Deep Creek Lake with a Dog
Deep Creek Lake is a good place to bring a dog. Leashed dogs are welcome on almost every state park and state forest trail around the lake, on several pontoon rentals and at two free fenced dog parks, one near each end of the lake. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, dogs stay off the state park swim beaches and out of the Swallow Falls day-use area. Cranesville Swamp doesn't allow dogs at any time of year.
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A county that likes dogs
Most of Garrett County is forest, and nearly all of it is open to a dog on a leash.
A few places have their own rules. Cranesville Swamp, the Nature Conservancy bog on the West Virginia line, doesn’t allow dogs. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the state parks keep dogs off their sandy swim beaches, and Swallow Falls keeps them out of its day-use area, falls trail included. Wisp keeps dogs off the mountain once the snow guns start. Everywhere else, bring the leash and go.
The rules that apply everywhere
Garrett County has a leash law. Off its own property, a dog has to be on a leash or reliably under your control. Visiting dogs don’t need a county license for a short stay, but they do need their rabies certificate with them.
In Maryland’s state parks the leash can be up to 6 feet in developed areas and 10 feet on the trails. Dogs stay out of park buildings, and you pick up after them.
Summer and the shoulder seasons
The summer rules arrive with the summer crowds. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, dogs stay off the falls trail at Swallow Falls and off the state park beaches. In summer, Swallow Falls also requires a day-use reservation, and having one doesn’t change the dog rule.
After Labor Day, the falls trail and the beaches are open to dogs again, and the patios stay open until the weather turns. The weeks before Memorial Day weekend are nearly as good.
Ticks, bears and hunting season
Ticks are the everyday risk. Garrett County’s health department treats Lyme as a year-round concern, peaking in late summer. Check the dog every evening, and yourself.
Black bears live throughout the county, so keep the dog leashed. The state’s advice is that a dog chasing a bear can come back with the bear behind it. The occasional porcupine is one more reason for the leash.
Hunting season covers much of fall and winter in the state forests. Firearm deer season runs for about two weeks from the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and some of the forests allow Sunday hunting. An orange vest for the dog makes sense from fall into January. The hiking guide has the full picture.
Keep the dog off the lake ice. Deep Creek has springs and rising gas bubbles that leave thin patches you can’t see.
Where the dog can come
Walks
The Canyon Trail runs past the falls. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, dogs aren't allowed anywhere in the day-use area, and that includes the Canyon Trail. The rest of the year, leashed dogs are welcome on it. The park's other trails take leashed dogs all year.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
The park sits on the lake's northeast shore, below Meadow Mountain, and its wooded trails are all open to leashed dogs. Leashes can run to 10 feet on the trails and 6 feet in the developed areas. Keep dogs off the ski trails in winter.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
A historic homestead on the Youghiogheny River at Sang Run, past the north end of the lake, with more than 2.5 miles of trail through meadows and along the river. Leashed dogs are welcome all year, so it makes a good summer walk while the Swallow Falls day-use area is closed to them. Parts of the park are hunted in season, Monday through Saturday, so put orange on you both in the fall.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Leashed dogs are allowed throughout both forests, home to the Rock Maze and most of the county's longer, quieter walks. Both are working forests, hunted in season, and Savage River allows Sunday deer hunting. From fall into winter, dress yourself and the dog in orange.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
In spring, summer and fall, leashed dogs can walk the ski slopes at the north end of the lake. They're welcome in the hotel lobby and on the restaurant patios, too. Dogs stay off the chairlifts and out of the restaurants, and off the mountain entirely once ski season or snowmaking starts.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Swimming
Dogs can swim in the lake from the park's shoreline, away from the docks and fishing piers. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day they stay off the sandy swim beach, and they're welcome on the grass beside it. Nearly all the rest of the shoreline borders private lots.
- Dog friendly
On a boat
Pontoon rentals at the north end of the lake, where nice dogs are welcome aboard. Keep the dog leashed on the property, and brush off the hair and paw prints before you bring the boat back. A big dog counts toward the boat's weight limit.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Bennington pontoons from bases at both ends of the lake. Dogs can ride on the standard boats, and the luxury pontoons are dog-free, so mention the dog when you book.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Rentals out of Deep Creek Marina, with dogs allowed on board. Bring a couple of towels for the seats. A boat that comes back covered in hair can carry a cleaning fee.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Dogs are allowed on the pontoons. The captained tours don't publish a dog policy, so ask when you book one.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Patios
A brewery at the north end of the lake whose back patio welcomes well-behaved dogs on a leash. The patio is open from spring through fall.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
A steak dinner with the dog along, at the north end of the lake. Dogs are welcome on the patio outside the bar when the weather allows.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
A winery outside Oakland, at the south end of the lake. Dogs are welcome on the patio, where the fire pits are, on a leash of 6 feet or less. Keep the dog with you the whole time. Indoors is for service animals only.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
A bar on the lake with a beer garden. Dogs are welcome at the ground-level tables there, off the deck, and you order at the bar.
- Dog friendly
- For couples
Off the leash
Nearly an acre, fenced, with a double gate and separate areas for small and large dogs. The Deep Creek Lake Lions Club runs it at Accident, just north of the lake, and it's free. Dogs need current vaccinations, prong and choke collars stay at home, and one adult can bring up to three dogs.
- Dog friendly
The town's free, fenced dog park, at the south end of the lake. It sits along the Oakland walking trail, so a walk can end with a run off the leash.
- Dog friendly
If something goes wrong
A full-service vet at Accident, just north of the lake, run by HART for Animals. They also do grooming, for a weekend that ended in mud.
- Dog friendly
A full-service daytime vet in Oakland, at the south end of the lake. In an emergency, call first.
- Dog friendly
The closest 24-hour emergency and critical care hospital, in Morgantown, west on I-68 across the West Virginia line. Save the address before the trip.
- Dog friendly
Common questions
- Is Deep Creek Lake dog friendly?
- Yes. Leashed dogs are allowed on nearly every state park and state forest trail around the lake, on several pontoon rentals, on plenty of restaurant and brewery patios, and at two free fenced dog parks. Dogs can't go to Cranesville Swamp at any time of year. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, they also stay off the state park swim beaches and out of the Swallow Falls day-use area.
- Can dogs swim in Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes, from the Deep Creek Lake State Park shoreline. Keep them away from the docks and fishing piers, and from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, off the sandy swim beach. There is no designated dog beach, and most of the rest of the shoreline borders private property. Dogs can also swim off a pontoon from the rental companies that allow them.
- Are dogs allowed at the Deep Creek Lake State Park beach?
- Yes, except in summer. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, dogs stay off the sand. They can still use the grass beside the beach and swim from the shoreline elsewhere in the park. Dogs aren't allowed in park buildings.
- Can I bring my dog on a pontoon at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. The Aquatic Center, Lake Life Boat Rentals and Fun Time Watersports all allow dogs on their pontoons, and Bill's Marine Service takes them on its standard boats. Its luxury pontoons are dog-free. Bring towels for the seats, and brush off the hair before you return the boat.
- Is there a dog park near Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes, two. Both are free and fenced. The Garrett County Dog Park at Accident, just north of the lake, has separate areas for small and large dogs. The Oakland Dog Park sits along the town walking trail at the south end of the lake.
- Are dogs allowed at Wisp Resort?
- Yes, in spring, summer and fall. Leashed dogs are welcome in the hotel lobby, on the restaurant patios and on the slopes. They stay off the chairlifts and out of the restaurants, and off the mountain during ski season.
- Where is the nearest emergency vet to Deep Creek Lake?
- Cheat Lake Animal Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, west on I-68, is open around the clock for emergencies. For anything that can wait for a daytime appointment, there are full-service vets at Accident and in Oakland.
- What is the best time of year to visit Deep Creek Lake with a dog?
- Fall, once Labor Day has passed. The summer rules end, so the falls trail and the beaches reopen to dogs. The trails are cool, and the patios are still open. Late spring, before Memorial Day weekend, is lovely too.
Where to stay
A getaway for two, and the dog comes too.
Nightwood is a luxury cabin, thoughtfully designed for couples, on two wooded acres at the north end of the lake. The dog has its own bed and bowls inside, so it can settle in while the two of you end the day in the hot tub beneath the deck. Your dog stays free.
See Nightwood