Take Your Vehicle Off-Road on an ORV Trail
The Deep Creek Lake area has no shortage of vehicles designed to enjoy the great outdoors: boats, jet skis, ATVs, snowmobiles. While some outdoor enthusiasts own their personal recreational vehicle, renting one of these is a popular activity for tourists visiting on vacation. Securing the reservation is the first step (rent early, slots fill up!), and next comes the question of where these recreational vehicles are permitted to be used. If your interest leans more towards taking your personal Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) on a designated trail, there are multiple trails in the area that provide a wide range of experiences for both the novice and expert ORV driver.
I have a friend who once referred to her Jeep Wrangler as a pavement princess. Prior to arriving in DCL, the vehicle had only ever been driven on paved roads, and the driver knew that both she and her Jeep would need to start slow with the off-roading experience. There are several trails in Potomac-Garrett State Forest on which a first-time off-roader can take an ORV that has had no body modifications. For more experienced off-roaders, Wolf Den Run State Park provides an ample playground for getting mud on the tires. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources website has a list of these trails as well as topographical maps.
There are a few key look-fors when reading the trail descriptions. One key detail is the dates of the year that the trail is available to an ORV, as it changes per time of the year (mostly oriented around winter conditions). There are trails designated for just snowmobiles and two-wheelers where an ORV is not permitted. Another thing to be aware of is that a trail may begin as an ORV trail, but then end as a snowmobile-only trail. The Wallman / Laurel Run ORV trail is a good example of this. It is divided into eastern and western portions, and each part has a different designated use. The MD DNR website does provide this information in the trail description; however, when on the actual trail, signage to indicate this is sparse.
The type of terrain for each trail is also not explicitly outlined in any one particular resource. Some are gravel. Some used to have gravel, but most of it has washed away and is now mostly dirt. Some have large divots that turn into puddles after a heavy rain. Some have significant rock scrambles. While the MD DNR website provides a thorough list of the trails, many drivers resort to other apps such as AllTrails to view pictures of the trail and get an understanding of the terrain. Be sure to note the date of the picture. With the significant weather in the area, trail terrain can change frequently, and you will want to look for a recent picture of the trail.
While Wolf Den Run State Park has over 50 miles of trails, it also has the distinction of being the home to the singular Jeep Badge of Honor trail in the state of Maryland and being the first park in the state to be the home to ORV trails. Like most parts of the area, cell phone signal is scant to nonexistent on parts of the trail, and it is strongly advised that you download the trail map. The trails in the park are rated for difficulty, with the trails in the 100s being the beginner trails and the 300s trails being the most challenging trails. The trails in the park are well signed; however, some of them have been knocked down or are hidden behind tree overgrowth.
Tony Thomas traveled to the Deep Creek Area specifically to explore the park. He took all the precautions of downloading the maps and understanding the trail terrain, but his first time on the trails was nothing like he expected. “I didn’t anticipate the puddles from the rain from the days before. I was on some of the 100 trails, and there were massive puddles that I could not see to the bottom of. I got out and either walked the puddle or tested it with a stick to make sure there weren’t any large rocks I needed to avoid. I will also tell you that I wish I had brought a spotter with me. I went out by myself, and things would have been much easier if I had a spotter.”
To use the trails at Wolf Den Run State Park, a permit and reservation are needed, and there is a small fee, both of which can be accomplished online. While there is no required check-in location to show proof of permit and reservation, requiring a reservation helps control having too many vehicles on the trails on any given day.
Written by Francesca Branson.