Lake Activities

Summer  Fall  Winter  Spring  Family Fun  Indoor Fun  State Parks 

Deep Creek Lake is Maryland's largest freshwater lake with 67 miles of beautiful shoreline. Located in the scenic mountains of Western Maryland, this resort offers recreation and relaxation all year long.

Whether you prefer excitement and thrilling activities or just the enjoyment of the abundant natural beauty of the lake, you will find it here at Deep Creek Lake.

Summer Activities

Water Sports Water sports are very popular summer activities Deep Creek Lake. Powerboats and jet skiis are available for rent at local marinas. For the sailboat enthusiast you will enjoy the exciting regattas that take place on the southern near Memory Cove.

Boat Rentals

  • Bills Marine 301 387 5536
  • S & H Marine 301 387 5616
  • Silver Tree Marine 301 387 5855
  • Deep Creek Lake Rentals 301 387 9130
  • Deep Creek Outfitters 301 387 6977

Sailboat Races Memorial Day - Labor Day; every Saturday, Sunday, and holidays on the southern end of the lake; competition (open to the public) begins at 12 noon on Saturday and 1 PM on Sunday; races are one-design featuring Flying Scots and Lasers.

Interested in whitewater rafting or canoeing? If you've never tried it, excitement and amazing scenery awaits you near Deep Creek Lake. You can enjoy Whitewater rafting gentle waters of the Middle Youghiogheny or the challenging rapids of the Upper Yough. Want something more low key? You can also enjoy the scenery by canoeing and kayaking on the Savage and Youghiogheny Rivers.

  • Laurel Highlands River Tours 800 472-3846
  • Precision Rafting 800 477-3723
  • White Water Adventures 800 WWA-RAFT
  • White Water Rafting 800 RAFT-NOW

Fishing for bass, pike, walleye, bluegill and trout is excellent at Deep Creek lake. This area of Western Maryland is also Fly Fishing heaven as three of the top trout streams in the state are located within a short-drive of Memory Cove. Recently, the North Branch of the Potomac River produced a new Maryland state brown trout record that weighed in at an amazing 19 lbs 3 ozs!

Are you a scuba enthusiast? If so, you'll find the waters of Deep Creek holds many secrets of the past including foundations of an old farmhouses, stone bridge, old vehicles and some giant fish!

Hiking and Biking
Garrett County provides miles of bike trails through state parks and surrounding countryside. We have something for everyone regardless of your expertise. Bicycle renting is available at local bike shops.

Escaping to the beautiful scenery of the state parks with miles of marked trails offers great fun for the entire family. Take a picnic lunch along and spend the day enjoying all that these Maryland state parks have to offer. At Swallow Falls, hike along the banks of two rivers that converge into one while experiencing the woodland majesty of Tolliver Falls and Maryland's largest waterfall, Muddy Creek Falls. Several state parks offer sandy beaches for swimming, rowboats and paddle boat rentals.

Horseback Riding
Four different stables offer the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Garrett County by horseback. Hayrides, carriage rides, trail rides, and overnight pack trips are also available.

  • Western Trails Beginner to expert; rent by the hour, 1/2 day or all day trail rides; hayrides; open year round - Mayhew Inn Road, Oakland - (301) 387-6155 or (301) 387-6890
  • Small Oaks Riding Stables Shaded trail rides; horseback riding by the hour for all ages; pony rentals; buggy rides; hayrides; sleigh rides in winter; call for appointments; open year round - Off Broadford Road, Oakland - 301 334-5733 or (301) 334-4991
  • Broken Bar Riding Stables Trail rides; pony rides; hayrides; horse drawn carriage and sleigh rides (weather dependent); open year around at 907 Old Wilson Road, Swanton - (301) 334-3114

Golfing
The area is home to two championship golf courses. The fantastic mountain scenery and the cool highland temperatures enhance the experience of these challenging mountain courses.

The Golf Club at Wisp 296 Marsh Hill Road
McHenry, Maryland 21541 (301) 387-4911

Other Activities
Three miniature golf courses, arcades, go-kart racing, batting cages and much much more are available for hours of fun for folks of all ages.

  • Frontiers Adventure Golf and Batting cages softball and baseball batting cages, pool tables, air hockey - The Fort, 75 Fort Drive 219, McHenry - (301) 387-5121
  • Funland Family Fun Center Route 219, McHenry - (301) 387-6168
  • A&D Dairy Delite also bait shop-Route 219 and Glendale Road

Roller Blading and Skateboarding 2 acre lighted skating area at Wisp Ski Resort

Tennis
Public tennis courts are available at various locations in the county.

Besides all these recreational activities, there are sites such as the Craneville Sub-Artic Swamp and Backbone Mountain and numerous events scheduled to entertain you. These include the McHenry Highland Festival held in June, the American Indian Inter-Tribal Cultural Organization Pow Wow, the annual 4th of July celebration, Summerfest and Quilt Show, and many more.

Fall Activities

The main event at Deep Creek for fall visitors is the annual Autumn Glory Festival held in mid October in nearby Oakland. For three days the town hosts many great events such as Maryland State Banjo and Fiddle Championships, parades, Octoberfests, pancake breakfasts, arts and crafts, antiques, a wide variety of foods, and more. Be sure to book Memory Cove early as this is one of the most popular weekends all year!

Spectacular Fall Foilage at Deep Creek
For many visitors to Deep Creek Lake, the fall offers a world of spectacular fall colors as the trees display their own "Autumn Glory". The lake area is beautiful and peaceful this time of year as the summer winds down. While you can still continue to power boat and sail into the fall, the autumn air is crisp so dress warmly-and is there a better way to view the fall foliage than by water? We don't think so. The fishing can also be fantastic this time of year as the stock up on forage for the approaching winter.

Exploring the Trails
Exploring the beautiful trails by horseback is a relaxing but exciting way to spend an autumn day. Hayrides, carriage rides as well as overnight pack trips are also available. With 74,000 acres of state forests, hiking and mountain biking are a great way to see this amazing area and the beautiful fall scenery.

Hunting
Hunting, of course, has always been a popular sport in Garrett County. The state of Maryland maintains over 70,000 acres of hunting land available to the public. Deer hunting, turkey season and small game hunting are all available in the fall. Check out one of the local sporting stores for licenses and supplies as well as the various state parks for additional information.

Winter Activities

Deep Creek Lake is like a winter wonderland during this time of year…with an average of 110 inches of snowfall the area is transformed by Mother Nature into a little Switzerland.

Hiking and Cross Country Skiing
Both hiking and cross country skiing allow you to enjoy this season firsthand. The state parks offer miles of hiking trails for everyone including cross country skiing enthusiasts. Six miles of maintained trails and primitive trails are available at Herrington Manor. Deep Creek and Swallow Falls State Parks also provide marked hiking trails which can be used by cross-country skiers. New Germany provides cleared and maintained trails as well as a snow cleared parking lot.