to have 20 bottles of mustard and no hotdogs.
There are a couple of picnic tables nearby to the site, and you are also welcome to bring your own grill if you'd rather not cook over the fire.
Alcohol…
...is allowed for this event, and is permitted by the park service, so BYOB and make sure to follow these simple rules provided by the park service:
- Only the persons over the age of 21 are permitted to possess any form of alcoholic beverage, including beers and wines.
- All persons consuming alcohol must carry and be able to present proper legal proof of age.
- Individuals may not consume alcohol to the degree where they may harm themselves, other people or property.
So what’s there to do on Assateague?
For the geocache event, there will be a sand castle contest, cause what would a beach party be without one! You can also bring along any beach sports you would like to play such as volley ball, or horse shoes, and find out what other athletic prowess your fellow cachers have hiding up their sleeves.
There is a large variety of activities available on Assateague for vehicles including biking, and 4 Wheeling.
Feel free to show up early and take advantage of the beach! There are outdoor rinse off showers and indoor changing stalls near the bonfire site, because we don’t want your sandy fingers in our food.
If you own a canoe or kayak, bring it along, or, if you would like to canoe or kayak, there are places to rent them and launch them right on the island. Surfboards, can be rented in nearby Ocean City. Surf fishing is permitted on non guarded beaches and non designated surfing areas, so bring along some mullet and reel us in a big one. No fishing liscense is required, but please do not hook anyone in the forehead, because cacher, Salvelinus, is currently King of that accomplishment and would hate to give up his throne. If ya wanna swim, stay on the guarded beach areas, cause i'm not savin ya!
Bonfires are best after dark, so after you've swallowed enough salt water and planted your face in the sand, chill out and take time to enjoy the blaze on the beach with the stars above.
Camping
Coming from out of town? There is a complete campground right on the National Park premisis. Check it out or give them a call at 410-641-3030 for more details. Please don’t depend on camping next to the cookout fire, the Park staff will not let you have a pajama party after the cookout. Please be aware that there are a variety of campsites through the National Park service, some of which are quite rustic with no available water, make sure you know what you are reserving in full detail.
There is also the Assateague Island State Park Camping area which is different from the National Park camping areas. The state park sites are more expensive, but do provide more facilities. Dogs, cats and especially iguanas are prohibited in the State park. Reservations are recommended and be made at 410-641-2120. Camping on this island is rough, there are no trees for shelter from sun and wind, and the bugs are bad, make sure you are well prepared.
If ya don't camp, you can check out available hotels in West Ocean City, Berlin, & Ocean City for places to stay.
Ponies!
Assateague is famous for its wild ponies! These ponies are pretty from a distance, but when you get too close, they might bite. They eat, and go to the bathroom wayyyy to much, so please don't feed 'em. They aren't invited to the bonfire, all they ever bring along is meadow muffins, and they drink too much scotch. If you are really interested in the ponies, you can get info to sponsor one, from the visitors center.
Caching
Assateague Island is a National Park, so you know what that means… no caches. However, you can check out these caches which are nearby, which can be searched using zip codes 21842 & 21811.
Fees
Yes there is a fee. No one likes fees….grrrrr, but its not too too bad. The park charges ten dollars per vehicle. That is not per person, just per vehicle. So if a family of four is in their car, it costs the whole carload just ten dollars, not forty. This fee will provide a pass for your vehicle for one week.
Recap - what Cachers need to bring Quicklist
- Whatever meat you are cooking on the fire
- Potluck dish or picnic supplies
- BYOB if you wish,
- Tools to build a sand castle,
- Chair and cover like a beach umbrella, there is NO SHADE.
- Sun tan lotion & DEET.
For more information about Assateague Island, check this link.