Smugglers Notch State Park in Lamoille County is full of things to explore at this stunning park in VT. It's full of history, too! With natural beauty, fantastic hikes and some natural swimming spots to cool down on a hot day, this State Park is incredible and a guaranteed hit for the whole family. Let's take a look at some of the interesting things you'll find, as well as a bit of the history behind this fascinating spot.
This park is named Smugglers Notch after the pass was used as a smuggling route for goods and livestock in and out of Canada after the US Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807.
Trade was prohibited so items made their way through the rough terrain in the park and used the natural caves to hide their loot.
The smuggling slowed with the onset of the War of 1812, but it was later used on the Underground Railroad as the fugitive slaved used the notch as an escape route to Canada.
The route was improved to accommodate automobile traffic in 1922, which created a route for liquor to be brought in from Canada during the Prohibition years.
The caves many caves along the way allowed smugglers to store illegal alcoholic beverages at near room temperature during the Prohibition.
The passageways and caves are still there and you're going to love exploring them!
The notch road is a wonderfully terrifying drive with its many twists and turns.
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You never know what you'll find along the way!
But whatever you see, we guarantee it will be awesome.
There are camping sites, too! Please note, most of the camping spots here are walk in only and can not be accessed by vehicle. There are limited spots for RVs, though.
The camping area also has easy access to the nearby Bingham Falls.
So not only will you have endless things to explore in the park, there's plenty to see around the park, too!
There's so much to explore at this stunning park in VT. We mentioned the windy Notch Road, but here is a closer look. When the trees are full it turns into an amazing tree tunnel that you'll want to see for yourself!
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