BERLIN, Md.-The Assateague Island National Seashore has announced that construction is complete, and the Life of the Marsh Trail and the Life of the Forest Trail are now open.
Construction on these trails has been in progress since the fall in an effort to make them more accessible to all visitors, to improve the overall visitor experience on the trails and to increase the lifetime of the trails.
Accessibility features have been improved to allow a better experience for visitors using wheelchairs, guide canes or other mobility resources. Sight lines for children have also been improved with viewshed overlook opportunities. Two major additions are amphitheater style seating areas on both trails, and the replacement of the stairs leading to the beach on the Marsh trail with a ramp.
Improvements are also underway on the Life of the Dunes Trail-it is not anticipated that this work will result in any closures. The parks says these projects were funded by park entrance and pass fees. 80% of all revenue from Assateague Island National Park Entrance fees or the local sales of the various Federal Interagency Passes stays right here in the park to fund this type of visitor related project. The other 20% goes into a fund which can be used by parks with no entrance fee or very low fee revenues. Examples of projects funded in the last year are the new boardwalk at the Maryland Visitor Center, renovation of the Old Ferry Landing area, renovation of Well #1 on the island, design of a new freshwater distribution system for the island, and replacement of the entrance sign at the visitor center.
Visitors are reminded that pets, bicycles, skateboards, hoverboards and roller skates are not allowed on park trails. This is a safety regulation due to the confined space on the trails, combined with the high volume of visitors often using the trails at the same time.