Explore the Secrets of Smugglers’ Notch

Vermont is home to one of America’s best kept secrets: Smuggler’s Notch a nice day trip from the lodge to Stowe. The narrow pass in the Green Mountains, with scattered caverns and caves, once helped anything from alcohol to cattle to runaway slaves across the border between the United States and Canada. If you’re looking for a glimpse at pristine America, or a Prohibition-era history buff, Smugglers’ Notch offers a historical and picturesque landscape that has seemingly remained untouched by human hands.

Separating Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, from Spruce Peak and the Sterling Range, Smugglers’ Notch also serves as a trailhead in Mount Mansfield State Forest. You can further explore Vermont’s verdant woodlands on the Sterling Pond Trail, the challenging Hellbrook Trail, or the winding 272-mile Long Trail. Stroll along a boardwalk besides wetlands near the Barnes Camp Visitor Center, or enjoy a light lunch at Smugglers’ Notch next to a bubbling stream before hiking atop its 1,000-foot cliffs. Bask in the autumn beauty of Vermont, the open air, and the cool, crisp mountain breezes on an excursion into Moss Glen Falls State Natural Area and Bingham Falls. Activities at Smugglers’ Notch State Park, besides its trails, include ice climbing in the winter, cave exploring, biking, and bouldering. Talk to a park interpreter to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the park as well as take a night hike or wildlife tour.

This fall, take a trip to Smugglers’ Notch for an outdoor adventure that consists of thousands of feet of zip lines, sky bridges, and more on ArborTrek’s Zip Line Canopy Tour. This active adventure explores Vermont from the treetops of the Green Mountains in one of the country’s most scenic locations. USA Today placed the zip line course on its Top 10 list and Travel + Leisure raved about Smugglers’ Notch on their list of World’s Coolest Zip Lines. From extreme to serene, these eco-adventures offer stunning views as well as information about the natural history and lore of the area. Take the more relaxed Zip Line Canopy Tour for 4,500 feet of zip lines and sky bridges or test your strength and endurance on the Treetop Obstacle Course and Climbing Adventure. Visit ArborTrek’s website for more information about these active outdoor adventures here.

And remember, if hiking and obstacle courses are not your thing, relax at the Lodge with a cup of tea!  

Smuggler’s Notch State Park

6443 Mountain Road

Stowe, VT 05672

802.253.4014

ArborTrek

1239 Edward Road

Jeffersonville, VT 05464

802.644.9300