Despite being located just a few hours from some of the nation's largest

metropolitan centers, Assateague Island National Seashore feels as though it's a world away from anything resembling

hustle and bustle.

The beaches sweep almost endlessly across the horizon, making the sand and waves seem to stretch

from infinity and back again, rather than just across two states.

Home to only flocks of seabirds and the States.

Home to only flocks of seabirds and the famed wild horses that have lived among the dunes and wetlands

since the 1600s.

A trip to Assatee is a trip back to what President Lyndon Johnson called a glimpse of the world as God really made it.

But like so many other national parks, this glance back to the time before mankind was nearly lost.

Assateague Island was ultimately saved from development by the hard work of dedicated preservationists who recognized its value

and worked for years to preserve it for future generations, which is a common story among

many of our national parks, but unlike other parks, the creation of

Assateague wasn't just the result of grassroots advocates, visionary legislature, or intrepid newspaper reports.

These were all of course key, but they had a major force boosting their agenda, a force

so destructive and so powerful that the developers and moneyed interests had no choice but

to acquiesce and make room for our nation's third national seashore. I'm Jason Epperson.

This is the America's National Parks Podcast.

And today, the story of how Assateague Island National Seashore,

the crown jewel of the Atlantic Coast, was forged by the most destructive

hurricane of the 20th century.

With over 4 million knights booked and thousands of five-star reviews from happy campers,

...