Deep Creek Lake in Winter
Winter at Deep Creek is busy on ski weekends and holiday weeks around Wisp, at the north end of the lake, and quiet midweek. Herrington Manor grooms cross-country trails when the snow allows. The frozen lake is open to snowmobiles and ice fishing. There is no official ice-thickness report, so you test the ice yourself on the day you go.
Checked
Two winters
There are two winters at Deep Creek, and which one you get depends on the day you pick. On weekends and through the holiday weeks, the north end of the lake is busy, with skiers on the slopes at Wisp and on the roads and in the restaurants around it. Come midweek, a Tuesday in January or the week after New Year’s, and you find the other one. The lake has frozen over, the roads are quiet, and the whole county slows down.
If there is snow
At Wisp, at the north end of the lake, skiing, riding and tubing run day and night. The season’s opening and closing dates depend on the weather until the resort confirms them.
Herrington Manor’s cross-country trails and rentals depend on natural snow. “When conditions allow” is the park’s own phrasing, and a thin week can mean no track-set trail and no rentals. For a snow day without gear of your own, a guided snowshoe walk out of Friendsville or a private sleigh ride at a ranch near Oakland takes care of everything.
Snowmobile permits come in two layers: a state decal for the trails and the lake, and a separate county permit if any part of the ride touches a public road.
If there isn’t
Some winters bring a green Christmas. The lake still fishes, and the winter calendar goes ahead whatever the ground looks like, with Oakland’s Winter Fest, the Deep Creek Dunk and New Year’s Eve at Wisp. Glassblowing and a spa afternoon don’t depend on the forecast at all. The back roads that draw leaf-peepers in the fall are lovely in a bare, cold January too, and quieter. The rainy-day guide has more for a gray day indoors.
What closes, and where the fire is
Spruce Forest Artisan Village and Firewater’s dock close for the season, and Honi Honi keeps a shorter week.
On a day of freezing rain, or a day nobody wants to drive in, Blackthorne Cellars stays open with a big fireplace. The Discovery Center is a warm, free stop as well. It keeps short winter hours. Check before you go.
What needs care
The ice has no official rating. Maryland DNR’s guidance is at least four inches of new, clear ice, and no ice is ever guaranteed safe. Deep Creek is stream- and spring-fed and freezes unevenly, and some inlets barely freeze at all. Test the ice yourself on the day you go, and take someone with you. Yesterday’s reading doesn’t count.
Not every road is plowed. Under a declared snow emergency, Route 219 can require snow tires or chains. Mount Nebo’s access roads may not be plowed at all, and a gate you can’t reach closes off the trail behind it.
Booking
Winter books in two halves. The ski weekends and the holiday weeks around Christmas, New Year’s and Presidents’ Day fill up early, like Autumn Glory week, so reserve well ahead.
Where to go
If there is snow
Skiing and riding at the north end of the lake, with 33 trails off seven chairlifts, plus surface lifts and carpets, and snowmaking to cover what the sky misses. There's night skiing too. The vertical drop is somewhere between 667 and 700 feet, depending on which source you read, since Wisp doesn't publish a figure of its own. Ticket prices vary by day and by whether you buy ahead, and rentals and lessons are added at checkout.
- For couples
- Works midweek
- Winter
There are 12 lanes, each 750 feet long, with a conveyor carpet to carry you back up. You don't need a lift ticket or any experience. Book ahead. Hard-shell boots and loose scarves aren't allowed.
- For couples
- Winter
There are 10 miles of state-forest trail, track-set when the snow allows, plus a sledding hill. You can rent skis, boots and poles, or snowshoes, for a couple of hours or the full day. You pay up front, the gear stays in the park, and even a full-day rental comes back the same day. New Germany State Park, out past Grantsville, hosted the first organized ski event south of the Mason-Dixon line in 1941. It doesn't rent equipment, but it does sell the Maryland Snowmobile Permit that riders need for trails elsewhere.
- For couples
- Winter
Garrett County is one of the few places in Maryland where riding a frozen lake is legal. Deep Creek Lake is open to registered snowmobiles, and so are Meadow Mountain Trail out of the state park, the Deep Creek Lake Natural Resource Management Area, and the Potomac-Garrett, Savage River and Wolf Den Run state forests. The season runs December 15 to March 15 and opens only once there are at least four inches of snow cover. Every rider needs a Maryland Snowmobile Permit decal, sold by mail or at state park offices. Riding a public road to reach a trailhead takes a second permit, the county ATV and snowmobile roadway permit from the Sheriff's Office, which covers up to 5 miles on county-maintained roads. When the park's main gate closes for the season, riders stage from the boat-ramp lot.
- Winter
A guided walk out of Friendsville, usually to Swallow Falls. You don't need to know the trail or own any gear. If the snow doesn't come, it runs as a guided hike, so the booking holds either way. It's a small outfit, so book ahead.
- For couples
- Winter
Percherons and Clydesdales pull an open sleigh across a working ranch near Oakland, at the south end of the lake, with room for up to four. The rides need a good 8-inch base of snow and temperatures below freezing, so they run from November through February whenever the trail allows. Reservations are by phone, no more than a week ahead.
- For couples
- Winter
If there isn't
Bluegill, walleye and yellow perch come up through the ice, with the odd bass or pike. A Maryland fishing license covers it. You can buy one online or at bait shops like Deep Creek Outfitters and Bill's Outdoor Center. Maryland DNR's guidance is at least four inches of new, clear ice, tested yourself on the day you go, and no ice is ever guaranteed safe. The lake is fed by streams and springs, so it freezes unevenly, and some inlets barely freeze at all. First-timers usually go with a guide who brings the auger, the shelter and the rest of the gear.
- For couples
- Winter
In a hard freeze, Muddy Creek Falls turns into a wall of ice. At 53 feet, it's Maryland's tallest free-falling waterfall. A loop of a little over a mile takes in three more falls, Upper and Lower Swallow Falls and Tolliver Falls, through old-growth hemlock. The park stays open through the winter. The steps near the falls get icy, so bring traction.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
- Winter
On the winter calendar
A one-day street festival in downtown Oakland, at the south end of the lake, usually on the Saturday nearest Valentine's Day. There are ice sculptures and carving demonstrations, a Bakers' Market, live music and stage performances, and a 21-and-over Wine Walk with its own ticket. None of it depends on snow.
- For couples
Over three days in the second half of February, people plunge into Deep Creek Lake to raise money for Special Olympics Maryland. It's one of the county's big winter events, and you're welcome to come and watch.
- Winter
A free party on the 31st at the north end of the lake, with live music and food and drink for sale.
- For couples
- Winter
Oakland, at the south end of the lake, leans into the season. Light Up Night, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, has a lantern parade led by Santa and a tree lighting. The Great Small Town Christmas follows on a Saturday in December, with a soup crawl down Main Street. It's low-key, walkable and free.
- For couples
- Winter
Indoors when the weather turns
At the factory store in Mountain Lake Park, just past Oakland at the south end of the lake, master glassblowers work molten glass while you watch, free, from a catwalk above the factory floor. It's an easy hour to lose on a stormy day, and the shop keeps a shelf of seconds.
- For couples
- Rainy day
- Winter
A spa afternoon for two
There are day spas at the north end of the lake with couples massage, including one at the Wisp hotel. Book ahead.
- For couples
- Winter
A winery outside Oakland, at the south end of the lake, open through the winter, with a big fireplace inside. It's a good place to be when the forecast turns to freezing rain. Leashed dogs are welcome on the patio, where the fire pits are.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
- Rainy day
- Winter
A free indoor stop in Deep Creek Lake State Park. The main entrance gate closes December 15 to March 15, and parking moves to the boat-ramp and Discovery Center lots. The center keeps a shorter schedule off-season.
- For couples
- Dog friendly
- Rainy day
Common questions
- Is Wisp Resort open in winter at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. Wisp, at the north end of the lake, is the center of the winter season, with 33 trails off seven chairlifts, surface lifts, snowmaking to back up the natural snow, and night skiing. Recent seasons have opened in early December and run into mid-March. Wisp usually posts lift-ticket pricing before it confirms the season's opening and closing dates.
- Can you go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. Herrington Manor State Park track-sets about 10 miles of trail when conditions allow, and rents skis, boots, poles and snowshoes by the half-day or the day. Meadow Mountain Trail at Deep Creek Lake State Park is open to both as well, though it isn't machine-groomed. New Germany State Park, where Maryland's ski history goes back to 1941, has no rentals.
- Can you snowmobile at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. Garrett County is one of the few places in Maryland where you can ride the frozen lake itself, along with Meadow Mountain Trail and the Potomac-Garrett, Savage River and Wolf Den Run state forests. The season runs December 15 to March 15 and needs at least four inches of snow cover first. Every rider needs a Maryland Snowmobile Permit, plus a separate county permit if any part of the ride crosses a public road.
- Is ice fishing allowed on Deep Creek Lake, and how do you know the ice is safe?
- Yes, with a Maryland fishing license. Bluegill, walleye and yellow perch are the usual catch. There is no official ice report. Maryland DNR's guidance is at least four inches of new, clear ice, tested yourself on the day you go, and no ice is ever guaranteed safe. The lake is stream- and spring-fed and freezes unevenly.
- Is there a winter festival at Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes. Oakland's Winter Fest is a one-day street event at the south end of the lake, usually near Valentine's Day, with ice sculptures, a Bakers' Market, live music and a 21-and-over Wine Walk. The town posts each year's date on its site.
- Do you need snow tires or chains to drive to Deep Creek Lake in winter?
- No. Garrett County can declare a snow emergency that requires snow tires or chains on designated routes, including Route 219, for as long as it lasts. While it stands, vehicles without them can be barred from those roads, and parking on them isn't allowed. Outside a snow emergency, good winter tires and a slower pace make sense in a county that gets heavy snow. Studded tires are legal in Garrett and the other western Maryland counties from November 1 to March 31.
- What is closed at Deep Creek Lake in winter?
- Spruce Forest Artisan Village in Grantsville closes for the season, and Firewater's dock and outdoor fireplace run from spring through late fall. Honi Honi keeps a shorter week. Some forest and wildlife-area access roads, Mount Nebo's among them, may not be plowed, so a gate can be out of reach even when the trail beyond it is fine.
- Is Deep Creek Lake worth visiting in winter if you don't ski?
- Yes. Midweek, away from the ski weekends, the trails and the lake are quiet. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride, a guided snowshoe walk to a frozen waterfall, or a day of ice fishing with a guide who brings the gear. Watch the glassblowers in Mountain Lake Park, book a couples massage, or spend a day of freezing rain by the fire at a winery outside Oakland, at the cinema or at the Discovery Center.
- Is Deep Creek Lake State Park open in winter?
- Yes. The state parks charge a day-use fee year-round. The main entrance gate closes for the December 15 to March 15 snowmobile season, and parking moves to the boat-ramp and Discovery Center lots.
- Can you see frozen waterfalls near Deep Creek Lake?
- Yes, in a hard freeze. Muddy Creek Falls at Swallow Falls State Park becomes a wall of ice, and the loop trail takes in three more falls. The park is open through the winter. The footing near the falls is icy, and whether they freeze depends on the cold snap.
Where to stay
Snowy days in together, and a warm return from the slopes.
Nightwood is a luxury cabin, thoughtfully designed for couples, on two wooded acres at the north end of the lake. Watch the snow drift past the loft's wall of windows, or come in from Wisp and sink into the hot tub beneath the deck while it's still falling. Your dog stays free.
See Nightwood