By: Al Rohrbaugh arohrbaugh@railey.com 301-616-9748 April 15th, 2009 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do

Exploring Deep Creek Lake in the Spring!

Many buyers who choose to purchase real estate in Garrett County and at Deep Creek Lake often base their decision on the amount of activities and recreational opportunities in the area - but sometimes there are too many to choose from! Those of us that live here full time certainly take advantage of the amount of things to do here at Deep Creek.

Every Spring I am always confronted with the same problem here at Deep Creek Lake - What to Do?

It’s time to go fishing The ice has melted, perch and walleye are spawning early spring, (bass should start early to mid-may). The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is stocking the coveted rainbow trout in Deep Creek Lake and nearby streams. It’s time to get out and fish. Get your supplies and a fishing report at Bill’s Outdoor Center or Deep Creek Hardware - in the Southern end of the county try Backbone Mountain Sports Shop.  Area favorites for lake fishing are Deep Creek Lake (of course),

(fishing deep creek lake near ski harbor)

Broadford Lake near Oakland, Herrington Manor, the Yough Dam, and Jennings Randolph Lake.  For stream fishing try Bear Creek, the Cassel man, the Yough, the little Yough, or the Potomac, to name a few, all are within 30 minutes of Deep Creek Lake.  If you want an experience with fly fishing, you may want to book a trip with Spring Creek Outfitters or Streams and Dreams.   If you have younger ones, take them on a nice day and don’t worry about catching fish - you will have your hands full keeping lines untangled and baiting hooks.  Once they get tired of fishing you will enjoy watching them  have just as much fun playing in the water, skipping stones, etc,  And remember when they say it’s time to go it’s time to go.

Spring Gobbler season in Garrett County– I never really got out in the woods much this time of year until I started hunting for the Spring Gobbler.  Around mid April hunters that partake in this activity, will be dragging out of bed at an ungodly hour in the morning to try there luck at scoring a mature gobbler.  Many times coming home empty handed, but feeling alive and blessed just to have witnessed such a beautiful sunrise, view, or maybe just hearing a gobbler on a distant ridge.  It’s amazing how the sound of a faint gobble can stop a hunter in his tracks and bring joy to his soul. Whether you’re a hunter or not I highly recommend getting up early on a spring morning, take a walk in the woods and enjoy nature in Garrett County.

Golfing- Then of course there is golf in Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake, the game that keeps me away from doing all of the things I should be doing.  As soon as the weather breaks, I’m trying to get out to either Oakland Country Club or the Wisp Resort course to hit some balls and enjoy the game. With the new golf courses planned at Thousand Acres and the Hale Irwin designed Lodestone course on top of Wisp Mountain - coming in the near future Deep Creek Lake is fast becoming a destination spot for avid golfers.

Other Popular Spring activities here at Deep Creek and in Garrett County Maryland include, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, ATV, Motorcycle Riding, and just plain  Get Out and  Enjoy a Spring Day! In the Deep Creek Lake area you can rent or buy mountain bikes and kayaks at High Mountain Sports.

So you can plainly see my dilemma. With the limited number of hours in a spring day what do I do?  Fitting all of our Spring activities, along with some necessary work is somewhat of a challenge here at Deep Creek Lake.  I guess I’ll stick with what has worked for me in the past, Sleep Less! and Enjoy Springtime at Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County more!

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 June 4th, 2008 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do

There is no doubt many people buy real estate here at Deep Creek Lake and in Garrett County, Maryland for the activities and lifestyle this four season resort area offers. Recently, Becky Sciullo, who is the author of The Deep Creek Lake Blog, wrote a great post a few weeks ago that compiled a “Deep Creek Lake Bucket List” after soliciting ideas from readers and from her own experiences. For those of you that don’t know - the movie titled “The Bucket List” was about two terminally ill men who leave their hospital and head off to do a list of activities they’ve always wanted to do before they die.

After discussing her post with some other real estate agents and realtors in our office we came up with a few other activities and things to add to this list. 

• Mountain biking the Margroff Plantation near Accident, Maryland. Mostly single-track trails. It’s not too hard - but not too easy either. Margroff Plantation is part of the Savage River State Forest.
• Riding ATV’s and four wheeling in Yough Mountain Resort. Of course you must do so with an owner in this neighborhood.
• Snowmobiling between the Oakland County Club and either Pawn Run Saloon for a Friday night steak or JG’s Pub for some really good bar food.
• Wake surfing on Deep Creek Lake. The newest water-sport fad. You gotta have a big boat with a big wake to do this activity - but wake surfing isn’t that strenuous on the body, is a lot of fun, and can be done on the most busiest of weekends - unlike waterskiing or wakeboarding where flat water is usually required. ** Please note you must use a straight Inboard boat to do this activity. The propellor on an Inboard boat is beneath the boat and not sticking out the back like an I/O or Outboard drive boat. Also, be aware that their is a slight carbon monoxide danger as well - as you are sometimes surfing the boat’s wake right behind where the exhaust of the boat is coming out.
• Attending the Fireman’s Parade and Oktoberfest celebration in downtown Oakland, Maryland the Thursday of Autumn Glory Weekend. Great food, an Oompah Band, and great party.
• Going to the Little Yough Music Festival, also in Oakland, which is held every Friday night in the summer. They have really good bands and it’s free admission.
• Drinking a specialty coffee and eating lunch on the deck at Canoe on The Run in the summer.
• Shopping the Labor Day Weekend ski specials at Rudy’s at Wisp and High Mountain Sports.

While we are not suggesting you have to be terminally ill to do these activities - above are just a few more things and activities that make this area such a great place to buy a vacation home.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 February 20th, 2008 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do

Because of last weekend’s snowmobile incident on Deep Creek Lake and in anticipation of this weekend’s Deep Creek Dunk event, Patty Manown Mash of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wanted to distribute this warning from her office.

DATELINE - Swanton, MD

The Maryland Park Service alerts snowmobilers of the potential for unseen safety hazards on the lake, particularly at night.  Starting on Wednesday, February 20th, an area of ice will be removed near Uno’s Restaurant to create open water for the Special Olympics Deep Creek Dunk. This area will remain unsafe for quite some time and will be marked with reflective traffic cones. Also be aware that lake surface conditions under bridges where road salt and abrasives are plowed from the pavement are often particularly hazardous. Other conditions that may cause unpleasant situations are unseen snowdrifts or pressure ridges that can act as ramps and cause sleds to become airborne leading to a loss of control and accidents.

 Deep Creek Lake is a part of the designated ORV trail system permitting use by registered snowmobiles only. Permits are available by mail or at any of the local State Park offices during normal business hours. Snowmobiles may operate at night if equipped with working head and taillights. Access to the lake may be made at Deep Creek Lake State Park or with permission from a private landowner with a permit site adjacent to the lake.

Ice fishermen, hikers and cross-country skiers traveling on the lake should also exercise caution.  The wearing of or having a readily accessible personal floatation device could prevent a tragedy.  If you encounter people, pets or wildlife that have fallen through the ice, contact either 911 or the toll free DNR Communications number 1-800-628-9944 for assistance.

For further information on ice conditions at Deep Creek Lake, contact a ranger at the Park Headquarters office (301) 387-5563 or the Discovery Center on weekends at 301-387-7067.