Assateague Island is moving inland at the rate of 10-13 feet a year, causing costly annual rebuilding of the beach parking lots at Tom’s Cove, its most dynamic section where winter storms frequently wash out the low dunes.
To address the problem, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) is building a new beach parking area 2.5 miles further north. Construction begins in April, with completion scheduled for 2026. The current parking lots will remain open until next year.
The $17.7 million project has been a long time in coming. The National Park Service and CNWR have spent $15 million on repairing the existing parking lots at the southern end of Assateague Island over the past few decades, sometimes spending as much as $400,000 a year.
After extensive study, consultation with the Town of Chincoteague and multiple public meetings, the agencies decided that relocating the parking lot to a more stable section of the barrier island would be the best solution, with minimal habitat loss. The new parking area is expected to last about 15 years before dune migration invades. Some townspeople are concerned the new location will lessen the visitor experience by requiring a longer walk from the lot to the beach.
A road and a bike lane will be built from the refuge entrance station northward to the new parking lots. For maps showing the relocation and more details, including the studies, please click here.
Salt Marsh Habitat
CNWR in partnership with Ducks Unlimited also is preparing to restore 30 acres of salt marsh habitat in Assateague Channel. Fill material currently is being trucked onto Assateague Island for placement of a thin layer from the Service Road west to the oyster castles. It then will be graded and planted with grasses to match surrounding marsh elevation. The goal is to restore historical hydrology to marsh habitats, build resiliency and increase habitat for marsh nesting birds, fish, and shellfish.
Further salt marsh restoration projects are planned at Sow Pond, Assateague Meadow and, once the current beach parking lot has closed, at Swan Cover, the refuge said.