Chincoteague Island

Chincoteague is the inhabited island; the ponies and the beach are on Assateague next to it, in a national wildlife refuge. The Virginia herd is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which has run the pony swim since 1925: at slack tide in late July the ponies are driven across the channel, walked to the carnival grounds, and the foals auctioned - a system that both funds the fire company and caps the herd at what the marsh can support, which is the point. Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel Misty of Chincoteague made it internationally known. The refuge is a major stopover on the Atlantic flyway with large numbers of snow geese and shorebirds in migration.

What you actually see

• The July pony swim - crossing at slack tide, foals auctioned after.
• A herd capped by the auction - which is the management purpose.
• A major flyway stopover - snow geese and shorebirds in migration.
• Assateague's beach - reached through the refuge.

When to go

April to October; the pony swim is late July. A full day.

Honest expectations

Pony swim week fills the island entirely and accommodation books a year ahead. Mosquitoes and biting flies are severe in summer. Storms and overwash close the refuge beach. The ponies are wild and injure people who approach.

Nearby

Assateague is across the channel; Ocean City is north in Maryland.