MO: Assateague (28 miles)

Growing up on Long Island, the beach was a destination year-round -- summer was for swimming but the winter was when you had the sand all to yourself. Discover the delights of the beach in winter with us on Assateague--it is one of the most unique backpacking trips in our region.

This stretch of beach walking is some of the most pristine anywhere, at time veering into an almost meditative quality as you walk along the sand. And, oddly, even though it is essentially flat and a straight line, walking in sand is not exactly easy. You'll find yourself aiming for firm footing, and your feet (and everything else) will be sandy. Best to avoid heavy footwear here.

The plan: We'll meet up at a park and ride east of town and then head out to establish the shuttle at Toms Cove. Then, it's off to the Maryland side at Assateague. We'll get our permits, park, walk to the beach, turn right, and start walking in a straight line down the beach. We'll do splits of about 14 / 14, camping at either Stateline (on the beach side) or Pope Bay (on the bay side).

We need drivers to make this work. If you don't have a car, indicate if you'd be willing to rent one to help with the shuttle/carpool.

Most likely, it will be chilly at night. Average temperatures are around 50 for the day and low 30s at night. If you're not sure what to pack, reach out to me or Michael.

The fine print:

• By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to DC UL's waiver liability terms (https://4142298.xyz/DC-UL-Backpacking/pages/Liability_Waiver/).
• As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile. This trip is ~350 miles roundtrip so anticipate paying $35.