A beach burn is an event related to Burning Man - it is a celebration of the spirit of radical self-expression, community, and participation. Beach Burns are typically held several times per year, while Burning Man takes place once a year. Beach burns have happened in Brooklyn, NY, San Francisco, CA, Assateague Island, MD, and probably other places the author of this faq hasn't heard about yet.
Assateague is a barrier island off Maryland's coast. The island is divided into two parks; a state park managed by the State of Maryland, and a National Seashore and Wilderness Area, managed by the National Park Service.
I've heard of Burning Man. What's that all about?
Burning Man is a yearly outdoor arts festival that takes place in the Nevada Desert. It's hard to say exactly what Burning Man's about - it's about the creation of a cohesive, yet temporary community. It's about participation. It's about respect for the earth. Go to their web site to read more about it.
How are Assateague Beach Burns different from Burning Man?
Burning Man takes place on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Assateague Island National Seashore is federally controlled land managed by the National Park Service. Park Rangers are present on the island. Also, Assateague Beach Burns are much smaller than Burning Man; the largest beach burn we've ever had was about 150 people. Beach Burns are also a lot shorter than the Burning Man festival: while Burning Man takes place over the course of a week, Beach Burns are either one or two nights.
Also keep in mind that Assateague is not quite as remote as the Black Rock Desert. There are convenience stores and resturaunts within driving distance. And since this is a park, there will be other people around who aren't with us.
What kinds of things happen at beach burns?
That depends entirely on you, the participant! In the past, people have brought drums, music, art (combustible and non-), games to play, and all kinds of other things. There's always a potluck dinner on Saturday evening; a curious, chaotic free-for-all of food and drink.
See Andy Wing's Assateague Beach Burns page for pictures and a journal of our previous burns.
What does "Leave no Trace" mean?
Burning Man and beach burn participants practice the Leave No Trace ethic. Leave No Trace means that after we've left the site, there is no indication of our ever having been there; we take out every piece of trash we brought in. Nothing is left behind; no excuses. We do not descend on Assateague Island every few months for the purpose of trashing it.
Please read every word of the Leave No Trace outdoor ethic essay. Leave No Trace is of utmost importance to continuing our celebration at Assateague.
That all sounds amazingly cool! Can I go?
Yes. All are welcome. Please note that if you're under 21 you must not consume alcohol. If you're under 18, please have a designated legal adult with you who will take the fall for you if you fuck up, so it doesn't come down on everybody.
As of this writing, the next beach burn is scheduled for April 27-29 2001.
This varies greatly depending on your mode of transportation and where you're coming from. Assateague is pretty remote, and while it pains us to have to say so, the best way to get there is by car. Greyhound does not go Assateague (although it does go to Ocean City, roughly 20 minutes from Assateague), and there is no public transportation to speak of. Assateague is about 4 hours from New York City, Baltimore, and Washington DC, and about 3 hours from Richmond, VA. For directions, I recommend going through Mapquest or Expedia. The address of the park is Assateague Island NS / 7206 National Seashore Lane / Berlin, MD 21811.
The closest major airport is Baltimore-Washington International Airport. There is an airstrip near Ocean City, about 20 minutes away.
Free. Attending the beach burn is free of charge. Every attendee is expected to participate in terms of infrastructure and clean-up -- and of course there are NO SPECTATORS. The park levies a $5 per vehicle fee when you enter the park. The $5 gets you a pass good for re-entry to the park for a whole week. If you go to these things fairly often, you can get a yearly pass for $17.
Donations are accepted. Organizers put up $50 for party permits and as much as $250 for the group camp sites. Bring a little money to contribute to the people who paid out so we could have this event.
There are things you must do if you attend, and then there are things you can do if you're interested in them.
If you attend, you must:
The Park Rangers are amazingly cool about letting us do our thing. For instance, we can have fires as big as we want on the beach. Really! The rangers are not cops. Their main responsibility is to protect the wildlife and habitat of the park. Park Rangers, without exception, have always been courteous, respectful, a nd tolerant of us and our mistakes. However, there are some things we just can't do at Assateague.
Use common sense when dealing with the rangers, and please be nice to them. The y really are a very cool bunch of guys - the last thing they want to have to do is enforce the rules, but they will if we act like a bunch of assholes.
Where do I sleep? On the beach?
Unfortunately, due to park regulations, sleeping on the beach is not permitted between the hours of 10pm and 6am. You must make arrangements to get a camp site, or if there's a group site reserved, you must make arrangements with the point-of-contact managing the group site. We don't always get a group site, because (especially during the summer) they get booked up way way in advance.
Ok, so camping is where it's at. What do I have to do to get a camp site?
At every beach burn we make a concerted effort to get Assateague's group camp spots before they're rented out to other groups; this allows us to accommodate up to 125 people in tents as well as parking for many cars, trucks and buses. For the next beach burn in April, we have reserved all five group camp sites on Saturday night. In order for you and your friends to stay in the group camp site, though, you MUST make a reservation with us by filling out this form. It only takes a few minutes. If you show up expecting to camp with us and you haven't filled out this form first (or had someone from your group fill it out for you) you may be very disappointed to arrive and find you have nowhere to sleep. Fill out the form!
I don't really want to camp with a group of loud people. How do I make a reservation for my own camp site?
If you're the sort who actually likes to sleep at night without being disturbed, or if you'd rather just have your own space (camping with 100 of your best friends can be very overwhelming) you don't have to camp with the big group; you can reserve your own camp space with the park. It's a much more relaxing way to spend the weekend, and you don't really miss any action; the event happens on the beach, not at the camp site.
If you prefer make your own arrangements for camping, you do not need to fill out this form. If you're camping in your own space, visit the Assateague Island National Seashore camping information page. From there you can follow a link to the National Park Service Reservation Center to make a reservation online, or you can call their toll-free number at 1-800-365-CAMP.
They have several different types of camp sites; the drive-in ocean side sites are usually the first to get booked up. If you reserve a walk-in site, you must sleep in a tent. If you plan to sleep in a vehicle, camper, RV, etc., you must reserve a drive-in site.
If you can't get onto NPS's web site, call the campground reservations hotline at 1-800-365-2267.
What's the deal with the group camp sites anyway?
The deal is that up to 25 people may camp in a group site. Assateague Island National Seashore has five group camp sites available.
Group camp sites cost $25 per night. Donations are not actively solicited from people who camp in the sites, but are more than welcome. Talk to your point-of-contact about who to send money to.
If there's a group camp site for the event and it's full, don't worry about it. Most of the action happens at the beach party site, not in camp. You won't miss anything.
Help! I just called Biospherics and the entire camp ground is booked up! What should I do?
Don't panic. There are alternatives. First, call Assateague Island State Park, which is just down the beach (maybe 100 yards) from the beach burn party site. Camp sites there are $20/night, call (410)641-2120 for information. If they're also full, call the Chincoteague hotline (757)336-6161 for commercial camping info (Chincoteague is another island south of Assateague), or try calling Frontier Town (800)228-5590, a commercial camp ground on the mainland about three miles from the National Park.
What are the options regarding camping in the area? What kinds of amenities do the different campgrounds have?
Assateague Island National Seashore is total backcountry camping. There are pit toilets scattered around and cold showers in the beach bath house and in several other locations. If you have an RV there are sewer and water hookups at the park, but not at each drive-in camp site. If you have specific questions about park amenities, call the ranger station at (410)641-1441.
Assateague Island State Park is a little more "civilized". Each camping area has a bath house with hot showers and real toilets. RV hookups are also available there. Call 410-641-2120 for specific information.
Frontier Town has a wide range of facilities, including trailer rental, RV hookups, etc. Call (800)228-5590 for information.
Ick. I hate camping. Isn't there a hotel I can stay in?
Not on the island, but there are hotels in Ocean City and the surrounding area. The closest hotel is probably 10 minutes from the island. Call the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce (800)OC-OCEAN for hotel reservations and advice on where to stay. Make your reservations early, though! Especially during hte summer season, hotels fill up way in advance. If you want to stay in a hotel call at least two to three weeks before you plan to stay.
All righty! Now we've gotten the sleepover parts of the process explained and I understand them fully, what's this Assateague place like, anyway?
Assateague is a beautiful barrier island inhabited by wild horses and wilder mosquitoes. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, to the west by Chincoteague Bay. The rangers coordinate all kinds of events and informational talks, and there are some great surfaces for bike riding, hiking, roller blading and all that recreational stuff. The bay is great for canoeing, fishing, crabbing, clam digging and oyster raking.
Hold on a sec; you said something about wild horses. I love horses! I want to pet and feed them! They're so cute!
Whoa there nessie! Feeding the horses is a BIG no-no! Don't get too close to them either, they do bite and kick like the sign says. Plus it gives them the idea that relying on humans for food is okay, which leads to bad situations sometimes.
No, really. And in camp, when you're finished eating, you have to put all of your food away; don't leave any of it out. More than once, ponies have trashed campsites trying to get at people's food. Inside a tent isn't good enough..it has to be in a cooler with a latch or in an automobile.
This does happen, and if you leave your food out in camp you may find that another, more conscientious camper has thrown it away for you, which is bad because
I hear the official bird of Assateague is the mosquito. I'll be sure to have my skin-so-soft on hand!
Oh no you don't! That wimpy stuff your local Avon lady sells is no match against these hardcore blood suckers! You need some real bug repellent, and woe to those who don't have it! Get the very strongest kinds you can find in three of the most hardcore outdoors stores you can find, and wear all three of them! The bugs are nasty.
The threat of lyme disease is also very real on the island. Ticks are everywhere, especially on the deer and the horses. Bring bug repellent and use it for your own health and safety.
Okay. I've read all that, and I understand what I have to do in order to have a place to stay, I promise not to feed the ponies, and I will drench myself in DEET before getting out of my car. What other hazards await me on the island? How's the weather out there?
The third biggest concern is the weather. The campsite will easily be ten degrees cooler than the temperature on the mainland, and the temperature on the beach can be ten degrees cooler than *that*. If it's sixty degrees in New York City, chances are it's between forty and fifty out on the beach. Bring clothes you think will keep you too warm, and you'll probably be just a little bit too cold. Hats, gloves, and rain gear are all safe bets.
Also, it's a good idea to have a contingency plan for heavy rain or high winds, both of which are very common and can arrive without warning. Will your tent withstand 60 mph gusts sustained for two hours or longer? What happens if it starts raining and your tent is suddenly flooded? Practice building and tearing your tent down with your tent mates so you can do it quickly and efficiently should the need arise. Also bear in mind that you're camping on sand, which isn't great if you've got wimpy tent stakes. You want Los Tent Stakes Mas Macho for this trip.
Now, what should I bring with me?
Just like at Burning Man, you are required to bring what you need to survive. This includes:
In addition to the basics of life, you'll want to bring things that you enjoy and can be enjoyed by others. This includes:
You mentioned a pot luck dinner earlier. What do I need for that?
Bring whatever tickles your fancy, whatever you specialize in. Bring your mom's lasagne. Bring some littleneck clams and a steamer. Or bring a bar-b-que and some steaks. Bring a large salad adorned with exotic vegetables. Whatever you'd be pleased to walk around with offering people. Sharing food is a wonderful way to meet people.
In terms of cooking tools, grills, etc, when in doubt, bring your own. Many people bring grills and charcoal, and will be happy to share grill space. If you've got dietary restrictions, though, you might want to bring your own. If you're a meat-eating person, you may find out that the only grills available are vegetarian only! Or vice versa. The best way to ensure that your bases are covered is to cover your bases, dig?
And don't even think about leaving your half-eaten food lying around in camp or on the beach. When you're finished cooking, put all of your food away and wash all of your dishes. No exceptions, no breaks, no wiggle room. This is important.
I've got an idea for something I'd like to do at the beach burn, but it's not something I can do on my own. How can I get in touch with other beach burners to get some collaboration on my project?
The best way is to get onto the Baltwash-Burning e-mail mailing list, and ask! Be advised that list traffic can get pretty high. List volume fluctuates between 15 and 1000 e-mail messages in a month. If you'd really rather not subscribe, contact our art coordinator The Reverend DPD at samurai@netcult.org
I'm a DJ, and I'd love to perform at your event. Do you have turntables, a sound system, power?
Contact DJ Monke if you'd like to spin at the beach burn. He's the man with the turntables and has volunteered to answer questions from DJs. Remove 'spammerssuck' from the to: header to send him the e-mail! top
Boy, am I ever confused! I've got more questions! Who do I contact for the answers?
I don't think you read the FAQ all the way through. Read it again. Read the whole thing. I mean it. None of this information is optional.
No, really, I read the whole thing. Please, I have some serious questions. Who do I ask?
Send an e-mail to the FAQ author: K.M. Ellis (protozoa@tux.org) top