Oakland
Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Maryland, Oakland is a tiny town with outsize opportunities for outdoor activities. Oakland abuts the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, the largest lake in Maryland. The lake is used for recreation year-round, with ice fishing and cross-country skiing in the winter (the average ice thickness is 18 inches); fishing, canoeing and kayaking in the spring, fall and summer; and swimming and tubing (a favorite with the grandkids) in the hotter months.
Oakland is also within minutes of Wisp Resort, which has 132 acres of ski terrain, and five golf courses. It’s home to Adventure Sports Center International, which has a mountaintop white-water rapids course (one of the few in the world) and is the official venue for the 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships.
All this outdoor recreation comes with a reasonable price tag: The cost of living is roughly average for the country, compared with 20% higher than average statewide, and the median home costs just over $130,000. That said, the town is tiny, with few restaurants or other amenities, and it takes a good 2½ hours to reach the nearest major international airport, in Pittsburgh. More here.
