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Top 14 Deep Creek Lake Winter Activities For Non-Skiers

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales Blog

t’s a common conundrum – what’s a non-skier to do when friends and family are hitting the slopes at Wisp Resort? Deep Creek Lake winter activities offers lots of options that can keep every member of your crew entertained. It’s a great way to enjoy a weekend getaway near Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Washington, DC.

Here are just a few of our favorite Deep Creek Lake winter activities for the non-skiers staying at a Deep Creek Lake vacation rental:

Deep Creek Lake winter activities

Hiking at Swallow Falls State Park
Crisp white snow makes this beautiful place even more spectacular, and it’s definitely a must see throughout all four seasons. If you’re up for some serious hiking, explore trails to all three of the waterfalls – Swallow Falls, Muddy Creek Falls, and Tolliver Falls. There is also a handicap accessible trail and view platform at Muddy Creek Falls for those that need an easier route or just want to take a short stroll. Be sure to bring your camera and wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots. Trails can be slippery during the winter months. Get more info.

Simon Pearce Tours
Watch master glassblowers at work, then shop for the beautiful items they make in the retail store. You can also choose from a wide variety of second-quality glass. Located in Mountain Lake Park, it is just a short drive from most Deep Creek Lake vacation rentals. Find out more.

Guided Snowshoe Tours
Weather permitting, All Earth Eco Tours offers another great way to experience Swallow Falls State Park. Their snowshoe tours are a “no experience required” way to cruise through the woods and take in the scenery. For those seeking high adventure, ask about their trips to Big Savage Mountain and Lost Lands.

Sleigh Rides at Deep Creek Lake

Sleigh Rides
One of the classic Deep Creek Lake winter activities, you can take a ride back in time as you swish through open fields and over hills listening to the sound of muffled hoof beats in the snow. Sleigh rides at Pleasant Valley Dream Rides are an ideal way to enjoy the outdoors no matter what your age.

Cold Drinks By a Warm Fire
Get cozy by the fire place at local restaurants like Firewater Kitchen & Bar, Uno Chicago Grill or Dutch’s at Silver Tree, and warm-up with your favorite beverage.

Sled Riding at Blackwater Falls State Park
Within one hour of the Deep Creek Lake area, you’ll find the ultimate sledding hill! Head to Blackwater Falls State Park to ride up on a conveyor, sled to the bottom, and repeat! Bring your own sled or rent one on-site.

Sample Award Winning Cheeses
Stop by Firefly Farms in nearby Accident, to check out their award winning goat cheese and browse their selection of gourmet foods. They can even make you a personalized cheese board to go.

Cross Country Skiing
With minimal instruction, you can kick and glide on cross country ski trails at Herrington Manor State Park and New Germany State Park. Call ahead to check for availability of rental equipment.

Shops & Antiques
Avoid the cold temperatures when you visit area shops and antique stores. Schoolhouse Earth, Bear Creek Traders, A Mountain Fix, and High Mountain Sports are a few of our favorites at the lake. Take a short drive to Oakland to browse antiques at Englander’s or Cabin Fever. While you are there, hit up Flipside Sounds – a vinyl shop in downtown Oakland.

Deep Creek Axe Throwing Co.
Test your skills in the Deep Creek Lake axe throwing arena! This fun indoor activity is suitable for ages 8 and up.

Museum Tours
When visiting Oakland, history buffs should stop at the two museums operated by the Garrett County Historical Society. Return to the past as you explore area treasures, learn about early settlers, and check out Model T Fords. Call for hours of operation.

Snow Tubing & Mountain Coaster Rides
Wisp Resort is well-known for skiing, but they also offer a variety of activities that anyone can enjoy. Reserve a snow tubing session or take a ride on the mountain coaster.

Arcades
Everyone in your group will enjoy playing a wide variety arcade games and snacking on great food at Deep Creek Fun Zone.

Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center
Fun for kids of all ages, the Discovery Center is a one-of-a-kind environmental center with hands-on exhibits that showcase the natural resources of Western Maryland. Open weekends during the winter season.

Maryland property values rise 12 percent

The Garrett County Republican

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation has announced its 2022 reassessment of 704,430 “Group 1” residential and commercial properties.

In Maryland, there are more than 2 million property accounts that are split into three groups, each appraised once every three years. The overall statewide increase for “Group 1” properties was 12% over the past three years according to SDAT.

The overall statewide increase was higher than 2020’s 8.1% increase. This represents an average increase in value of 12.7% for all residential properties and 9.7% for all commercial properties over the three-year period since the last Group 1 reassessment in 2019.

“All 23 counties and Baltimore City experienced an increase in residential property values for the fourth consecutive year, while commercial property values increased in 22 counties and Baltimore City. This is a good indicator that the market remains strong and growth is steady here in Maryland,” SDAT Director Michael Higgs said.

“The department’s real property assessors continue to work hard work to ensure that all of Maryland’s properties are assessed uniformly and fairly. As part of our Tax Credit Awareness Campaign, each reassessment notice includes information about the Homeowners’ and Homestead Tax Credits, which save Marylanders more than $260 million in taxes each year,” he said.

The 2022 assessments for Group 1 properties were based on an evaluation of 74,673 sales that occurred within the group over the last three years. If the reassessment resulted in a property value being adjusted, any increase in value will be phased-in equally over the next three years, while any decrease in value will be fully implemented for the July 1, 2022, tax bill.

For the 2022 reassessment, 93.9% of Group 1 residential properties saw an increase in property value.

The Homeowners’ Tax Credit provides relief for eligible homeowners by setting a limit on the amount of property taxes that are owed based on their income. Residential property owners who complete a one-time application and meet certain eligibility requirements can also receive a Homestead Tax Credit, which limits their principal residence’s taxable assessment from increasing by more than a certain percentage each year regardless of their income level.

To read the full article click here.

Jeffries Farm: focusing on faith, family, farm and flowers

The Garrett County Republican

SWANTON — Jeffries Farm is a family business that started in 2020 on a small budget and a dream.

“Our focus through it all is faith, family, farm and flowers,” said Nicole Jeffries, who tends the farm with her husband, Dalton. “We are still so new at all of this, but we are so excited to dive in, work hard, grow and look back in 30 years and say, ‘Remember when our little girl was 1 and we started this business with pretty much nothing?’”

The couple grows fresh-cut flowers and fillers to put into spring and summer bouquets.

“It’s all started here on the farm, from seed, and when I say there is blood, sweat and tears involved, I’m not kidding,” Jeffries said.

She grew up on the farm where they currently live, and the couple actually met when they were children showing animals at the Garrett County Fair.

“That’s a true Garrett County love story,” Jeffries said.

She noted that she came out of high school ready to head to college and into a pre-vet program. Soon after she started, she realized it wasn’t for her, but she knew she wanted to be involved in agriculture.

When Jeffries became a stay-at-home mom, she said she knew that while she wanted to raise her kids, she also needed something for herself.

She started researching “jobs in agriculture” online, and “flower farmer” popped up.

“I thought, ‘That sounds cool,’ so I started researching … and convincing my husband … and that’s really how it all came to be,” Jeffries said.

She noted that she originally learned about growing plants in horticulture classes in college, which she thought were “super boring” at the time.

Jeffries did more research and started following flower farmers from other areas on social media.

“I joined a page on Facebook filled with other flower farmers from around the world that has been an amazing source of knowledge,” she said. “I really have little to no experience or knowledge of running a business, but my dad has been running his own business for years now and my mom also owned a small business here in Garrett County called June Bugs Party Rentals, so to some extent it comes naturally. And they have also been there with advice and guidance along the way.”

Currently, Jeffries’ family volunteers time to help out, but she hopes to continue to grow and bring on employees in the near future.

“We want more than anything to bring joy to people,” Jeffries said. “We want the flowers to speak life and love into people.”

She noted that her time in the field is usually her only time alone and usually her prayer time.

“Most of the time, each flower is prayed over, not only that it will do well in the vase for the customer for my good, but that it will make a difference in someone’s day,” Jeffries said.

She also said she wants people to feel relaxation and fun when they come to the farm.

“We are really excited to host more people and hopefully turn this farm into a place that people love to visit,” Jeffries said.

To read the full article click here.

Garrett County’s sesquicentennial celebration kicks off

From WV News

OAKLAND, Md. — A kickoff to Garrett County’s sesquicentennial celebration took place last week at the Garrett County Courthouse.

The 150th anniversary commemorates the incorporation of Garrett County on Dec. 4, 1872. It was formed from neighboring Allegany County and was the last county to be created in the state of Maryland.

The event was held as part of the Board of Garrett County Commissioners public meeting Dec. 6.

The program included a proclamation by the commissioners and special guest speakers Robert Boal of the Garrett County Historical Society and Albert Feldstein, a local historian.

“This is going to take obviously a year to celebrate, so everyone that has had a hand in everything that is going on thus far and moving forward, we appreciate it,” Commissioner Paul Edwards said before reading the proclamation to kick off the year of celebration.

“I am honored to speak on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the county I love and have stayed in for 61 years,” Boal said.

He noted that as far as the creation of Garrett County goes, very little was done before the Civil War.

“There were rumblings of discontent up here in the mountains that we didn’t have enough representation. We were sort of the weak sister, but no movement ever occurred,” Boal said. “With the end of the Civil War, that changed.”

He stated that the region began to boom with the arrival of the B&O Railroad in the 1850s, with agriculture, timber and coal.

“Garrett County felt our wealth and our resources were being taken out of here and we should have more control over all of this,” Boal said.

He mentioned several key players and developers who started the movement.

“It caught on slowly because this was a very remote area,” Boal said. “The awakening in GC started about 1870, and some very powerful locals picked up on it. These men lit the spark that brought the fire.”

He noted that the group started having community barbecues where they met, shared a meal and talked about what this area should be. It turned into a movement that was very strong.

In April 1872, the General Assembly passed a bill to allow for an election, which took place on Nov. 4, 1872. Dec. 4, 1872, was the date set for the county to become the newest in the state.

Feldstein stated that the reasons listed on the petition for creation of a new county included the substantial distance from far Western Maryland to the existing county seat in Cumberland, greater representation in the state’s General Assembly, greater opportunities for local tax revenue and more appropriate expenditures of public funds.

Two possible names were proposed for the county: Garrett and Glade.

He noted that the new county was established by the Maryland State Legislature on April 1, 1872, but it was a requirement that it be left up to the voters.

The vote on Nov. 4 resulted in 1,297 in favor of a new county and 405 opposed.

“Congratulations to Garrett County, and we should all look this good after 150 years,” Feldstein said.

To read the full article click here.

Western Maryland Scenic 1309 receives FRA approval

From Trains.com

RIDGELEY, W.Va. — The Federal Railroad Administration Thursday approved Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 for service, officials of the Cumberland, Md.-based tourist railroad tell Trains News Wire. The last Baldwin built for domestic service in 1949 immediately becomes the world’s largest operating Mallet on a 17-mile mountain railroad that was once the Western Maryland main line, including iconic Helmstetter’s Curve.

The locomotive will immediately begin its testing and break in period, leading up to its operation on Polar Express trains next month and regular service and special events next winter and spring. The former Chesapeake & Ohio engine only operated in regular service for six years before retirement and was displayed at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore for years before Western Maryland Scenic bought and moved it in 2014. The engine and three cars were running this morning.

The $3.5 million restoration of the large articulated was a monumental task for a tourist railroad of modest means and working in a former Western Maryland car shop. Workers last December pushed to get the engine to the point where it could move on its own for the first time in 64 years and debuted it on Dec. 31. Since then, the shop crew has been chasing down thousands of final details, rebuilding the stoker, and acquiring parts that were difficult to come by during the Covid-19 pandemic. The railroad, which had not run since the 2019 season, also worked to reopen during 2021, which made No. 1309’s restoration a close but still second priority.

The Mallet, which uses its steam twice, was the fabled Baldwin Locomotive Works’ last domestic product in 1949 and is thus a major landmark in U.S. steam locomotive manufacturing.

Crews from railway preservation came from across the U.S. to assist in the final weeks of reassembly, a painstaking and difficult process for a locomotive that received little maintenance in its working life, spent years on display in a humid environment, and was disassembled by a different restoration crew. Its restoration was slowed earlier by an employee’s theft of parts, significant funding challenges, and the immensity and complexity of such a large locomotive.

steam locomotive outside depot
Western Maryland Scenic 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 begins test runs today following FRA approval of the locomotive after an extensive 7-year, $3.5 million restoration. Here it is outside Cumberland Depot. (Walter Scriptunas II photos)
When it begins regular operations, No. 1309 will be the only articulated rod engine in action in the eastern U.S., and the largest steam power in the East. Union Pacific’s Big Boy operates on UP tracks and is a simple articulated, meaning it feeds high-pressure steam to all four cylinders.

No. 1309 will be operated on 17 miles of the former Western Maryland Railway main line from Cumberland, Md., via famous Helmstetter’s Curve, to Frostburg, Md.

Stalled for funding at the end of 2019, the project was at a standstill. In February 2020, Trains Magazine launched the “Steam the Last Baldwin” campaign to raise money to restart the project. Readers responded with more than $275,000 in donations, and the John Emery Rail Heritage Trust made a special mid-year grant of $50,000 to keep work moving forward. The engine was set on its drivers in June 2020, and final reassembly began.

You can read about the final restoration efforts in our special edition, “Steaming the Last Baldwin,” and a companion DVD. Both are available online at the Kalmbach Hobby Store.

Board of Public Works Approves Community Parks and Playgrounds Funding

Maryland Department Of Natural Resources

The Board of Public Works today approved the last of 31 Community Parks and Playground projects for this fiscal year, totaling $5 million in grants for new and upgraded outdoor facilities in communities across Maryland.

Governor Larry Hogan’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget included funding for these projects, through which the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provides flexible grants to municipalities to rehabilitate, expand, or improve existing parks, create new parks, or purchase and install playground equipment.

“The Community Parks and Playgrounds Program funds important investments across Maryland,” said Maryland DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio. “These projects create greater access to outdoor recreation including nature trails, accessible playgrounds, skate parks, splash pads, and gathering spaces that connect us with our community and our natural surroundings.”

The following Community Parks and Playgrounds Projects were included in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget and have now been approved by BPW:

Allegany County

Barton
Meadow Park Pavilion
$80,000

Cumberland
Allegany College Outdoor Volleyball Courts
$98,000

Frostburg
East End Park
$26,250

Midland
Church Street Playground Improvements
$185,000

Lonaconing
Town Parks Improvements
$80,310

Calvert County

North Beach
Wetlands Overlook Park Nature Center
$110,000

Caroline County

Denton
Fourth Street Park
$197,262

Carroll County

Hampstead
War Memorial Park Revitalization
$245,050

Manchester
Christmas Tree Park
$52,000

Mount Airy
Watkins Park Playground Phase II
$172,949

New Windsor
Town Park Renovations
$50,825

Dorchester County

Cambridge
Cornish Park Revitalization
$343,784

Hurlock
North Main Street Park
$253,300

Vienna
Vienna Playground Upgrade
$137,040

Frederick County

New Market
New Market Community Park Basketball Court Renovation
$31,450

Thurmont
Woodland Park Playground Replacement Phase 2
$160,000

Garrett County

Mountain Lake Park
Leo Martin Memorial Park
$252,469

Oakland
Broadford Park Multi-Use Trails/Stage Amphitheater
$275,000

Harford County

Aberdeen
Rock Glen Park
$400,000

Bel Air
Office Street Pocket Park
60,464

Kent County

Chestertown
Wilmer Park
$209,394

Galena
Galena Elementary School Walking Path
$90,000

Montgomery County

Rockville
Potomac Woods Park Playground Replacement
$185,000

Prince George’s County

Cottage City
Cottage City Tot Lot
$50,000

Riverdale Park
Field of Dreams Park
$177,750

Upper Marlboro
Upper Marlboro Community Playground Phase 2
$199,000

St. Mary’s County

Leonardtown
Leonardtown Alley Network
$225,000

Washington County

Hancock
Widmyer Park Splash Park
$200,000

Williamsport
Byron Memorial Park Interactive Playground
$202,000

Wicomico County

Salisbury
Salisbury Skate Park – Final Phase
$162,801

Worcester County

Berlin
Stephen Decatur Park Restrooms
$99,000

Since its inception, the Community Parks and Playgrounds program has provided more than $79 million in grant funding for about 800 projects.

Garrett had only growth in Maryland tourism during pandemic

The Garrett County Republican

McHENRY — While Garrett County has experienced a boom in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rest of Maryland is struggling to recover.

While the state’s tourism industry as a whole experienced a 64% decline during the pandemic, Garrett County actually posted a 36% increase from pre-pandemic levels, according to Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director of the Office of Tourism for the Department of Commerce.

“Garrett County was the anomaly,” Fitzsimmons said. “The only region, the only county that was able to do this.”

In 27 years with the Office of Tourism, Fitzsimmons said the Office of Tourism never had to go before any group and say that there were decreases. That changed in 2020, when the industry was dealt a severe blow.

Sales figures for overnight stays in hotels, motels and rental units are key indicators of the state of tourism, she said, as those visitors spend money in other areas, such as food, entertainment, recreational activities and retail items.

For the category of hotels, motels, apartments and cottages, sales figures for the 2021 fiscal year totaled $56.05 million — a 56% drop from pre-pandemic 2019’s $128.6 million. For hotels and motels selling food, the results were even worse: from $35.4 million in 2019 to $10.7 million in 2021. That constitutes a 69.7% drop.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual tourism update Tuesday morning at its Business Before Hours meeting, hearing from state officials just how hard the pandemic hit Maryland recreation.

“I last attended this meeting two years ago,” said Tom Riford, assistant secretary of the Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film & the Arts. “What a different world it was two years ago to today. Just totally, totally different.”

Riford said tourism is the fourth-largest industry in the state, employing people, providing tax revenue and helping the quality of life.

“Maryland’s tourism industry was especially hard-hit in March of 2020. And the last 20 months has seen the tourism industry working together to move forward to get to the other side,” he said. “I’m very proud of what was accomplished in this county in 2020, and in 2021. You led the state.”

The Wisp Resort’s ski school in 2021 had its best year since it opened in 1955, he said.

In continuing with the Autumn Glory Festival through the pandemic, Garrett County “has shown many other jurisdictions that it can move forward, and move toward a positive tomorrow,” Riford said.

Garrett County’s accommodation sales would have been even higher, but Gov. Larry Hogan had ordered the closing of hotels and motels at the start of the outbreak. When they were allowed to reopen, rooms and houses throughout the Deep Creek Lake area were rented almost immediately. Many were people who were seeking to leave areas of Maryland and Virginia that were experiencing early rises in COVID-19 cases.

That has spilled over into the Garrett County real estate market, where home sales have been strong for months, with houses now averaging $431,461.

However, those same eager visitors now have other options, Fitzsimmons said, with borders reopening and international travel now possible.

Six of the 10 richest counties in the United States are located in Northern Virginia, she said, and those are the customers that Garrett County needs to continue to attract — even as options such as Europe are now available again.

“They are the people who helped drive these increases,” Fitzsimmons said, encouraging business owners to reach out and continue to develop the relationships they’ve developed with visitors during the pandemic.

Deep Creek Lake Water Levels for the Winter 2021/2022

Garrett County Government

Brookfield Hydroelectric facility has agreed to lower the Deep Creek Lake water levels near the lower end of the “Rule Band” for several month during this winter. The lower rule band lake level for December and January is set at 2,455 feet.The lower lake levels during the winter months will have the following benefits:

allow Garrett County Department of Public Works – Public Utilities Division to install pipes for the McHenry to Thayerville water connection project,
provide opportunities for lake property owners to conduct maintenance on shoreline stabilization projects,
potentially reduce nuisance or invasive submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in shallow habitats by exposing the plants to freezing temperature.

Deep Creek Lake Rule Band for monthly water levelsInformation on the Deep Creek Lake water level “Rule Band” can be found at the following Department of the Environment website: https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/water/water_supply/pages/deepcreeklake.aspxand on the Department of Natural Resources website: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pprp/Pages/DeepCreek/results.aspx

‘State of the Lake’ address announces $2.2 million for dredging

From The Garrett County Republican

McHENRY — During a “State of the Lake” address on Aug. 25, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio announced $2.2 million in additional funding for dredging.

She reported that Gov. Larry Hogan just released the money in new funding for pilot dredging projects in Deep Creek Lake.

“I’m … really pleased to announce today that Gov. Hogan has … committed an additional $2.2 million for the dredging project at Arrowhead Cove, so this is hot off the presses,” Riccio said. “New news today, and again, thanks to the help from our senator and the county and all our partners, pushing the importance of that. So that’s really exciting that we can get that pilot program underway.”

The presentation was organized by the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation. It was intended for homeowners, officials and stakeholders with interest in Deep Creek Lake at Garrett College. Riccio discussed the state’s long-term commitment to water monitoring at the lake, ongoing efforts to prevent and combat aquatic invasive species, and work to protect and expand the lake’s freshwater fisheries.

The secretary commended the partnerships among the state and local stakeholders and elected officials that support these efforts and help advocate for the resources to achieve these goals.

“We’re so happy to take an opportunity to talk about all the great work that’s happening around Deep Creek Lake, not just from our team but also from all the partners that we work with,” Riccio said. “So we’re grateful for the opportunity to be here.”

She reported that monitoring indicates that the lake is healthy, with low nutrient levels at mainstem sites and clear water throughout.

The state continues to follow the comprehensive watershed management plan for Deep Creek Lake, developed in 2015 by DNR and Garrett County to recommend guidelines to protect the popular area, balancing environmental and economic needs.

Riccio provided numerous updates to the activities at Deep Creek Lake, including:

• The State Lakes Protection and Restoration Fund, approved by Gov. Hogan in 2018, provides $1 million a year for three years for state-owned lakes including Deep Creek Lake.

To read the full article click here.

Missing chair returned at Deep Creek Lake

From The Garrett County Republican

DEEP CREEK LAKE — While at Deep Creek Lake last month, the Guyton family had an experience that they feel shows the goodwill of people in the area.

One of the family members looked out the window to see that one of their deck chairs was missing from the dock. The family decided that they should call the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office to report the missing property so they would have a record of it.

Family members were amused when deputies arrived in full uniform to investigate the missing chair.

As they chatted, the family noted that they thought they saw a mirage over the deputy’s shoulders as they observed the missing blue deck chair coming across the lake on a paddleboard pulled by a kayak.

The family staying across the lake had noticed the chair in the woods, partially submerged. They pulled it out of the water and decided to try to locate the owners.

Tag: maryland

Top 14 Deep Creek Lake Winter Activities For Non-Skiers

Maryland property values rise 12 percent

Jeffries Farm: focusing on faith, family, farm and flowers

Garrett County’s sesquicentennial celebration kicks off

Western Maryland Scenic 1309 receives FRA approval

Board of Public Works Approves Community Parks and Playgrounds Funding

Garrett had only growth in Maryland tourism during pandemic

Deep Creek Lake Water Levels for the Winter 2021/2022

‘State of the Lake’ address announces $2.2 million for dredging

Missing chair returned at Deep Creek Lake

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