Deep Creek Lake · Maryland
From lake adventures and mountain trails to cozy breweries and family fun, every season offers something minutes from your door.
Deep Creek Lake is Maryland's largest inland body of water, ringed by the Allegheny Mountains. Most of what follows is within a 30-minute drive of the chalet, and your dock slip puts you on the water all summer. We check every listing against the business's own site or a dated source, and cards note seasonal hours and closures where a place has them.
34 listings6 categoriesAll four seasonsChecked September 2026
Figures from Maryland DNR: fisheries and lake management.
Over 1,800 acres on Meadow Mountain, on the lake's east side: two swimming beaches, a public boat launch, hiking trails, and the free Discovery Center. In summer, Wisp rents kayaks and paddleboards at the beach and runs narrated pontoon tours from the park.
Beach, rentals and pontoon tours run in summer. A per-person day-use fee applies Memorial Day to Labor Day and a per-vehicle fee the rest of the year. From December 15 to March 15 the main gate is closed for snowmobile season; park at the Discovery Center.
3,900 acres, 65 to 69 miles of shoreline, and a dock slip available Memorial Day–Labor Day. Bass, walleye, yellow perch and northern pike make the lake a year-round fishing draw.
Muddy Creek Falls, at 53 feet Maryland's highest free-falling waterfall, is one of four falls on the 1.25-mile Canyon Trail through old-growth hemlock. Go in any season.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekend and holiday visits need a day-use reservation (parkdayuse.maryland.gov), and pets are not allowed anywhere in the day-use area, including the Canyon Trail, in that season.
A quieter 53-acre lake with a sandy beach, 12 miles of trails, canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals in summer, and groomed cross-country ski routes when there is natural snow.
Boat rentals run Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The least crowded of the parks, at the head of the Savage River Reservoir: fishing, forest hiking on the Monroe Run Trail, and strong fall color.
Big Run Road is scheduled to close near Savage River Road for up to four months from May 2027.
A 13-acre forest lake inside Savage River State Forest, with swimming and summer boat rentals, and cross-country ski trails in a snowy winter. There is no cell service.
Construction in 2026 and 2027 closes some cabins, campsites and pavilions at times; check the park page before you go.
Pontoon and jet ski rentals, one-hour narrated pontoon tours, and a captain for hire if nobody in the group wants to drive.
Summer season. Jet ski drivers must be 16 or older, and jet skis may not run on Deep Creek Lake from 11 to 4 on Memorial Day weekend or on weekends and holidays from July 1 through Labor Day.
Pontoons for up to 15 people, plus kayaks and paddleboards, from the marina on Glendale Road. A group of 20 fits in two of the 15-person pontoons.
Seasonal, spring through fall.
Maryland's only ski resort: 33 runs, a terrain park, and a snow-tubing park that needs reservations (riders 4 and up, at least 42 inches tall). The rest of the year its Mountain Park runs a scenic chairlift, canopy tour, ropes courses, mini golf, disc golf and archery, and Wisp runs the Lodestone and Fantasy Valley golf courses.
The mountain coaster is closed for maintenance until further notice (checked September 2026). The Mountain Park runs weekends only in the fall. Fantasy Valley's 2026 golf season ended September 16; Lodestone plays through October 25.
Groomed trails at Herrington Manor and New Germany when there is natural snow (the parks make none), and backcountry routes in the Potomac-Garrett and Savage River state forests. Rentals at High Mountain Sports.
Only after a real snowfall; check trail conditions before you drive.
A covered, unheated outdoor rink in Grantsville Town Park with public skating and skate rentals. Dress warmly.
Open roughly November through February.
Eighteen holes three minutes from the chalet, semi-private with public tee times, and close enough for a round before dinner.
Seasonal, weather permitting.
Wisp's 18-hole mountain course, with views of Deep Creek Lake.
The 2026 season ends October 25.
A public 18-hole course in Oakland, established in 1937, with a driving range and the Caddyshack Bar + Grill.
Seasonal.
A Swanton country store on Glendale Road, open since October 2025: everyday essentials, beer and wine, firewood, live bait and tackle. Stock up before a night in.
Upscale lakeside steaks, seafood and pasta, with boat slips if you arrive by water and a private lower level for a group dinner of 20 or more.
Rustic steakhouse, hearty portions, mountain-lodge feel. Call well ahead for a big group in peak season.
The Deep Creek taproom of a West Virginia brewery, with rotating taps plus canned wine and seltzers in a laid-back room. There is no kitchen, but outside food is welcome, so bring takeout from a nearby restaurant.
Family-friendly pub of a West Virginia brewery, with a real food menu, a kids menu and house-made root beer, plus weekly team trivia and Sunday bingo. Summer outdoor seating.
A farm winery off Sand Flat Road that opened in 2025: wine flights, fire pits, a big indoor fireplace, and outdoor live music on summer and fall weekends.
Open daily from noon; the outdoor music runs through October.
Award-winning Garrett County goat cheese at the market and cheese bar in Accident, with provisions for a charcuterie night back at the house.
Hours change with the season and winter days are limited; check the FireFly Farms site before you drive.
Homemade ice cream on the lake, with docking if you come by boat. A second shop, Lakeside Creamery North, opened in McHenry in 2025.
Closes for the season after Autumn Glory weekend in October (October 11 in 2026) and reopens the last weekend of April.
Coffee and pastries baked in house, with lake access for boaters. A morning stop before the water or the trails.
A lake-area grocery and deli for essentials, open early and late, and quicker than the supermarket run.
Free (donations welcome): birds of prey, aquariums, reptiles and naturalist programs designed with younger visitors in mind.
Weekend hours after Labor Day; check before you go.
Formerly Smiley's: two go-kart tracks, laser tag, bumper boats, mini golf, an arcade, a kids ninja course, and a restaurant with a full bar.
Open all year, Thursday to Sunday outside summer. The go-karts, bumper boats, mini golf and ninja course are outdoors and run in season and in good weather; in winter, plan on laser tag, the arcade and the restaurant.
Go-karts, mini golf, bumper cars, a carousel and an arcade on Route 219. Hours of kid (and adult) entertainment.
Open all year: daily in summer, then Friday to Sunday from September through May, with the outdoor rides weather permitting; call ahead.
Treetop course of zip lines, rope bridges and climbing challenges, with a Mini-Monkey course for ages 4 to 7. A solid half-day.
Seasonal, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day, with weekend-only hours at either end; call before you go outside summer.
Souvenir and apparel shop on Route 219 for Deep Creek gear, toys and gifts to take home.
Watch glassblowers at work from the catwalk above the factory floor, then browse the factory store.
Glassblowing can be watched daily from 10 am to 2 pm; the store is open until 4 (5 on Fridays and Saturdays).
Naturalist-led kayak tours on the Savage River Reservoir, where gas motors are banned (up to 16 people), birds-of-prey programs and winter snowshoe hikes. The office is in Friendsville; they give the launch point when you book.
Kayak tours run in the warm months.
Youghiogheny River trips from Friendsville, from a gentle float that takes children as young as 2 to the Class IV and V Upper Yough on dam-release days.
Seasonal.
Guided mountain trail rides for riders 10 and up, plus off-road farm tours younger kids can join. Reservations required.
Trail rides run April through November.
Trail rides through orchards and woods, and a private evening hayride to your own bonfire, which suits a big group.
Private hayrides run on summer and fall evenings with 48 hours' notice; trail rides, and sleigh rides when there is snow, are by reservation and weather permitting.
Checked September 2026
Older guides and search answers still send people to some of these. Here is what closed, what was renamed and what is new, with a source wherever there is a stable one.
Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) whitewater course at Wisp
Wisp announced on March 18, 2026 that it will not operate the mountaintop whitewater course in 2026; the county owns it and has named no new operator. Raft the Youghiogheny from Friendsville instead. Source for Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) whitewater course at Wisp (closed), opens in a new tab
Wisp Mountain Coaster
Closed for maintenance until further notice, per Wisp (checked September 2026). Source for Wisp Mountain Coaster (closed for now), opens in a new tab
Deep Creek Axe Throwing
Closed in spring 2026, per its operator's notice; no other axe-throwing venue operates in Garrett County. Source for Deep Creek Axe Throwing (closed), opens in a new tab
Deep Creek Lavender Farm
Closed to the public; the owners retired and only the online store remains. Source for Deep Creek Lavender Farm (closed), opens in a new tab
Fireside Deli & Wine Shop, later The Wine Cellar at Deep Creek
Gone; its Glendale Road building reopened in October 2025 as Lake & Lure Country Store. Source for Fireside Deli & Wine Shop, later The Wine Cellar at Deep Creek (closed), opens in a new tab
Deep Creek Cellars
The winery's tasting room is closed, and its old web address now redirects to an unrelated site, so ignore old links to it. Blackthorne Cellars opened near the lake in 2025.
Wisp ice skating
Wisp no longer offers ice skating, and has not for years; the nearest public rink is the covered outdoor JTF rink in Grantsville, open roughly November through February.
Husky Power Dogsledding
Sold and not operating; no dog sledding is open to rental guests within about 90 minutes. Source for Husky Power Dogsledding (closed), opens in a new tab
The Vagabond Taproom
Closed for good at the end of March 2025; Brewery and the Beast Social House opened in the same East Alder Street space in June 2026. Source for The Vagabond Taproom (closed), opens in a new tab
Fun Unlimited
The McHenry arcade closed in 2024, when its games were auctioned off. Deep Creek Fun Zone and Funland both have arcades. Source for Fun Unlimited (closed), opens in a new tab
Cornucopia Cafe
New owners reopened it in 2025 as The Mountain Grape Tavern, on Casselman Road in Grantsville. Source for Cornucopia Cafe (renamed), opens in a new tab
Smiley's Fun Zone
Now Deep Creek Fun Zone, at the same place in McHenry (renamed by 2019). Source for Smiley's Fun Zone (renamed), opens in a new tab
Garrett Lakes Arts Festival
Now StageWEST Arts Collective, still presenting at the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College. Source for Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (renamed), opens in a new tab
Blackthorne Cellars
A farm winery off Sand Flat Road, open since Labor Day weekend 2025. Source for Blackthorne Cellars (new), opens in a new tab
Savage Highlands State Park
Maryland's newest state park, the former Savage River Lodge near Frostburg, opened on August 28, 2026. Source for Savage Highlands State Park (new), opens in a new tab
Lake & Lure Country Store
Opened in October 2025 on Glendale Road in Swanton. Source for Lake & Lure Country Store (new), opens in a new tab
Lazy Minnow
Guided fishing trips and a 24/7 bait shop, launched in July 2026. Source for Lazy Minnow (new), opens in a new tab
Brewery and the Beast Social House
A downtown Oakland outpost of the Accident brewery, open since June 2026 in the space formerly home to the Vagabond Taproom. Source for Brewery and the Beast Social House (new), opens in a new tab
Swallow Falls day-use reservations
Since May 23, 2026, Saturday, Sunday and holiday visits from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day need a day-use reservation. (Pets were already barred from the day-use area, including the Canyon Trail, in that season.) Source for Swallow Falls day-use reservations (new rule), opens in a new tab
The Seasons
Peak Deep Creek: kayak off your dock slip, float the lake, grill on the deck, and end the night in the hot tubs.
Don't miss: Swallow Falls hike (reserve ahead on weekends), a sunset pontoon ride, Deep Creek Lake State Park beach day, a boat-up cone at Lakeside Creamery
Fall color builds from late September and usually peaks in early to mid-October. Hike Swallow Falls, visit the Autumn Glory Festival, then return for an evening by the fire.
Don't miss: Fall foliage drives, Autumn Glory Festival (early October), a corn maze and pumpkin patch, Wisp Oktoberfest, fireplace evenings at the chalet
Ski Wisp by day; come home to a heated indoor pool and hot tubs by night.
Don't miss: Wisp Resort skiing and snow tubing, the Deep Creek Dunk (February), hot tub under the snow, cross-country skiing, game room tournaments
High-flow waterfalls, trout season, wildflowers, and quieter trails define spring at Deep Creek.
Don't miss: Swallow Falls at peak flow, trout fishing opener, wildflower hikes, deer watching from the deck, early-season golf
Your Seasonal Dock Slip
Your stay includes a dock slip on Deep Creek Lake, available Memorial Day through Labor Day and a short walk or drive from the house. No boat? Silver Tree Marine and Bill's Marine Service rent pontoons, Fun Time Watersports rents pontoons and jet skis, and High Mountain Sports delivers kayaks and paddleboards. Rent a pontoon for several days and it can stay at your slip.
Planning a full trip? Read The Ultimate Guide to Deep Creek Lake Vacations on our blog.
With 8 bedrooms, an indoor pool, and an included dock slip, this is your home base for all of it.
