October 5, 2021
History buffs, curious cats, or those just looking to learn a little bit more about the area – keep reading for 5 facts about our corner of Maryland!
1. Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in Maryland.
The lake is man-made – in fact, all Maryland lakes are. However, there is evidence that naturally occurring lakes did once exist in Garret County! Covering nearly 4,000 acres and reaching depths of 75 feet, our charming lake is huge.
2. Oakland was founded as a town in 1862.
Oakland is a relatively “new” town with lots and lots of history. Given that we’re host to a B&O Railroad stop, Oakland has had a variety of visitors, from locals to presidents and everyone in between. To accommodate the tourist boom (in the late 1800s to early 1900s) the famous Oakland Hotel was built! 300 rooms made up the massive building before it was scrapped for its wood in 1909 due to lack of patronage.
3. The Inn at Deep Creek building has been around since 1969.
Previously known as the Alpine Village Inn, this hotel has been standing for over 50 years! A lot of TLC has gone into making it what it is, and we are so proud of where we are today. Take a look at what this building looked like when it was the Alpine Inn – it’s amazing what elbow grease and love can do!
4. We get roughly 106 inches of snowfall each year.
The Deep Creek lake area gets 106 inches, nearly 9 feet of snow, annually! Our mountainous climate means our summers are warm, and our winters are snowy. Because of this, Oakland is home to one of the East Coast’s favorite ski resorts – Wisp! Skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and more, just a few minutes’ drive from the Inn at Deep Creek. And don’t worry, if the snow lets us down, Wisp has state-of-the-art snow-making machines!
5. Garrett County is the westernmost county in Maryland.
We’re nestled right in between Pennsylvania and West Virginia, in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains! Garrett County is the 3rd least populous county in all of Maryland, so when you visit you’ll feel like you’re staying with a friend rather than stuck in a hotel room in a busy city.
We hope you learned something, and we’ll see you soon!