Smugglers Notch State Park is a slender trail winding through the Green Mountains between 1,000-foot cliffs. Its storied past began in the early 1800s, when President Jefferson banned U.S. trade with Canada and Great Britain. It was a struggle for locals to get to other markets, so many continued to trade illegally with Canada using this narrow pass.

Later, it was a passageway for slaves heading to freedom in Canada, and still later it was used to smuggle liquor during the Prohibition. Today, visitors can learn about the area’s rich natural and cultural history while enjoying the various hands-on nature activities through the interpreter programs offered at the relocated park.

Smugglers Notch State Park, 6443 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT, Phone: 802-253-4014

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