Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort Review

Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort, otherwise known as Smuggs, is a Vermont ski area located about thirty miles east of the Burlington International Airport. There are more than a thousand acres of terrain that is accessible to skiers. Only about 300 acres of this is marked and patrolled.

Seventy eight trails await you, including a triple black diamond for those of you who dare. With an average of twenty four feet of snow a year the skiing is always on. There are three mountains at Smugglers' Notch, the big one is Madonna with a 2,610 vertical drop. Sterling Mountain offers a wide range of terrain while Morse is mostly for beginners. There are also four terrain parks and 1 pipe.

Smuggler's Notch is well know for being a family resort with friendly slopes the whole family can enjoy. There are, however, plenty of challenging runs for the expert skier. The runs breakdown like this, 19% easy, 50% intermediate, 31% advanced/expert.

The lifts include 6 double chair lifts and 2 surface lifts. The resort is often criticized for not having state of the art lifts but they say it's for good reason. It keeps the crowds off the top of the mountain and preserves the mountains classic feel. Weekends and holidays you can expect lift lines but the rest of the time it's not bad.

Top of the Smuggler's Notch, Jeffersonville, Vermont.
Thanks to StarrGazr for the picture at flickr.com

Lodging ranges from fully equipped condominiums in studio sizes to five bedroom luxury suites. In the Highlands Hill Community the condos have wooded or mountain views and individual heated pools. The North Hill Community features views of the Sterling Mountains and Smugglers' Notch Pass and an indoor aquatic and exercise center. The Village East Community is an easy walk to all the village shops and restaurants and the Treasures Child Care. Village West Community is also a short walk to the village. West Hill Community has an outdoor heated pool and great views of Smugglers' Notch Valley.

Other winter activities at Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort are tube sliding, snowmobile touring, winter walking, airboarding, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Their are also hot tubs and an indoor pool as well as a message center and an arts and crafts workshop. For the kids their is the FunZone Family Entertainment and Recreation Center with a giant slide, table games, an arcade and more. Your evenings are covered with plenty of restaurants, music, shows and other events.

Also for the kids is a place called Treasures, a state of the art child care center. It sits next to the bunny slope surrounded by a 4,000 square foot outdoor playground. The staff is trained in behavior management, child development, CPR and first aid. When you leave your children they will be in good hands.

Heading Up at Smuggler's Notch, Jeffersonville, Vermont.
Thanks to StarrGazr for the picture at flickr.com

Smugglers' Notch Vermont is a year round resort so there is never a bad time to come for a visit. During the summer months you can enjoy nature walks, rock climbing, paddling, guided hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Combine that with swimming, messages, yoga, wine and chocolate tasting and plenty of shopping, you will have plenty to do.

Smugglers' is close enough to many major cities they are worth considering the next time you are making vacation plans. They are four hours from Ottawa, seven and a half hours from Toronto, two hours from Montreal, six hours from New York and four hours from Boston.

You can reach Smugglers' Notch Vermont at 802-644-8851. Their address is:
Smugglers' Notch Resort
4323 Vermont Route 108 South
Smugglers' Notch, VT 05464-9537

Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort Map & Directions (click on "Marker" for your personalized directions)

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