Dear Campers,
May 1st is fast approaching and we know you are anxiously waiting for an update with your fingers crossed for some good news.
We want to start by saying that this RV Park is our livelihood. It feeds each of our families, as well as the adorable faces of the babes we are constantly sharing pictures of.
When we close the campground on October 31st each year, we immediately begin preparing for the following season. We spend the remainder of the fall and early winter winterizing campers, installing supports, gathering leaves, and making sure everything is properly closed up, locked down, and ready for a Garrett County winter.
During each long, cold, snowy winter, we attend meetings, gather thoughts, make lists, and develop plans for the following season. This includes selecting dates for campground events, updating our website, preparing supply and merchandise orders, and making sure we stay in touch with each of you.
As soon as the weather breaks in the spring we go full force back into camp-mode, long before any of you ever arrive. We spend our days mowing grass, cleaning up the park, completing work orders, summarizing campers, and making sure that everything is opened up and in tip-top shape so that the park is ready as soon as each of you return to camp for the season.
We tell you all of this so that you understand that this announcement is not made without a heavy heart. Our world, quite literally, revolves around you and your Deep Creek getaways.
We know how much your home away from home means to you and that is why we pour so much love and effort into making it the most relaxing and enjoyable place for you to spend your time each summer.
We regret to inform you that we are unable to open on May 1st. This has been the most difficult announcement we have ever had to make. This comes at a time when we are typically planning to share that the ground has thawed and we can let you in a few days early, as we try to do each year, but instead we are sharing this heartbreaking news. We will continue to keep you updated as soon as we have more information.
Maryland State Governor, Larry Hogan has deemed campgrounds as non-essential businesses at this time. As frustrating and detrimental as this is to our livelihood, and all of you and your relaxation, we believe that Governor Hogan is doing what is best to keep as many people as safe as possible.
His plan is to wait until there is no increase in positive COVID-19 cases for 14 days before he starts to reopen the state.
At this time, he has made it clear that there should be no travel in or out of the state of Maryland that is not absolutely essential. Once someone travels into the state of Maryland they are to self quarantine for 14 days.
All of these regulations make it difficult for us to open with a clear conscious of protecting everyone including each of you, our customers, our staff, and our community.
We, along with many other Maryland campgrounds, have been doing background work and sending letters to our Government officials, asking them to reverse the decision in order to make campgrounds essential businesses. We have also been in contact with our local health department and police department, stating our case and hoping for them to help advocate for us. Although they are sympathetic, they are not in a position to make any changes on our behalf.
We have made it clear that we would be willing to do our part to maintain all CDC regulations, practice social distancing, sanitize frequently and regularly, temporarily close non-essential amenities such as playgrounds, and limit the access to the camp store. However, as of now we have had no luck with these efforts.
We know that each of you is anxious to return to Deep Creek and we are just as anxious to get you back here. However at this time, we feel that the quickest way to get you back to Double G is to abide by the mandates and wait until it is safe so that we do not contribute to the spread of this virus.
We have attached some links below for anyone interested in reading, staying up to date, or helping us advocate to become an essential business.
Here you will find the link to the Maryland Stay At Home Order:
https://governor.maryland.gov/2020/03/30/as-covid-19-crisis-escalates-in-capital-region-governor-hogan-issues-stay-at-home-order-effective-tonight/
Here you will find the link to the mandate that calls for campgrounds to close by Maryland State as non-essential businesses.
https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/OLC-Interpretive-Guidance-COVID19-07.pdf
Here you will find the link to Garrett County, MD commissioners ordering vacation rentals to close as of March 27th and asking all vacationers to postpone their vacations to Deep Creek Lake effective immediately.
https://www.garrettcounty.org/covid-19/vacation-rental-information
And lastly, for anyone who is a Maryland resident and would like to take action, below is the link to which you can email letters to Maryland Governor Hogan asking him to reconsider the decision and to deem campgrounds as essential businesses.
http://cqrcengage.com/rvact/app/onestep-write-a-letter?0&engagementId=507640
Please know that we are heartbroken to make this announcement at this time. We understand what this place means to each of you, and we are working hard to do our part to get all of you here at the soonest and safest possible time.
We are sending you all some love and some of those good Deep Creek vibes.
Please reach out to us by phone 301-387-5481 or email info@doublegrvpark with any questions or concerns.
Thank you each in advance for being so patient and understanding during this fragile and critical time in the world.
The Glotfelty’s
Double G RV Park
