Woodland Chalet: Everything You Need to Know Before Your Stay

Already booked Woodland Chalet, or still deciding? Eight bedrooms spread across multiple levels, an indoor heated pool, two hot tubs, a game room, a private theater, lake access with an included dock slip, and gathering spaces designed for groups of up to 20 make the property worth understanding before arrival.

This guide covers the practical details, notable spaces, and useful context for arrival day.

Getting There

Woodland Chalet sits in the North Glade community of Swanton, Maryland, tucked into the wooded hills above Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County. If you're coming from Washington D.C., expect about a three-hour drive west on I-68, with Baltimore closer to three and a half. From Pittsburgh, it's roughly two and a half hours south. Cleveland is about four and a half hours. The nearest airports are Morgantown (WV), about an hour away, and Garrett County Airport near McHenry for private flights.

The last stretch of your drive takes you off the main roads and onto quiet mountain lanes. The exact address arrives with your check-in instructions before your stay. GPS will get you there, but keep your eyes open for the final turn; it comes up quickly.

A Word About Winter Driving

The driveway itself is flat and paved. In winter (November through March), 4WD, AWD, or snow tires are strongly recommended for the area because the mountain roads can become slick after snowfall.

The chalet is surrounded by woods and set back from the road.

What to Bring (and What You Don't Need To)

Woodland Chalet is well-equipped for a large group. Bed linens and bath towels are provided for all guests, and both kitchens come fully stocked with cookware, bakeware, dishes, and utensils, enough to cook a holiday dinner for 20. There are drip and single-cup coffee makers on the main level, so bring your favorite coffee or pods.

Do bring:

• Groceries and beverages: Lake & Lure Country Store in Swanton is about a 15-minute drive for beer, wine and basics, and Arrowhead Market about a 15-minute drive
• Pool towels if you prefer your own for the indoor pool and hot tubs
• Board games, cards, or favorite movies (though the game room and theater may keep you plenty busy)
• Winter layers and warm boots if visiting November through March
• Swimsuits: the indoor heated pool and hot tubs are available year-round

Already there for you:

• Bed linens and bath towels for all bedrooms
• Fully equipped kitchens (two of them) with cookware, dishes, and utensils
• Coffee makers (drip and single-cup)
• Central A/C and heating
• WiFi throughout the house
• 12 smart TVs with streaming capability
• Washer and dryer

Check-In and Check-Out

Check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out is at 10:00 AM. Detailed check-in instructions are texted 5–7 days before check-in, and your guest app goes live at check-in. Plan to arrive during daylight if possible. It makes unloading the car easier and lets you get oriented to the wooded setting before dark.

At check-out, follow the complete checklist in your welcome materials. It covers kitchen, trash, fireplace, hot-tub, and lock-up steps.

Exploring the House: Level by Level

Woodland Chalet is big enough that your first walk-through feels like an adventure. Here's what you'll find on each level.

Main Level

This is where the house makes its first impression. The kitchen (16'×18') is fully equipped with an oven, dishwasher, wine cooler, and more counter space than most people have at home. The breakfast nook and formal dining room provide multiple places to gather. Off the kitchen, you'll find a spacious living room with a gas fireplace, a family room (20'×13'), an office/workspace, and three bedrooms including a primary suite with a king bed and an oversized jetted tub. There's also a laundry room with a washer and dryer, a lifesaver for longer stays.

Upper Level

Upstairs you'll find two more bedrooms (both with king beds), a full bath, and a small wet bar landing area, a good spot to set up a beverage station away from the main kitchen traffic.

Lower Level

The lower level is where the fun lives. The game room stretches 17'×45' with a pool table, a foosball table, a 4-person poker table, five arcade cabinets (Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, Golden Tee, Ms. Pac-Man), and a claw machine restocked each stay with a stuffed animal for every guest. The theater room (11'×21') has a big screen for movie nights. There's a full second kitchen (17'×14'), useful for snacks or morning coffee without returning upstairs. The lower-level primary suite (25'×21') has a king, a queen, and a full bed, giving families a flexible shared sleeping space. Two outdoor hot tubs sit on the patio, overlooking the woods.

Pool House

The pool house is its own building and a standout. The main level has the indoor heated pool room (30'×28') with the pool itself measuring 19 feet long by 10 feet wide. Upstairs is an apartment-style loft (30'×16') with a wet bar, a full bathroom, a queen sleeper sofa, and a big-screen TV with a view of the pool room below. Children must still be supervised by an adult at pool level.

Pool and Hot Tub Tips

The indoor pool and both hot tubs are available throughout your stay, year-round. A few things worth knowing:

• The pool is heated and indoors, so it's comfortable even on the coldest winter days
• No glass in the pool area; plastic cups and bottles only
• There's no lifeguard. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times, in the pool and the hot tubs (full details in the house rules)
• The hot tubs and pool are in separate areas, so plan accordingly if you're hoping to go back and forth
• The pool house lounge has its own TV for movie nights once everyone's out of the water

Using the Dock Slip

Woodland Chalet includes a dock slip for one motorized vessel on Deep Creek Lake, available from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The dock is about a 5-minute walk, or a short drive down the road, from the house. It isn't steps-from-the-door access, so plan for the walk when carrying lake gear.

If you're bringing a boat or renting one locally, the dock slip is a genuine perk. Deep Creek Lake offers 3,900 acres of water for swimming, kayaking, fishing, and boating. If you don't have your own watercraft, local marinas rent pontoons, kayaks, and paddleboards nearby.

Nearby Essentials

Woodland Chalet is secluded, but you're not far from what you need:

• Groceries: Lake & Lure Country Store is about a 15-minute drive and Arrowhead Market about a 15-minute drive. Deep Creek Shop 'n Save in McHenry is the nearest full grocery. Stock up on the way in. The two full kitchens make cooking at home easy and economical for a big group.
• Dining out: Trader's Coffee House for your morning espresso, Lakeside Creamery for ice cream after a lake day (it closes for the season in mid-October), and Mountain State Brewing for craft beer and a family-friendly dinner. The area guide has more, with drive times.
• Pharmacy and medical care: see If Someone Gets Hurt or Sick below.
• Gas stations: Fill up on your way in because the nearest stations are along Route 219.

For a full list of restaurants, activities, and attractions, check out our Things to Do Near Deep Creek Lake guide.

If Someone Gets Hurt or Sick

Call 911 for anything serious. For everything else, this is what is open near the lake.

• Emergency room: Garrett Regional Medical Center (WVU Medicine), Oaklandabout 25 minutesThe emergency department is open 24 hours.Hospital page
• Walk-in urgent care: WVU Medicine Garrett Medical Group, McHenry Plazaabout 25 minutesOpen 7 am to 7 pm every day, no appointment, for illness and injury that is not life-threatening. Deep Creek Pharmacy is in the same plaza.Clinic page
• Also walk-in, until 8 pm: UPMC Urgent Care, Frostburg Plazaabout 45 minutesWalk-in, 8 am to 8 pm daily. Leave by about 7 to get there before it closes; later than that, the emergency room in Oakland is the nearest in-person care.Clinic page
• Trauma center: UPMC Western Maryland, Cumberlandabout 55 minutesLevel III adult trauma center, emergency department open around the clock. For a serious injury, call 911 and let the paramedics choose the hospital; do not drive past the Oakland emergency room to reach a trauma center.Emergency page
• Trauma center: J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital (WVU Medicine), Morgantown, WVabout 1 hour 10 minutesLevel I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center.Hospital pageTrauma center
• Video visit: WVU Medicine Virtual Urgent CareLocal WVU Medicine providers, 8 am to 8 pm except Thanksgiving and Christmas, for anyone located in Maryland or West Virginia at the time of the visit, ages 4 and up; you need not be a WVU patient. It starts from a MyWVUChart account, so set one up before the trip.Virtual urgent careWho can use it
• Pharmacy near the lake: Deep Creek Pharmacy, McHenry Plazaabout 25 minutesMonday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 to 6, Wednesday 11 to 6, Saturday 9 to 1, closed Sunday. Same-day delivery on weekdays when you call by 2 pm; ask whether it reaches Swanton.Pharmacy site
• Pharmacies on a Sunday: Oaklandabout 25 minutesThe Walmart, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies in Oakland open Sundays 10 to 6 (Walgreens and CVS close 1:30 to 2 for lunch every day). On weekday evenings, Walgreens and CVS fill until 8. No pharmacy in the area is open overnight.WalmartWalgreensCVS

Groceries, Drinks and Charging

For a big stock-up without the drive, and for the rules on beer and wine.

• Groceries deliveredInstacart lists stores for Swanton; enter the house address to see which ones deliver. The Walmart Supercenter in Oakland does pickup, and delivery where the address is in range. Deep Creek Lake Concierge delivers groceries and supplies to the door.InstacartWalmart OaklandDeep Creek Lake Concierge
• Beer, wine and liquorBuy from a licensed store; the Oakland Walmart sells none. Take-out sales run Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday in the election districts where it is allowed, which include Swanton, Accident, Sang Run and Oakland. Each store sets its own hours. Lake & Lure Country Store, the closest, sells beer and wine, and its listings disagree about Monday and Tuesday, so check before an early-week run.County liquor board
• EV charging: Tesla Supercharger, The Shops at The Fort, McHenryabout 25 minutesThe dependable fast charger at the lake: 8 stalls, open 24/7, next to Deep Creek Fun Zone; other EVs need a NACS adapter and Supercharger access through their automaker (check the Tesla app). Two Potomac Edison fast chargers stand on Vacation Way in McHenry (one was out of service in September 2026), and the Pilot travel center at I-68 Exit 22 (Chestnut Ridge Road, Grantsville) has the last fast chargers before the lake from the east.SuperchargerStation map

Leaving the Dog Nearby

The house takes no pets. Two places near the lake board dogs and cats; book early for summer and holiday weeks and have vaccine records ready. There is no doggie daycare nearby.

• HART for Animals, Bed 'n Bark Inn, Accidentabout 25 minutesDogs and cats. Check-in and check-out weekdays 8 to 5, weekends 8 to 2, holidays 8 to noon with a two-night minimum. Vaccines must be given at least 72 hours before the stay. Reservations by phone.Bed 'n Bark Inn
• Pineview Veterinary Hospital, Oaklandabout 25 minutesBoards dogs and cats, together or apart. Open Monday to Friday 8 to 6:30, Saturday 8 to noon, closed Sunday, so it cannot take or return a dog on a Sunday changeover. Bring proof of current vaccinations.Boarding
• Nearest 24-hour emergency vet: Cheat Lake Animal Hospital, Morgantown, WVabout 1 hourOpen 24 hours for emergencies.Hours

Bears, Ticks and Cell Service

The woods around the house are the best part of it, and they come with a few habits worth knowing.

• Black bearsBears are most common in Maryland's four westernmost counties, Garrett included. Take all garbage to the bear-proof containers at the end of the driveway, never leave trash bags on the deck or in a car, keep the grill clean, bring coolers and snacks inside, and put out no bird feed. Feeding bears is illegal in Maryland. If a bear comes into the yard, stay calm, go inside and let it leave.Maryland DNRDNR, April 2026
• TicksMost active from late spring to early fall. Walk the middle of the trail, use an EPA-registered repellent, check everyone after a hike, and put dry hiking clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes (longer if damp) to kill any ticks.Maryland Department of Health
• Places with no signalNone at New Germany State Park (a 911-only phone is inside the park's Lake House), none on Upper Youghiogheny river trips, and weak at Wolf Den Run State Park, where AJ's Adventures sends a two-way radio with its rentals. Download maps before you leave the house and agree on a meeting point before the group splits up.New Germany State Park
• Weather and emergency alertsGarrett County sends weather and emergency alerts by text, call or email to anyone who opts in through its Citizen Connect portal.Citizen Connect

Sitters, Services and Easy Outings

Answers to the questions big family groups ask most.

• Sitters and drop-off programsThere is no local babysitting agency; most groups bring a sitter or take turns. For a day or a week off: Wisp Kids runs full-day ski and snowboard programs for ages 5 to 12 on winter Fridays to Sundays and holidays, and in summer Deep Creek Sailing School runs week-long junior classes (registration opens March 1) and Spruce Forest Artisan Village runs weekly day camps for ages 6 to 11.Wisp KidsSailing schoolSpruce Forest
• Weekend servicesCatholic: Saturday Vigil Mass 4 pm at St. Peter at the Lake Center in McHenry, Sunday 9 am at St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland, Sunday 10 am at St. Ann in Grantsville. Lutheran: Shepherd of the Hills, Sunday 10 am at the same Lake Center (the Chamber lists 8:30 am from Memorial Day to Labor Day; confirm). Non-denominational: Crossroads Church on Route 219 in Oakland, Sundays 9 and 11 am. Times as published by each congregation or its Chamber listing; confirm before you go.St. PeterSt. AnnShepherd of the HillsCrossroads
• Outings with little walkingHerrington Manor State Park has an accessible path to its swimming beach and fishing pier, and Deep Creek Lake State Park has accessible fishing piers and restrooms; DNR does not list the falls trail at Swallow Falls as accessible. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad holds ADA seats in its standard coaches until a week before each departure (book by email), and the Deep Creek Lake Lions Club has lent an all-terrain wheelchair for trail days; ask ahead.DNR accessible activitiesScenic railroadLions Club wheelchair

Checked September 2026 against each organization's own page or the listing named. Drive times are from the house; hours change, so check the page before you go.

House Rules: The Quick Version

Full house rules are provided with your booking confirmation, but here's the overview:

• No pets: the property is not pet-friendly
• No smoking indoors: outdoors is fine, away from doors and the hot tubs
• No parties or events: this is a family vacation home, not an event venue
• No unregistered guests: all guests must be listed on the reservation
• Minimum age 30 for the booking guest, and the property is for families only (no sorority/fraternity or non-chaperoned groups)
• Quiet hours apply in the evening out of respect for the mountain setting
• Parking: garage fits 1 vehicle, driveway accommodates up to 8 total

What Your Stay Will Actually Feel Like

Here's the part no amenities list can capture: what it actually feels like to be at Woodland Chalet.

Mornings can begin with coffee on the multi-level deck, looking into the surrounding trees.

By mid-morning, someone has started a pool tournament in the game room. Kids are splashing in the indoor pool. A few people have claimed the hot tubs. The two kitchens mean you can have a pancake station going on the main level while someone else preps lunch downstairs, without anyone stepping on toes.

Afternoons might be a trip to the lake, a hike at Swallow Falls State Park to see Muddy Creek Falls, Maryland's highest free-falling waterfall, or time on the deck with a book and the sound of birds. In winter, Wisp Resort is about a 25-minute drive away for skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.

In the evening, gather at one of the outdoor stone fireplaces, make s'mores with the kids, and watch the embers glow while the mountain air cools down. The theater room and game room give the group indoor options afterward. Twelve smart TVs provide streaming options throughout the house.

A Few Last Tips

• Arrive in daylight if you can. The mountain roads are beautiful but unfamiliar, and you'll want to explore the house before dark.
• Assign bedrooms before arrival if possible. With 8 bedrooms across multiple levels, it helps to have a plan so everyone can settle in quickly.
• Download entertainment in advance. WiFi is available throughout, but with 20 people streaming, having some content downloaded doesn't hurt.
• Bring layers because mountain weather can shift quickly, especially spring and fall. Mornings on the deck can be 20 degrees cooler than afternoon.
• Plan one day at the property: the pool house, game room, theater, hot tubs, and decks can easily fill a day without another drive.