A Romantic Weekend at Deep Creek Lake
A romantic weekend at Deep Creek Lake means waterfalls at Swallow Falls, an afternoon on horseback or by a winery's fire pits, and dinner on the water at Dutch's at Silver Tree or Firewater. Fall and late spring suit a weekend for two best, and midweek is quieter still.
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A weekend for two
Summer at Deep Creek is about the water. The rest of the year, a weekend for two tends to run through the woods, and most of Garrett County is forest. Waterfalls in the morning, a winery with fire pits in the afternoon, and dinner by the lake at night.
October and May suit a couples trip well. The lake and the trails are quiet, the color is out or the spring green is coming in, and the nights are cool.
Coming from the cities
Deep Creek makes a good weekend from Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The phone signal fades on the last stretch in, so save your directions before you set out. The Deep Creek hub has the drive from each city.
Two nights, roughly
Arrive Friday and keep the evening simple. Mountain State Brewing, at the north end of the lake, has a patio and its own beer. For a steak dinner, Pine Lodge is at the north end too.
Give Saturday morning to Swallow Falls. The hemlock there is old growth and keeps the trail dark all year.
On Saturday afternoon, ride the Wisp chairlift on a clear day, take a captained pontoon or rent a kayak when it’s warm, ride horses out of Oakland, or sit by the fire pits at Blackthorne once it cools off. The water guide has where to rent and launch.
Then have a drink on Mountain State Brewing’s patio as the light goes, and dinner at Dutch’s or out on Firewater’s dock.
On Sunday, get coffee and take a short walk. The Rock Maze is under a mile there and back, through passages worn between and under the boulders.
An anniversary or a honeymoon
For an anniversary, a birthday or a honeymoon, Dutch’s at Silver Tree is the dinner to dress up for, at a table on the water. For something more relaxed, Firewater has dinner by the fire. The restaurants guide has the rest of the dinners that feel like an occasion.
When it snows
Snow brings the sleigh rides. Circle R Ranch, near Oakland at the south end of the lake, runs horse-drawn sleighs across the ranch whenever the snow is deep enough. All Earth Eco Tours leads snowshoe walks out of Friendsville, usually to Swallow Falls, with the gear included. The winter guide has both, and the skiing at Wisp.
What to know before you book
October fills first. Peak color and the Autumn Glory Festival land in the same two weeks, and lodging goes early. If your dates are set on Autumn Glory weekend, around the second full weekend of October, book your stay before anything else.
Midweek is quieter in every season. The trails empty out, and the color is just as good on a Tuesday. Many kitchens keep a shorter week, so plan dinner ahead.
Bring the dog. Leashed dogs are welcome on the patios at Mountain State Brewing, Pine Lodge and Blackthorne, at Dutch’s outdoor tables, and on the state park trails. Cranesville Swamp doesn’t allow dogs, and dogs aren’t allowed in the Swallow Falls day-use area from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
A weekend, in order
Friday evening
An easy first night at the north end of the lake, with wood-fired flatbread and beer brewed on site. The patio catches the last of the light, and dogs are welcome.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
For a first night when you'd rather sit down to a steak. It's at the north end of the lake, reservations are on OpenTable, and the dog can join you on the patio.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
Saturday morning
Black Hawk Coffee and Kitchen
Stop for coffee and breakfast at the north end of the lake first, and you'll still reach the falls early.
- For couples
- Works midweek
If you only do one thing all weekend, make it this. Four waterfalls, Muddy Creek Falls among them, on a loop of a little over a mile through old-growth hemlock. Go early, since the parking lot fills long before the trail feels busy. Dogs aren't allowed in the day-use area from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
Saturday afternoon
A lift ride at Wisp, at the north end of the lake, up the mountain for a view over the lake without the climb. It runs from spring through late October.
- For couples
A captained hour on the water
In the warmer months, Fun Time Watersports and High Mountain Sports will put a captain on a pontoon for you, so you can both sit back and enjoy the lake. Book ahead for a summer weekend.
- For couples
An hour on horseback together, out of Oakland at the south end of the lake, with an outfit that has run trail rides since 1970. The route crosses fields and an old apple orchard with the lake in view. Rides run all year. Book ahead.
- For couples
A glass of wine and a cheese board by the fire pits, once the afternoon cools. It's outside Oakland, at the south end of the lake. Leashed dogs are welcome on the patio, where the fire pits are.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
- Rainy day
Saturday dinner
The dressed-up dinner of the weekend, at a table on the water. Reservations are by phone. Mention the dog when you call and they'll seat you outside.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
Dinner by a fire on a cool evening, out on the dock from spring through fall or inside by the stone fireplaces all year. It doesn't take reservations, so come early on a Saturday.
- For couples
A multi-course dinner at one long communal table out in the pasture, held once a month from May to October at the north end of the lake. It runs three hours or more, the meat is raised on the farm, and you bring your own wine. If your weekend lands on one, book well ahead.
- For couples
Sunday
Pastries baked in-house, and coffee for the road if you're heading home to the south.
- For couples
A quiet Sunday walk through a field of house-sized boulders in Potomac-Garrett State Forest, under a mile there and back. The pull-off is easy to miss, so save the location before you set out.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
A massage, if the weather has beaten you
There are day spas at the north end of the lake, and Silver Tree offers a couples treatment. Call ahead, since weekend appointments book up.
- For couples
- Rainy day
Common questions
- Is Deep Creek Lake good for a romantic getaway?
- Yes. A couples weekend here centers on the woods: the waterfalls at Swallow Falls, trail rides out of Oakland, a winery with fire pits, and dinner on the water. Fall and late spring suit it best, when the trails are quiet and the evenings are cool enough for a fire. In summer, a captained pontoon puts you both out on the lake.
- What is there to do at Deep Creek Lake for couples without a boat?
- Waterfalls, a chairlift ride, horseback riding, a winery and a farm dinner, all on land. Swallow Falls is a mostly flat loop of a little over a mile past four waterfalls. The Wisp scenic chairlift runs from spring through late October. Blackthorne Cellars, outside Oakland, has fire pits, Western Trails runs hour-long trail rides, and Wildom Farm holds a dinner at a communal table in the pasture once a month from May to October.
- Where is the best sunset at Deep Creek Lake?
- The patio at Mountain State Brewing, at the north end of the lake, faces the sunset. For a spot right at the water's edge, Deep Creek Lake State Park's day-use area sits on the lake's northeast shore, below Meadow Mountain.
- When is the best time for a couples weekend at Deep Creek Lake?
- Mid-October, for the color. It's also the busiest stretch of the year and books out early. Late spring is quieter, with the same walks and the spring green coming in. Midweek in either season is quieter still.
- Where do people propose at Deep Creek Lake?
- Many couples choose Muddy Creek Falls at Swallow Falls State Park, Maryland's tallest free-falling waterfall, at 53 feet. On a weekend you'll share it with other walkers. For a quieter moment, try the Rock Maze on a weekday morning, when you may have it to yourselves. From spring through late October, the top of the Wisp scenic chairlift looks out over the lake. Book Dutch's for the dinner afterward, or head to Firewater early, since it doesn't take reservations.
- Is Deep Creek Lake romantic in winter?
- Yes. When there's snow, Circle R Ranch near Oakland runs horse-drawn sleigh rides, and All Earth Eco Tours leads snowshoe walks to Swallow Falls. Firewater has tables by its stone fireplaces all year, and Oakland's Winter Fest is usually on the Saturday nearest Valentine's Day.
Where to stay
A cabin for two, and every reason to stay in.
Nightwood is a luxury cabin, thoughtfully designed for couples, on two wooded acres at the north end of the lake. Start the evening in the hot tub beneath the deck, then take the rest of the night upstairs to the loft. Your dog stays free.
See Nightwood