My dad’s side of the family had a lake front cabin in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland so I grew up going to Deep Creek every year. My Uncle Ron had a cabin built in the 70s and had it built with the intention of having family vacations there. My uncle lived in Pittsburgh so it was a close getaway for him but it is not a common place for people from New Jersey to vacation. There are other lakes that are closer or more popular that people hear about so it is still very much so our ‘best kept secret’ for a vacation and relaxing get away from fast paced life.
Every year the families on my dad’s side would choose a week to go to the lake and be able to spend time with my Uncle and Aunt. We mainly chose a week in the summer to be with my Uncle and Aunt or we went ourselves when we had off of school in the winter. My Uncle passed away in 2001 and long story short, a decision was made to sell the cabin about 10 years later.
When my husband and I first started dating in 2013 we decided to take our first vacation together to Deep Creek and ever since then he was hooked! He not only understood why my family loved it there so much but he was also able to feel the indescribable relaxed feeling you get while being there. We have been renting places ever since 2013 and have kept our vacations to summer months for lake fun or winter months to ski and snowboard. Since we vacationed there while growing up and being in school, we never visited during September or the fall. This year, while still navigating COVID life and figuring out what we wanted to do for vacation, we decided to do a Deep Creek trip. We also decided to make this trip our first family vacation with our 10 month old long hair German Shepherd, Quigley! The second weekend in September was one of our only free weekends to get away so we decided to do a long weekend and booked it!
Weather
Since Deep Creek is in the mountains, it’s always much cooler and July is typically the warmest time to visit. We wanted to go and enjoy summer weather and swim in the lake but we were nervous September would be like Fall weather. We chose the second weekend for a couple of reasons but one big reason was to hopefully still have that shoulder season warm summer weather. I am sure it can be hit or miss from year to year but the weather was absolutely beautiful while we were there. The first night was cold and hit 48 degrees but the days were blue skies, sun, and mid 70s every day with still just a bit of humidity in the air. The water was cooler than July and August but we were still able to swim and enjoy the water with our pup.
We still made sure to bring some sweats and sweatshirts for the early mornings and evenings and they kept us perfectly warm. I am notoriously always cold and I didn’t even need a jacket, just a sweater or sweatshirt worked! I was even able to wear my APLY slides in the mornings on the dock and the evenings on the deck.
Things To Do
I am happy to report that pretty much anything you can do in Deep Creek in the summer you can still do in September. The lake was hopping the whole time we were there. Boating, water skiing/wakeboarding, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming were all being enjoyed by everyone at the lake. Swallow Falls was also still very much a summer feel and while the water was chilly you could still swim. We took our pup there and there were a ton of other dogs enjoying the trails and cool water from the falls as well! We were able to do anything that we would have wanted to do in July or August during our September trip. There are some special events that you can do specifically in September and we were able to experience one of them!
When we decided September would be a good time to go, we looked at our calendars and what was going on in the area. We saw that there was the Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival on September 11th which helped us to decide on the second weekend. We did not know what to expect but it was a fun couple hours of sun and wine tasting at the fair grounds!
You get a free stemless wine glass included in your ticket and the tickets were about $30, so not bad at all for being able to drink all you want for 6 hours! The tables of artisans and wineries were set up in the barns and exhibit halls and you could wander around the fair grounds with no particular schedule. There would be lines at the winery tables but not overly long. If any were long for a moment you could go to a different table and come back since there were no specific directions you had to walk and no limits on how many times you could visit a table. They did give only a tasting amount but you could try all of the wines the table/winery offered at the same time once you got to the front. Once we figured out you could try multiple wines at one table we just chugged the tasting amount down and got the next pour….yes, very opposite of how you’re supposed to taste wine LOL. We even tried some fruit wine! Any Schitts Creek fans out there?! Another option you could do was walk around to taste wines and then go into the main barn and purchase a bottle. They had picnic tables set up so you could drink your bottle, enjoy the weather, and munch on some food.
They had a band playing outside and a fun game of ring toss where you throw a ring around wine bottles to win the bottle. All the money went to benefit the local animal shelter and other local non-profits. If you happen to be in Deep Creek during the festival and you like wine, definitely check it out!
Since we had our dog, we visited the state park every morning to throw his Frisbee and walk around the trail. Our cabin used to be right next to the state park on a private road so we would frequent the park very regularly. It was always quiet then, and it was still so quiet and calming this past visit.
The Honi Honi Bar was also still open on the weekends and we were able to enjoy a happy hour there on Sunday. It’s located right on the lake so you can even dock your boat and walk up if you want! They have a large grass area with some fun activities for the kids (and adults!) like a playground, a whale, a giant Adirondack chair, and an elephant to climb on which has been a staple there since I was a super young! If you’ve never climbed the elephant and taken a photo on it, you need to your next trip!
As always, the best thing you can do in Deep Creek Lake is RELAX. No schedules. No rushing. No pertinent to do’s. Just relax. Having a house with a hot tub over looking the lake is a must. Enjoying time on the dock is a must. Enjoying time on the deck overlooking the lake is a must. Enjoying the sunrises and the sunsets (even if you have to roll out of bed and cuddle in a blanket) are a must and completely serene. Being able to get away to the lake allows you to just be, and your body truly feels a weight fall off it once you get there.
Hopefully this quick recap of our trip allowed you to feel some sense of calmness through photos! If you’ve ever been to Deep Creek in September, what’s your favorite thing to do?
