With Isabella Bono-Evans, Documented by Krystle Bono — The brightly hued red and white bands stand tall and on guard within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, its stoic presence on Assateague Island having existed since 1867. The Assateague Light, in all its historical glory, can be seen from so many perspectives on the island, and this week, we were lucky enough to finally get a view from the very top.
Let me just say, this was something not only fun, but meaningful. Isabella has been excited to have the opportunity to get to climb to the top, but she didn’t realize just how excited she was until she saw it up close. It was exhilarating.
The lighthouse trail is accessed through the refuge entrance. (Note: You will need a pass, and they are available at $20 weekly or $40 for the season. It is free if you enter on foot or by bike.) As soon as you are through the refuge gate, it will be the first parking lot to your right. You can park and you will find the entrance to the trail that will take you through the woods and around to the lighthouse. Currently, the lighthouse hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily, through August. September through November, they are open weekends only, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed from noon to 12:30 p.m. for shift changes. Make sure to check the sign at the entrance to the parking lot, as it will give information on current hours of the light for visitors, or call 757-336-3696 for visiting information, as sometimes the lighthouse may be closed due to weather or unsafe conditions. There is no fee to climb, however, donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. They use the donations collected to provide routine maintenance and repairs in order to keep it up and running, as per their sign.
It’s about a 10-minute walk to the light, give or take. We were not in a rush. Okay, well, I wasn’t in a rush, I had to keep telling Bella to stop running and that we didn’t want to be out of breath for that 175-step climb. Yes, 175 steps. We will get to that.
There was a bench right off of the main trail, which led into what looked like a smaller cleared trail, and naturally, Bella tried to talk me into exploring where it went, but we weren’t off-roading into the wilderness–I’ve seen too many scary movies–so we stuck to the obvious path. At the end of the path, which arches up, the trees broke to reveal the 142-foot structure, perched majestically on the hill to overlook the islands. We arrived towards the end of the afternoon hours, so there were people out and about, but not overwhelmingly so. Bella took some time to look through the binoculars that were located on the fence line while I snapped some photos. Upon entering the lighthouse, there is a desk and attendant who greets you, and then you are on to begin your ascent. Here’s where those 175 steps come in. It was tricky going up, as there were people steadily coming back down. There is only one railing on the outer wall, and the steps are pretty narrow, since they wind around. The people coming down took to the rail, so those going up were left towards the middle, smaller part of the step, and I found myself looking down the whole time to try and make sure I didn’t miss one. I think this is how most people make it up, because at the last few steps, there is a sign telling you to look up so you don’t bump your head. Thankfully, there were landings where the windows are, so I stopped there and waited for a group to pass before continuing my ascent. Bella, however, tried to leave me in the dust. I’m really not sure how she got up there so fast without being out of breath, but I sure was trying to keep up with her. Those steps are a great, unintentional leg workout, and if you’re like me chasing after your overly excited child, also your daily cardio.
When we (finally) made it to the top, Bella got a cool sticker reward saying she made it. My reward was weak knees. Holy-height. We stepped out and the view itself about knocked me over, Bella more so the wind. Heights don’t usually bother me unless I feel like something is unsteady. It was a particularly windy day, and the area is not very large, so apparently, my body felt this was unsteady. I stayed on the brick wall the whole time and fussed at Bella to please for the love of horses not lean on the railing. She obliged so I didn’t have a heart attack. She was on cloud nine, though. It was a breathtaking view, and you could see the shoreline from one end to the other. She walked around a few times and tried to spot ponies. Looked over to see the cars coming on the refuge, said she saw the Island Creamery (this was a hint for us to go get ice cream after), and watched the boats skip through the channel. It was really something. We took some photos and a couple videos and then headed back down. It was much easier going down.
The whole experience in itself is one to be had—from the hike to the light, to the climb, to the hike back down. Everything about it was something to be remembered. We are very outdoorsy, adventurous people, and we very much enjoy stopping to take in the “little things” and not to mention––we love a great view, even if it involves a little weak knees! Being able to stop and breathe in the fresh air while basking in the world around you, is something that is very important, in my opinion, to our mental health. There’s something about taking a minute to forget all the chaos of day-to-day life and soak in nature that is good for the soul. We highly recommend taking time to do this excursion to the light, if nothing else on our list, but it is definitely an outing full of physical activity, so it may not be for everyone. We recommend comfortable shoes and clothing, and bug spray to fend off the mosquitos along the way. If you are not capable of making the climb itself, it is still worth seeing the lighthouse up close and personal.
