Deep Creek Lake is located in Garrett County, the westernmost county in Maryland with a land area of approximately , acres or square miles. Garrett County has a population of 29, according to the census, and is the least densely populated county in Maryland. Oakland is the county seat. The county lies entirely within the Allegheny Plateau, a physiographic area which is characterized by deep forests, diverse wildlife, and rich river valleys.
These natural resources combined with a close proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Pittsburgh, Washington, and Baltimore, attract a wide variety of recreational users. Deep Creek Lake is Western Maryland's premier tourist destination. The Lake was created in when the Deep Creek hydroelectric project was constructed. The land which was flooded by construction of the dam as well as many properties surrounding the newly created lake had been acquired by the power company.
Eventually, the Pennsylvania Electric Company Penelec began divesting itself of some of the real estate surrounding the lake, although a buffer zone around the lake was retained.
Over the next few decades, the Deep Creek Lake region developed as a recreational resort region. Penelec, as the lake owner, had established corporate policies and procedures for managing recreation and access to Deep Creek Lake.
In , the State of Maryland agreed to take over management of recreation and access at Deep Creek Lake. Lake management regulations were promulgated through a public process beginning in and were updated in , , and These regulations are still in effect and provide the basis for the Department of Natural Resources DNR lake management operations.
