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Virginia

Island Adventure: Discover Chincoteague and Assateague Islands

Program No. 10545RJ

Get an insider’s perspective on Chincoteague and Assateague, where you’ll enjoy nature, attend cultural performances, search for wild ponies and wildlife and sample local cuisine.

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National Parks Regional Studies

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4 days

3 nights

8 meals

3B 2L 3D

Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation, Lecture

Chincoteague Island, VA

Explore the Beach, Island Cruise, Museum of CI

Chincoteague Island, VA

Pony History, Beebe Ranch, Wildlife Art, Local Music

Chincoteague Island, VA

Local Aquaculture, Program Concludes

Chincoteague Island, VA

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At a Glance

Come for a taste of barrier island life! Tucked away on the Eastern Shore of Virginia is one of the most special places on the East Coast, evoking visions of unspoiled coastal island charm and serving as the gateway to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the second most visited wildlife refuge in the U.S. Enjoy a small plates dinner featuring historic island recipes that are paired with wine while sitting with views of the water. Listen as a local artist explains how our spectacular vistas and beautiful wildlife inspire her, and observe her technique as she creates a waterfowl painting as she speaks. Learn about the island’s rich history as you explore the exhibits at the Museum of Chincoteague Island.

Activity Level

Easy Going

Walking a total of up to 2 miles per day, getting on and off a school bus, boarding and exiting a pontoon boat. All of Chincoteague and most of Assateague are flat terrain.

Best of all, you’ll…

Walk a short distance on the 37-mile-long beach on Assateague Island — the longest undeveloped beach in the mid-Atlantic — accompanied by an expert who teaches you about dune ecology and the natural forces that constantly reshape the island.
Learn how these islands inspire the arts as you enjoy a painting demonstration from an award-winning wildlife artist, and an evening performance by local musicians who teach you sea shanties, old and new.
Explore restricted sections of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in search of ponies, Sika elk, waterfowl and migratory birds and learn about the island’s aquaculture industry while cruising local waters.

General Notes

You may be interested in a five-night version of this program, "Chincoteague: Lighthouses, Wild Ponies and Pirates" (#2005).

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Nancy Richards West

Nancy Richards West has lived on Chincoteague Island for three decades, using this picturesque setting as inspiration for her paintings. The first resident artist chosen by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the thrill of painting en plein air often lures her out of the studio and into the field, where she captures the effects of changing light, weather and seasons. Nancy has extensive training in classical drawing and color theory, and her delicate treatment of oils is subtly elegant. Her work has won numerous awards and honors, including the Ward Foundation’s top award for painting, and she represented the Commonwealth of Virginia at the White House Easter Festivities in 1996. Nancy received her B.A. with high honors in fine arts from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.. Nancy has been sharing her artistic talents on Road Scholar programs with the Museum of Chincoteague Island for almost 20 years.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Nancy Richards West View biography

Beth Scheeley View biography

Beth Scheeley was born and raised on Chincoteague Island. She has many family ties to the island, which makes her a true "teaguer." Beth has an extensive knowledge for Chincoteague's history. Her childhood memories of Chincoteague's past looks, restaurants and people will call for endless conversations and stories during your time with her. Her go-getter personality and friendliness will surely make you feel right at home on Chincoteague Island.

Darcy Cole View biography

Darcy has lived on the island for over 15 years. In her early encounters with the wild horses of Assateague, she became fascinated with the idea that each horse had a name and a personality. In those 15 years, she has become a regional expert on the horses, publishing books on the horses and conducting workshops and talks related to the horses. In addition to her many lectures at the Museum of Chincoteague, Darcy serves as a Team Leader on the two annual Service Projects.

Suggested Reading List (5 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Island Adventure: Discover Chincoteague and Assateague Islands

Program Number: 10545

The Watermen and Wild Ponies: A Chincoteague Waterman Remembers Life on Chincoteague and Assateague

by Robert H. Mears

Share the experiences of surviving on Chincoteague and Assateague from the people who have lived them. In 1912, Chincoteague was emerging as a thriving seaside community. It was the only outside contact for the small village on Assateague Island. The watermen were tough and courageous. They worked long days dredging oysters or tonging clams and return to the island to cull their catch for shucking. They labored building large ocean "pound" traps to catch a wide variety of fish from their local waters. The seafood industry was the focal point of the island economy. Mother Nature played her part in making life hard on the islands. The hurricanes and floods could be brutal. The relentless changing ocean currents and tidal surges threatened the fragile island home of the famous wild ponies. The great fires of the 1920s were devastating to the community on Chincoteague. Yet the people rebuilt from the ashes each time with new hope. The creation of the causeway to the mainland and the building of the bridge to Assateague Island were massive undertakings for these persevering people. They are what makes Chincoteague and Assateague unique. This is their story. The isolation, the struggles, their compassion and courage as told by a Chincoteague waterman. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Slave and Free on Virginia's Eastern Shore

by Kirk Mariner

The Eastern Shore of Virginia has been home to English-Speaking people for almost four hundred years, and for more than half that time it was legal for some of its residents to own other residents who live on the peninsula with them, to buy and sell, use and abuse them for their own purposes and profit. What was it like to live in that day when human bondage was accepted, its mindset and practices firmly embedded in the everyday affairs of ordinary people? Solidly researched, Slave and Free is a good place to begin the study that no one wants to talk about. It will be found accessible and readable by both the scholar and the general reader; as well as by all who know and love Virginia's Eastern Shore. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Once Upon an Island: The History of Chincoteague

by Kirk Mariner

Settled for more than 300 years, surrounded by waters which have for centuries provided both livelihood and recreation, known for ponies and wildfowl, seafood and seashore, "old salts" and decoys. Chincoteague Island, Virginia is both colorful and storied. And never until now has its complete history been told. This book chronicles the often surprising story of a place named for Native Americans who never really lived there, settled not by fishermen but by cattlemen, so individual that it refused to follow the rest of the state into the Confederacy during the Civil War. Here is a full account of how the famous pony penning came to be, of the boom and bust of the seafood industry, and of a hardy people who survived fire, flood and isolation to build a community that has now been visited by millions. It is the story not of one island but of several - Chincoteague, Assateague, Wallops, and of their interplay with both the nearby Eastern Shore and with more distant places familiar to islander who "went to sea" at an early age. Once Upon an Island is both good, sound history and a "fun read" for anyone who is fascinated by colorful, celebrated Chincoteague Island. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Misty of Chincoteague

by Marguerite Henry

A Newberry Honor book, for children 8 - 12 years old. This is the story of Paul and Maureen Beebe and their quest to buy the elusive Phantom, a wild Chincoteague pony. On Pony Penning Day, they not only bring in the Phantom, but also her colt, Misty. It is a wonderful heart-warming tale of the efforts of two children to achieve their dream. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

Chincoteague and Assateague Islands (MD and VA) (images of America)

by Nan Devincent-Hays

This book provides a short pictorial and narrative description of these two barrier islands, their history and relationship. One is a small town community catering to thousands of tourists who come almost year-round to enjoy the beach and view the wildlife on the other. Available in the Museum gift shop in person or online at www.chincoteaguemuseum.com

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Island Adventure: Discover Chincoteague and Assateague Islands

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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