Deep Creek Lake in the Rain
On a rainy day at Deep Creek Lake, Loch & Laurel recommends free live glassblowing at Simon Pearce in Mountain Lake Park, near Oakland. Around the lake there are golf simulators, a movie theater, a bowling alley, a bookshop and two small museums. East in Cumberland, a scenic railroad, the Allegany Museum and the C&O Canal visitor center make a full day out.
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Start with the glassblowers
From a catwalk above the factory floor at Simon Pearce, you can watch the glassblowers at the furnace for as long as you like, and it’s free. The factory is in Mountain Lake Park, just past Oakland at the south end of the lake, with its shop alongside.
Around the lake
The north end of the lake has golf simulators at The 19th Greene, and Garrett 8 Cinemas is next to Honi Honi, on the lake. Oakland has The Alley for bowling, a bookshop with an antiques mezzanine, and the county’s historical and transportation museums, a short walk apart.
East to Cumberland
Cumberland has enough indoors to fill the day. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad leaves from the old station at Canal Place, and the Frostburg Flyer runs through the warmer months. The C&O Canal Cumberland Visitor Center is in the same station, free and open all year. The Allegany Museum, a few streets over, covers local and rail history. Frostburg, on the way, has a main street made for wandering.
Better in the rain
Some of Deep Creek is at its best wet. Swallow Falls runs harder and louder with more water coming through the gorge. The county’s two foliage driving tours, the 54-mile southern loop and a shorter northern one through Friendsville, are just as good from behind a windshield.
Where to go in the rain
At the north end of the lake
Trackman golf simulators, open all year, with food and drinks on site. It's near Wisp at the north end of the lake, and it makes a good date on a wet afternoon.
- For couples
- Rainy day
A heated indoor pool at the Lodge at Wisp, at the north end of the lake. Call the resort and ask about access.
- For couples
- Rainy day
On the lake
A movie theater next to Honi Honi, on the lake, with fewer showtimes in the off-season.
- For couples
- Rainy day
In and around Oakland
A working glass factory in Mountain Lake Park, just past Oakland at the south end of the lake. Glassblowers work the furnace live, and you watch from a catwalk above the factory floor, for free. The factory store is right alongside.
- For couples
- Rainy day
12 lanes, a restaurant and bar, pool tables, darts and shuffleboard, all set up for grown-ups.
- For couples
- Rainy day
A bookshop and an antiques mezzanine under one roof in downtown Oakland, at the south end of the lake. It keeps a short week.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Local history in downtown Oakland, open part of the week.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Run by the same people as the historical museum, a short walk away, so the two make an easy pair.
- For couples
- Rainy day
The public library, with free wifi. The Oakland branch has two study rooms. You can reserve the larger one up to a week ahead, and the smaller one is first come, first served.
- For couples
- Works midweek
- Rainy day
East, in Cumberland and Frostburg
A scenic railroad out of the old station at Canal Place in Cumberland, with coach, dome, lunch and 21-and-over lounge cars. The Frostburg Flyer runs through the warmer months, and the round trip takes about four and a half hours. Book ahead. The day-trips guide has more on tickets and the locomotives.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Free, indoors and open all year, in the old Western Maryland Railway station at Canal Place, where the scenic railroad leaves from.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Local and rail history in downtown Cumberland. It's open seasonally and keeps a short week.
- For couples
- Rainy day
A walkable main street on the way to Cumberland, with a bookstore, a record shop and a mercantile among other shops. The Palace Theatre runs a film series and live events through the year. Come to wander.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Common questions
- What is there to do at Deep Creek Lake when it rains?
- Start with Simon Pearce in Mountain Lake Park, just past Oakland at the south end of the lake, where glassblowers work the furnace live and you can watch for free. Around the lake there are golf simulators at The 19th Greene, films at Garrett 8 Cinemas, bowling at The Alley, and a bookshop and two small museums in Oakland. Farther east, Cumberland has a scenic railroad, the Allegany Museum and the C&O Canal visitor center.
- Is there a cinema at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. Garrett 8 Cinemas is next to Honi Honi, on the lake, and it has fewer showtimes in the off-season.
- What indoor games are there at Deep Creek Lake?
- Golf and bowling, both with a drink alongside. The 19th Greene has golf simulators at the north end of the lake, and The Alley in Oakland has bowling, pool, darts and shuffleboard.
- What is open at Deep Creek Lake on a Monday?
- It depends on the place and the season. Many of the smaller places, including the museums and the bookshop, keep a short week, and most cut back outside summer. Check before you go, and ask whether the Simon Pearce furnace is running that day.
Where to stay
Rain on the windows, and nowhere you have to be.
Nightwood is a luxury cabin, thoughtfully designed for couples, on two wooded acres at the north end of the lake. Curl up together in the loft and watch the rain in the trees, or cook a slow dinner in. The hot tub stays sheltered beneath the deck. Your dog stays free.
See Nightwood