Deep Creek Lake Reviews

Absolutely a great four season vacation area. Lake for boating of all sorts, wonderful restaurants, gorgeous mountain area resorts for skiing, hiking, slide, and many other activities.

We have been going to Deep Creek with our kids and grandchildren for 8 consecutive summers. We rent a 5-6 bedroom house. Prices for rentals have increased quite a bit over this time period, however, the time with family is worth it and it's a relaxing time with little kids. We wish we could afford a lakefront house one year, but those are very expensive. We usually stay on the mountaintop. We do horseback riding, boat rentals, hiking, Mountain Coaster, etc. Everything has doubled in price, but what hasn't? We have rented from Railey and Taylormade, and I prefer Railey. We have had issues at most houses with cleaning not being up to par, but Railey was more attentive to our complaints. We are currently planning for Summer 2025.

We are staying at a home on Deep Creek Lake. We rented through Taylor Made Deep Creek Vacation. We couldn’t be happier. You can rent boats here and the water is so clean.

Railey Lake Vacation Rentals-Awful customer service.
They don’t care about the homes as many are dirty, old and dated with a hefty price tag. We came to a home last year and the place was filthy! The cleaning from last guest had not been done. Dirty sheets, dishes, etc…disgusting. It took over two hours for the maid to come and clean it and then another couple hours till she was done. Railey wasn’t going to do anything, but they finally gave us some out our money back. Oh and it was on superbowl Sunday too. I found so many reviews on how dirty the rooms were with photos. Just nasty.
Very poor customer service. A bunch of unhappy women at the front desk and in the phone.
Will not be renting with them again!

Excellent 2 bedroom rental on the lake at a very reasonable price. We loved the in room hot tub and play area. It was convenient to several restaurants and an arcade for the kids. The fishing from our dock was enjoyed by everyone and the kids loved the swings. This is our first time here but won't be our last. Thank you Howard and Pat for letting us enjoy your wonderful town home.

My family and I love Deep Creek Lake in summer and winter. We have made it a family tradition to spend a long weekend here every February. We recently returned from our annual trip and we were so disappointed with the home we rented. "Boxer Overlook," rented through Taylor-Made Vacations, was dirty, dusty, and dated. To name just a few issues: hair in the freezer, dirty kitchen counters, broken kitchen faucet hose, greasy toaster oven, dust and dirt hanging off of wall decor and ceiling fans, a toothbrush left behind on a bed, dirt and hair in all the bathrooms, mouse droppings under the kitchen sink and in the oven drawer. There were 9 sets of towels in the house for 14 people. A pipe in the furnace room started leaking on our second day (we noticed wet carpet). Maintenance came and placed a bucket under the leak, asked us to monitor and empty it, which we did multiple times. Not the ideal way to spend a vacation. Other than apologies, no compensation was offered to us.
Stay away from this home and be very careful renting through Taylor-Made. Their standards appear lacking.

This was an awesome weekend away. Very easy to book online with Taylor Made and they send a code to get in which was convenient. If you google Taylor Made they have hundreds of rentals to choose from. This lodge is absolutely beautiful. Lots of areas for small groups to gather. It was very clean with all the amenities. Hot tub, gas grill, large jet tub in master suite, fire pit and game room in the ground floor. The furniture is all leather and very comfortable. The fireplace and large windows make it easy to stay inside. The private dock is at a dead end part of the lake which was very nice and peaceful. Big trees all over the property gives privacy we were looking for. The sunsets were amazing. The area is easy to get around with lots to do for families. There’s ice cream, zipline, arcades, every type of restaurant (mom and pop) some upscale and mountain coaster, boat, jet ski, kayak rentals in various locations on the lake.

Indoor pool with lights at night surround system beautiful interior.

Wonderful experience!!!! See it for yourself we have been 4 times already & love it!

3 days before our Deep Creek vacation through Railey Vacations, my husband had a heart attack. I emailed the owner asking what our options were to reschedule and never received a response. Miraculously, my husband suffered no cardiac damage and was released from the hospital 3 days later. Doctor cleared him for the 3hr car ride with the restriction of not lifting anything over 5 pounds. We arrived a day late and managed to have a relaxing time. My problem with Railey was the lack of humanity shown during our medical crisis. I sent a follow up email asking if we needed to add my inlaws to our reservation as they agreed to tag along to assist and they chose to respond to that email, only. Due to the lack of empathy shown during our medical crisis, I would never use or recommend Railey vacations for future family outings.

Best B&B the Lake Pointe Inn at Deep Creek Lake.Great meals and snacks.Really liked the pontoon boat ride and campfires.Great hospitality and was very relaxing.The room we stayed in was very spacious and comfortable.

We went after a bunch of snow and then it snowed again the night before we left. Went on a Sleigh which was great!
We went to Ace's Run Restaurant at the Wisp of the Willow. Excellent food and service. Reasonable priced and food was awesome! Cool atmosphere in the winter and I'm sure in the summer it's gorgeous too! It's right in the lake!

Lake access rentals are ideal but not necessary to enjoy your time at Deep Creek. Winter/Summer recreation.
Spring/Summer: Check out Wisp's man-made circular river for white water rafting and kayaking. The lake is close to shopping areas for groceries etc. Unos & Honi Honis has an outdoor recreation area on the lake where you can play games or just relax. The ice cream and donut shop in town are excellent if you are looking for a treat and arent counting vacation calories.

Awesome lake and accommodations. Great to boat on and jump in the water for a fresh swim. We rent vacation homes and never had a problem with any of them. I've been going there for many years and will be going back for more.

Summertime means boating at Deep Creek Lake with our furbabies! We took our dogs on our Avalon Tritoon Boat out on the beautiful lake that's carved in the quiet rugged mountains of western Maryland the whole weekend. Our dogs loved swimming in the lake filled with sunshine and shimmering water as boats and other happy water-goers glide through the waters. Ahh, the things we do for our pets! A PAW-sitively fun weekend, indeed! 🚤🐾🌞💦

Every Memorial Day weekend, group of 12-16 friends, who live all over the country, come together for a fun weekend. Rented a pontoon boat (way too expensive, but it was fun). Excellent weekend. If you have never been here before your life is not complete

What a beautiful place! We stayed in a private house with a spectacular view of the lake with its on port. Sunrise was beautiful by the porch. There are several upscale homes for rent along the lake and houses are not to close to each other. Speed boats are also available to lease. You will definitely enjoy the privacy, serenity and beauty of this lakeside retreat. The fog sets in early in the morning and squirrels abound and sometimes bears come down. This is one place worth visiting.

Maryland’s largest fresh water lake is home to a selection of homes/cottages both owner occupied and rentals that plays host to a sizable population of vacationers from the Pittsburg, Baltimore DC area and further. The lakeshore is occupied with every size property imaginable from one-of-a-kind estates to cookie cutter chalets from gated properties to cottages that look to be ready to fall head long into the water. Garrett that is the county of record for Deep Creek Lake and home to a small number of permanent residents by proportion to the number of tourists that flock here each summer. McHenry the host community to the lake by virtue of it being the only established town that sits directly on the lake’s northern end consists mainly of small to mid-size business that cater mostly to its seasonal inhabitants. Missing is that small town feel that many lakesides’ communities process and the mom-and-pop warmth that draws in visitors for lakeside vacationing. Instead, condominiums, commercial feeling boat rentals and newish looking chain businesses are grouped in sanitary looking properties scattered across the lakes northern end and its more densely populated half. The spread-out Maryland mountain side lake has a great deal of room for everything so no one should feel like your neighbors are cramping your relaxing style.

The lake is cool, calm, clean and wide at it center with a number of tentacles stretching some sixty plus miles around and twelve miles in length. There is plenty of room for everyone as a matter of fact the southern half of the lake is rural and, in many areas, feels deserted. The lake traffic is dominated by rental pontoon boats and gives DCL a family feel. Instead of an army of speedboats and personal water craft they are replaced with paddleboards and kayaks that mimic the laid-back style of the area.

If you’re renting like we did be sure to bring what staples you’ll require, lake prices especially for large families are high and grocery stores scarce. Oddly enough my limited search turned up a couple of pizzerias, 2 bakeries the same number of souvenir shops and not more than 2 dedicated ice cream shops and 2 arcades just be prepared to drive a good 10 miles to get to some of the outlets. The community caters to the mid-summer tourist trade with a easy going attitude in fact if it wasn’t for the god awful price I paid for three days rental of a pontoon boat I would have been shocked at the lack of decorum that surrounded the rental procedure of a two hundred thousand dollar watercraft, still friendly cheery and easy going. OK with me.

Wisp Ski resort is located adjacent like a half mile from the town of McHenry and If it weren’t for the few lakeside cottages at the lower end of the hill a chilly plunge could be your fate. The resort offers a few summertime activities mostly kid friendly family-oriented entertainment that will last you a good hour of your time at the most if you decide to visit. Fortunately, the parking is free but the whole show grinds to a screeching halt if inclement weather threatens as it did on our visit.
The town of Oakland is the residential capital of the area is some 10 plus miles due south and not located on the lake. The small-town feel is guanine but unfortunately if it weren’t for a good number of national chain stores and restaurants a trip there is questionable. Walmart, Lowes, Walgreens and Rite Aid are located on the main drag as is Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and hard to miss if that’s why you’re going there.

Now seems to be the perfect time for a visit to Deep creek Lake before every one finds the place and it becomes overrun; It has been suggested that this is one of the counties quintessential rural lakeside retreats. Some areas are becoming over developed and other hard to reach you’ll surely find aa spot on the lake just right for you and your family.

HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE through this rental company. Our family rented the Sunset View Lake house through VRBO managed by Taylor Made. It is difficult to convey how filthy this house was. We had multiple children, including one baby with respiratory issues who was immediately bothered upon entering the house. We were unable to let him crawl around due to the dirt, cobwebs, dead bugs, mouse droppings, etc.

Our stay was cut short by the filthiness of the home, we all left early because we felt dirty after multiple nights in the home. Bathrooms were hardly cleaned, mouse droppings were found around the home, sheets were stained upon arrival, rusty nails along the driveway, cigarette butts on the back deck, broken & hazardous wood along the deck and pier. The outdoor spaces were completely unkempt-- porches unswept, cobwebs everywhere. The pier needed to be pushed out and down (which was not done until 2 days before we left, preventing us from being able to rent a boat). None of the cleanliness issues were addressed. We do not recommend using this rental company at all as they only care to save face and attempted to prevent us from leaving an accurate review with pictures. We are an average family who spent a lot of money on a vacation that was truly ruined by the absolutely disgusting state of the house. Our expectations were reasonable and the rental company had no interest in helping us nor adequately compensating us. Do NOT associate with this rental company at all cost

RENTERS beware - We rented a 6 bedroom home through Taylor Made for our family reunion and were totally disappointed in their customer service. 10 days before our vacation we received a call that the home, Majestic Manor, was not ready for rentals. This was well after they took our final payment. They offered us another 6 bedroom home but it was a $1,000 more and they would not compensate us for their mistake. They expected us to pay the higher fee. We ended up having to take a 5 bedroom home and have one guest sleep in a loft on an air mattress. The loft was barely big enough to accommodate the air mattress and no privacy at all for them. Of all the different people that I spoke to at Taylor Made not one of them offered an apology for their mistake. I will never rent through them again.