Bears, Butterflies and Buffers?

What do these things have in common? Your Park Quest, should you choose to accept it, is to find out! This Quest will take you throughout Deep Creek Lake State Park via easy to moderate trails and will take about 1 ½ hours to complete. Using GPS technology, follow the coordinates provided and find the points that give you the clues to complete a puzzle. Find the pieces, complete the picture, and bring it back to the Discovery Center to finish your quest and earn your Passport stamp.

Quest Information

The quest begins and ends at the Discovery Center. There we will give you a list of coordinates and a map; all points will be along the designated park trails. Until Memorial Day, the Center is open Friday through Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm. After Memorial Day, the Center is open every day from 10 am until 5 pm. Please return from your Quest by one half hour before the Center closes. The Discovery Center is free to all visitors.

You will need a GPS unit. Bring your own or we have a few loaners on hand at no charge to Park Quest participants. Never used a GPS unit before? Don’t worry; our staff will show you how to use the unit before you head out. Don’t forget your sturdy hiking shoes and a sense of adventure! An alternative course is available for participants with mobility challenges. Pets on a leash are welcome to join you on your Quest.

Directions to Deep Creek Lake State Park:

Deep Creek Lake State park is located in Garrett County.

• From Pittsburgh: Take I-79 south to I-68 east. Exit 14A (Route 219 South Deep Creek Lake). Continue on Route 219 South for 18 miles. Turn left onto Glendale Road. Continue on Glendale Road for one mile, crossing over the Glendale Bridge. Immediately after crossing the Glendale Bridge, turn left onto State Park Road. Continue on State Park Road for one mile until you see the information sign for the state park facilities.
• From Washington, D.C.: Take 270 north to I-70 west to I-68 west. Exit 14A (Route 219 South Deep Creek Lake). Continue on Route 219 South for 18 miles. Turn left onto Glendale Road. Continue on Glendale Road for one mile, crossing over the Glendale Bridge. Immediately after crossing the Glendale Bridge, turn left onto State Park Road. Continue on State Park Road for one mile until you see the information sign for the state park facilities.
• From Baltimore: Take I-70 west to I-68 west. Exit 14A (Route 219 South Deep Creek Lake). Continue on Route 219 South for 18 miles. Turn left onto Glendale Road. Continue on Glendale Road for one mile, crossing over the Glendale Bridge. Immediately after crossing the Glendale Bridge, turn left onto State Park Road. Continue on State Park Road for one mile until you see the information sign for the state park facilities.
• Make a reservation to stay at the park.

A Brief History

Deep Creek Lake State Park lies just west of the Allegheny Front on a large plateau known as the Tablelands or Allegany Highlands. Its location at the southernmost end of Meadow Mountain places it west of the Eastern Continental Divide and within the Mississippi River watershed. It gets its name from Deep Creek Lake, a hydroelectric project constructed on Deep Creek in 1925 by the Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Company. Humans have lived on and used this land for thousands of years. Early Native American nomadic hunters and gatherers roamed through the mountains of Garrett County, but left little record of their presence. Beginning in the 1700's, early settlers to the region utilized the area's abundant natural resources. The mountains remained relatively untouched until the turn of the twentieth century when massive logging operations began stripping the land of the virgin red spruce, hemlock, white pine, and yellow birch forests. The park is the site of the historic Brant coal mine and home site, where a restored mine entrance preserves a typical drift or adit mine. The mine was worked for several years by the Brant family and supplied bituminous coal for heating and blacksmithing in the local community. Deep Creek Lake State Park was established in 1959. In 2000 all of the land surrounding and under the lake previously owned by the Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) was purchased by the State of Maryland, establishing a buffer strip around the lake.

Deep Creek Lake Facts:

• Shoreline: 65 miles
• Lake Elevation: 2462 feet
• Area of Lake: 3900 Acres
• Summer Bottom Temperature: 49°F
• Summer Surface Temperature: 73°F
• Average Depth: 26.5 feet
• Approximate Depth of Ice in winter: 18 inches
• Meadow Mountain Elevation: 3022 feet