Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh and forest, with as many as 320 different kinds of birds either living here or dropping by each year. You'll also find a few famous ponies wandering around. Chincoteague NWR is located on Assteague Island and the surrounding waters. It gets well over 1 million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular refuges in the United States.