Smugglers' Notch

The notch runs between Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak with cliffs rising several hundred metres on both sides, and the road threads between boulders that have come off them - the turns are tight enough that trucks and buses are prohibited and regularly get stuck anyway, which is a recurring local frustration and expense. It takes its name from the period of Jefferson's 1807 embargo, when trade with Canada was illegal and goods and cattle moved through this pass instead. The road closes from roughly October to May and the notch becomes a ski touring and ice climbing route. Boulder caves, a hanging waterfall in spring and a cold microclimate supporting arctic plants are the natural features.

The landscape

• A road bending between fallen boulders - too tight for trucks.
• Cliffs several hundred metres high - on both sides of the pass.
• A smuggling history - from the 1807 embargo years.
• A cold microclimate - supporting arctic plants on the cliffs.

When to go

Late May to mid October; closed by snow the rest of the year. Half a day.

Practical notes

The road is gated shut for roughly seven months. Trucks and RVs are banned and get stuck regularly. Parking in the notch is very limited. It is a slow drive with no barriers in places.

Nearby

Stowe is south; Jeffersonville is north.

Key facts