Page 19 - Garrett County - 2024 Activities Guide

Do you love hiking through stunning displays of fall colors? Racing down a snowy slope
in winter? Feeling sand between your toes in the summer? Watching nature reemerge in the spring?
You’ll get to experience all that
and more in Garrett County. As the home of both Maryland’s only ski resort and Maryland’s largest inland body of freshwater, we’re a true four-season destination. Whether hiking, cross-country skiing, ORV riding, boating, swimming or fishing is your speed for outdoor recreation, we’re guaranteed to have plenty of options for you. (And for those with limited mobility — or those who simply prefer to explore on four wheels — we offer fall-foliage driving tours to help you reconnect with nature as you follow our winding, scenic roads.)
What are you waiting for? Come join us in the great outdoors.
WINTER
Wisp Resort (wispresort.com), Maryland’s only four-season downhill ski resort, is home to
33 slopes, spanning 172 acres. That diversity ensures you’ll find skiing and snowboarding activities tailored to all levels of experience, from beginners to intermediates and experts. Lessons are available from qualified instructors, and lights illuminate the hills for nighttime activities.
There are dozens of trails and several Terrain Parks with jumps, boxes, rails and other features
to cater to freestyle skiers and snowboarders. Visitors love the Mountain Coaster, a mix of an alpine slide and a roller coaster with stunning views of Deep
Creek Lake. And the whole family can enjoy snow tubing at the
Wisp Mountain Park. (As long as everyone is at least 4 years old and 42 inches tall). It’s all the thrills of sledding without the long hike back up the hill! Advance reservations for snow tubing are required;
make your reservation online at wispresort.com.
PHOTO BY CREDE CALHOUN – VISION QUEST STUDIOS
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular wintertime activities. Some of our favorite places to strap on the gear are New Germany and Herrington Manor State Parks. Park staffers at New Germany groom and track
the 12 miles of trails to make for
a great cross-country experience for anyone from beginners to
more experienced skiers. Trails
at Herrington Manor are easy to intermediate level, and rentals of skis, boots, poles, snowshoes and sleds are available 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in season. More information and current guidelines can be found at dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/ pages/western/newgermany/ winter-activities.aspx and dnr. maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/ western/herringtonmanor/winter- sports.aspx.
There are several groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Savage River Lodge (savageriverlodge.com), but the lodge is a year-round outdoor destination, with other offerings including cycling trips and fly-fishing classes.
Love ice skating? Joint Training Facility (JTF), a veteran-owned local event company, runs an outdoor ice-skating rink at one
of the pavilions in Grantsville’s Town Park. The ice rink is open seasonally from the weekend before Thanksgiving until Presidents’ Day. Learn more about JTF’s programming, including mobile entertainment options like bubble soccer, laser tag and more, at jtf1.com.
// OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES
www.visitdeepcreek.com 17