Hiking at Smugglers' Notch Resort: summer trails

A ski resort with a summer program

Smugglers' Notch Resort is in Jeffersonville, in Vermont's Green Mountains. In winter it offers alpine and cross-country skiing; in summer it publishes guided outings, self-guided routes and hiking suggestions in the surrounding area. The resort splits those suggestions into two lists: routes on its own property, and off-property trails in other municipalities. Both are described separately below.

Self-guided routes on resort property

According to the resort, its trail network is used for walking, hiking, biking and disc golf, and suits families looking for a leisurely outing. Each route has its own PDF map on the resort's website:

• Maple Walk: a leisurely walk through the woods past different maple trees, with a view of the sap collecting operation; signs explain the tradition of maple sugaring.
• Follow the Bear Walk: signs cover bear habitat, bear facts and the signs of bears in the wild.
• Rum Runners' Hideaway Wike: up Morse Mountain to the Rum Runners snowmaking reservoir, with views and still water.
• Bootleggers' Basin Wike: along the trail network, past the disc golf course, to the snowmaking reservoir on Edwards Road.
• River Walk: the banks of No Name Brook along the edge of the village.
• Discovery Walk: the woodlands of the trail network.

The trail network map (walking, hiking, biking, disc golf) also includes suggested hiking trails for Morse, Madonna and Sterling Mountains.

Guided outings from the Village Green

Guided outings meet at the gazebo on the Village Green. On the summer program posted by the resort as of October 27, 2026:

• Sterling Pond Hike (Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): a climb up Sterling Mountain to the highest trout pond in Vermont. Transportation is provided, preregistration is required, ages 13 and older (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).
• Explore Mount Mansfield (Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): the toughest hike on the program, according to the resort. Ages 15 and older (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).
• Peak and Pond Hike (Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): an outing to a peak, with transportation provided. The resort asks you to bring a swimsuit for a swim after the hike. Ages 13 and older (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).

These three outings are included with the SmuggsPass or Daycation. Shorter outings are also on the program, such as the Vermont Experience Wike (Monday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., ages 8 and older), the Yoga Hike to Bootleggers' Basin (Monday, 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., $20 per person) and the Watermelon Walk (Thursday, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.). The Llama Treks, where llamas carry your gear, were offered through October 12, 2026.

Off-property trails suggested by the resort

The resort also recommends ten trails located off its property, in Stowe, Jeffersonville, Johnson, Moscow, Elmore and Underhill. Distances and elevations come from the resort, in miles and feet, with metric conversions in parentheses. Difficulty follows the resort's own scale.

• Moss Glen Falls (Stowe): 1 mi (1.6 km), easiest. A winding path through the woods leads to the prime viewing spot for the falls.
• Brewster River Gorge (Jeffersonville): 1.5 mi (2.4 km), easiest. Several swimming holes along the Brewster River.
• Bingham Falls (Stowe): difficult. Rock shaped by the river's current, with swimming holes above and below the falls.
• Prospect Rock (Johnson): 2 mi (3.2 km), difficult. Elevation 1,040 ft (317 m), vertical rise 530 ft (162 m). A moderate grade through the woods, then a short steep climb to the lookout.
• Nebraska Notch (Lake Mansfield Trail) (Moscow): 3.6 mi (5.8 km), more difficult. Elevation 1,850 ft (564 m). Valley views, a glacial pond and a small waterfall.
• Stowe Pinnacle (Stowe): 2.8 mi (4.5 km), more difficult. Elevation 2,651 ft (808 m). A rocky outcrop on Hogback Mountain with a view of Mt. Mansfield and the Sterling Ridge.
• Elmore Mountain (Elmore): 4.5 mi (7.2 km), more to most difficult. Elevation 2,608 ft (795 m). In Elmore State Park, with a lookout tower at the summit and a 360-degree view.
• Sterling Pond (Jeffersonville): 2.4 mi (3.9 km), most difficult. Elevation 3,000 ft (914 m). The highest trout pond in the state; the trail is a segment of the Long Trail, which spans the length of Vermont.
• Mt. Mansfield, east side (Stowe): 5.2 mi (8.4 km), experts only. Elevation 4,393 ft (1,339 m). Approach via the Long Trail to Vermont's highest peak.
• Mt. Mansfield, west side (Underhill): 6.6 mi (10.6 km), experts only. Elevation 4,393 ft (1,339 m). Approach via the Sunset Ridge Trail, with an open ridge.

Season and outing formats

According to the resort, hiking season in Vermont generally opens on Memorial Day weekend, at the end of May, to let trails dry out. For its guided outings, the resort uses three formats: a "walk" of about 1.5 hours with mild to moderate exercise; a "wike" of up to 3 hours with moderate to demanding exercise; and a "hike", the most demanding, typically 4 to 6 hours.

Before you go

Maps for the on-site routes can be downloaded from the "Hikes and Walks" and "Trail Maps" pages of the resort's website. The resort is at 4323 Vermont Route 108 South in Jeffersonville, and runs a free on-demand shuttle within the resort (Smuggs Go!).