How long is the chincoteague pony swim

The Service Road is located off of the "Wildlife Loop" trail. The Wildlife Loop parking lot is the first left after entering Assateague Island. Entering the Wildlife Loop trail hang a left, so that you are traversing the loop clockwise. After about 0. From there stay on the Service Road for another 2. Bicycles are allowed on the Wildlife Loop and first mile of the Service Road.

Special bus tours are sometimes offered to go the Northern Corral after the roundup. If bus tours to the North Corral are offered, passengers are usually able to get off the bus to view and photograph the ponies in the corral.

Space is limited and tickets sell out quickly. Call to inquire about the availability of bus tours to the North Corral. On Monday, at day break, the Saltwater Cowboys will move the ponies from the Northern Corral out to the beachfront then south along the Atlantic Ocean, and join them with the ponies in the Southern Corral.

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge will open at am on this day. To view the Ponies walk down the beach we recommend driving to the beachfront and parking in the recreational beach parking area. Bring snacks, water, bug spray and cameras to enjoy this special event.

All of the Ponies will be checked by a vet and can be viewed by the public in the Southern Corral on Assateague. The Ponies will swim across the Assateague Channel and come ashore on the east side of Chincoteague Island. A large screen will be located in Veterans Memorial Park with a live feed of the swim. You will be able to see the swim on the screen. No seating is provided. This is the best way to get to and from the Pony Swim.

A number of volunteers from around the country return year after year to help with the roundup. The auction runs from approximately 8am until Noon on the Thursday following Wednesday's swim. A: All you have to do is raise your hand! You do not need to register for a number, like at regular auctions. There are bid spotters at the auction who will signal your bid to the auctioneer.

Be aware that the only forms of payment accepted are cash, Visa, and Mastercard. Personal checks are NOT accepted. You also must provide appropriate transportation to get your new foal to its home. It can get really hot, so a hat is also recommended.

A: The pony committee is very careful to only separate foals from their mothers at the appropriate age, when they can eat solid food and would begin to be pushed away from nursing naturally around 3 months. Any foals younger than this are kept at the carnival grounds with their mothers until the Fall Roundup, when the buyer can come pick up their foal. Q: I wanted to purchase a pony at the auction, but got outbid. Do I have any other options? A: The Chincoteague Pony Farm usually has a few foals or yearlings for sale for very reasonable prices.

You can visit their website at www. A: Check out the Pony Swim Guide for day by day details. Q: When do the ponies swim? After watching the pony swim, visitors can attend the Chincoteague Carnival. An auction takes place before the ponies swim back to Assateague Island.

The Wild Pony Swim is visited by over 40, excited spectators. They watch approximately Assateague Ponies make the historic swim. Since Marguerite Henry's famous children's novel " Misty of Chincoteague ," millions of visitors with an interest in wild ponies and other wildlife travel to Chincoteague and Assateague to see the islands that Misty and the other wild ponies have made famous. They attended the pony swim event and purchased an Assateague wild pony they referred to as "Misty". The children raised money to buy Misty by harvesting clams, which is still a source of income for some Chincoteague residents today.

Misty was unique in that she had the markings on her side of a map of the United States. A Hollywood movie called " Misty " was made which featured the Chincoteague Pony Swim and many residents of Chincoteague Island that appeared in the movie. Many of the Chincoteague local firemen that "round up" the wild ponies for the Pony Swim, have participated in the event most of their lives.

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Dept. As the herd grew, the U. Fish and Wildlife Service allowed them to pasture the ponies in the newly formed Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

However, only ponies are allowed to live inside the refuge. So Pony Penning, through the pony auction, helps to manage the size of the herd. Now, private livestock owners no longer bring their ponies to the auction and the event is used as a fundraiser for the fire company.

Whether you want to stay on Chincoteague for the whole week or you just want to witness the pony swim you'll need to do some prep work. Here are a few handy tips: Book Early If you wait until the last minute to book a room for Pony Penning you could easily spend hours calling hotels on the island only to find yourself with no place to stay. Book early and give yourself some peace of mind. Getting Around Parking is a hassle during the pony swim and auction to say the least, so hitch a ride on the Pony Swim shuttle.

If you're coming to the island just for the day you can park at The Chincoteague Center and hop on the shuttle. If you're staying on the island just pick up the shuttle along its route. Have a Plan If you're traveling with a group during Pony Swim make a plan of where you'll meet if you get separated.

With all the people live streaming, Tweeting and texting cell service can get a little jammed on swim day. Put together a plan in case you can't get ahold of each other.

Pony swim is the most important day of the year on Chincoteague. Media and visitors flood the island from all over the world and islanders flock to the festivities so things can get a little chaotic, but with a little planning and some inside knowledge you can navigate the pony swim with ease. The shuttle will drop you off right at the park and you'll be able to watch a live feed of the swim on a large screen.

Seating isn't provided so bring a chair. If you want a front row seat for the pony swim head to Swim Lane where the ponies come ashore. You'll have to take the shuttle to Memorial Park and then walk over to Swim Lane. You'll need to be an early bird because crowds start staking out spots in the marsh and around the dock at Swim Lane hours in advance, the pony swim shuttle starts running at 4 a.

Space is limited at Swim Lane and seating isn't provided so bring a chair and get there early. You can also see the ponies make their way from Swim Lane to the carnival grounds by staking out a spot along the parade route. The pony parade starts about 45 minutes after the swim, but again crowds form early.

From the Water The best view of the pony swim is from the water so if you want to see all the action book a spot on a charter boat. Seats are in very high demands so plan on booking several months in advance.

No matter where you watch the pony swim, there are a few key things that will make your day more comfortable. The most important is water. Pony Swim is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay hydrated.

If you're watching from land, a crucial second item is a chair.