With more than a week’s worth of family fun, you may need to make this resort an annual tradition.
Located in the Green Mountains, Smugglers’ Notch Resort is a Vermont resort for all seasons: waterslides and hikes in the summer, beautiful foliage in the fall, skiing in the winter, and maple syruping in the spring – yep, it’s a thing.
The resort has offered summertime activities for more than 30 years; these days, it’s a well-oiled machine. The resort features activities for everyone from toddlers to adults. If you hear someone say, “I’m bored,” it’s because they just want to be obstinate! Each week begins with an introduction to the resort and a look at the week’s schedule. Every Thursday during the summer, there is a Country Fair which features carnival-style games with prizes, local vendors, face painting, and dance parties – often with Rockin’ Ron the The Friendly Pirate. On other days, you may encounter an organized water balloon fight on the village green, take part in building a “derby dummy,” do water aerobics in one of the pools or bring s’mores ingredients to the evening campfire sing-a-long.
There’s truly something for everyone, making it an ideal choice for a multi-generational vacation, so invite Grandma and Grandpa!
Where to stay at Smugglers’ Notch?
There are dozens of condo options of varying sizes and ages, all overseen by Smugglers’. Some of the older buildings can have interesting floor plans and sleeping arrangements (my husband and I slept in bunk beds with our children), but the older ones are generally closer to the Village Green and Courtyard. The newer buildings seem to have a bit more light and are higher on the mountain, sometimes offering beautiful sunset views. When booking your unit, be clear of your expectations with the reservations staff, and they’ll work to accommodate your requests. Rates for a one-bedroom condo that accommodates a family of four start at around $350/night during the summer.
KidTripster Tip: The units don’t have daily housekeeping, but the housekeeping staff will deliver needed items such as dishwashing or laundry detergent and more towels. Every unit has a kitchen; some have laundry facilities.
KidTripster Tip: If you want to make your own meals, plan ahead; the closest grocery store is several miles away in Jeffersonville. The Country Store on premises has a great selection for its size, but meat and produce choices are limited. Charcoal grills are available at many units, though you need to bring charcoal and matches.
KidTripster Tip: WiFi is available for an additional charge of $35/week, which allows connection of up to eight devices. It works throughout the resort, but I didn’t find myself needing it beyond the condo, as we were too busy swimming, hiking or singing karaoke.
Though the condo units are spread out throughout Morse Mountain – home to the green (easiest) ski trails in the winter – walking from place to place is possible. However, if it isn’t for you or if you have a tired toddler, the resort offers a free shuttle to get from location to location. Depending on the number of people in your party, your destination, and the weather, you may end up on a small shuttle bus or a golf cart. My kids were always hoping for a golf cart; they wanted to feel the wind in their hair! Just call #7000 from any phone on site to let them know where you want to go. We never waited more than a few minutes for a shuttle.
What to do on the mountain?
Keep your daily calendar handy. There’s something happening nearly every hour of the day at Smugglers’ Notch.
Hiking
Starting at 8 a.m., groups meet to go on guided “wikes” – this is a combination of a walk and a hike. The earliest ones are the most difficult; throughout the morning, they get progressively easier. There are also other hiking opportunities, including day-long hikes of Mount Mansfield, Madonna Mountain, and other local peaks. These hikes generally start around 9 a.m., and the groups get back to the resort between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. In the afternoons on some days, there are family hikes on which guides teach more about the flora and fauna or wildlife that can be found in the area.
KidTripster Tip: For something really unique, book a 3-hour llama trek. Yes, it’s with a llama! Cost: Youth (6 & under) Free; Youth (7-12) $35; Adult $60.
Swimming
If hiking isn’t your thing, maybe swimming is. There are three main pools on the mountain, and all of them are staffed with lifeguards.
Courtside is a lap-style pool that gets to 9-feet deep, so diving is allowed off the end; some lap time is scheduled during the day. There’s also a short waterslide that our kids loved going down, even though the slide water was slightly colder than the pool water. Afterward, you can hit the hot tub.
Mountainside has several features. There’s a wading area for the smallest set. It has spray nozzles and inner tubes in the wading area, so infants and toddlers can float through the lazy river. The large, lap-style pool gets to 4-1/2-feet deep, so no diving, but plenty of cannonballs! The small waterslide is strictly for children under 48-inches tall. You’ll typically see parents standing in the pool at the bottom of the slide, waiting for their tykes to come down. Mountainside has a three-story waterslide, and boy, did our kids love it! They fell in the not-quite-tall-enough part of the measuring stick, so they donned life vests provided by resort, and my husband and I carried the inner tubes up the stairs for them. At end of each ride, we always heard the same question, “Can we go again?” Of course! The cabana at Mountainside serves your typical burgers, chicken fingers, hot dogs, and fries, plus adult beverages.
In order to get to the Notchville pool, you can take a shuttle or hike one of the wide ski trails. Here, little ones will have their choice of playing on the splash pad with sprayers or the miniature waterslide (think backyard slide with water on it). The square-shaped pool gets to about 4 feet, so no diving. The water activity pool has an island in it, where kids and adults can operate spray nozzles or stand under water pouring down on the holed roof. At the highest part of Notchville, my kids – and my husband – made their way across lily pads from one end of a pool to the other; if you fall off, you have to get out and start again. It’s also at this level that you can get on the covered waterslide, which my daughter loved, saying, “It’s not spooky even though it’s dark.” This slide leads to a 6-foot-deep pool.
For families with older kids, head to Rum Runners’ Hideaway, the resort’s mountain reservoir. Here you’ll find an Aqua Jump trampoline and both stand-up paddle board and kayak. Rental cost: 30 minutes $7; 1 hour $12.
In addition to these pools, some of the condo units have access to private pools closer to their buildings.
Jumping
At the Notchville location, your kids will find a gymnastic-style bungee and giant swings. Our children weren’t old enough or heavy enough to go, but we watched several older kids who were clearly having fun. The minimum age is 8 years old and minimum weight is 40 pounds. Bungee cost: $8/5 minutes. Giant swing cost: $8/ride.
FunZone 2.0
If it rains, or you need some downtime, Smugglers’ has built FunZone 2.0. It’s 26,000-square-feet of fun with inflatable obstacle courses and slides, ping pong tables, foosball, bouncy house, country store for imaginary play, and indoor mini golf. You’re able to access all of that using your SmuggsPass. For additional costs, you can play Laser Tag, try your hand at the climbing wall, warrior course or see how many tickets you can earn in the arcade.
Smuggs camp
Do your kids want a break from you (or vice versa)? Smugglers’ has the answer to that, too! Smuggs offers camps for kids (ages 3-17) or child care for tiny tots (6 weeks-3 years). Our kids loved camp! Every morning, they went on a hike in a different spot on the mountain. They learned about plants, bugs, and other wildlife. Sometimes they did arts and crafts, including decorating costumes for the weekly camp parade; it may have been the cutest part of the week. The counselors take the campers swimming at all of the pools. And if you want, the camp will even feed your child lunch for an additional fee of $6.95/child. Camp costs: starts at $95/day, depending on the package.
Family activities
Upon checking in, you’ll receive a packet of information including a Resort Information Guide. In that guide, you’ll find a weekly schedule of events. As a family, we read through the descriptions and decided on which ones were for us. Some of our favorite family activities were Liquid Fun, Family Karaoke, Bingo, Marko’s Family Magic Show, and the Bonfire Sing-Along.
Teen activities
Teens aren’t forgotten at Smuggs with a Teen Moonlight Swim, Teen Jeopardy, and a Teen Dance Party. Some day our kids will declare us “uncool” and head out to these events, but for now, they were so tired from everything during the day that they were asleep by 8 p.m.!
Adult activities
Smugglers’ Notch offers many adult-only activities. Some are during the day like the French Gourmet Winery Experience; others in the evening. With 24-hours notice, the onsite daycare facility, Treasures, can arrange a babysitter, so you’re free to attend the Hypnosis Show or Liquid Courage Karaoke. As an added perk, the center tries to use your child’s caretaker from earlier in the day, so your child feels comfortable.
What to do off the mountain?
You could go an entire week and never leave Smugglers’ Notch. But in case you do, here’s some ideas.
Tree adventures
Less than a mile down the road, you’ll find ArborTrek Canopy Adventures. One morning while the kids were at camp, my husband and I escaped and went ziplining through the trees. The guided zipline trip took about 2-1/2 hours. It was awesome! The guides were very professional but also keep it light with quick quips and added trivia about the area. Cost: $99.95; Smugglers’ Notch guests receive a discounted rate of 10-20% off, depending on group size.
If ziplining is a little too much, ArborTrek also offers a Treetop Obstacle Course and Climbing Adventure. This self-guided trip through the trees gives you an opportunity to slide, balance, jump, crawl, and climb across more than 90 obstacles. Cost: Youth (4 & up) $35 (access to about half of the course); Adult $60.00; again, there’s a discounted rate for Smuggs guests.
Dairy delights
About 30 minutes from Smugglers’, you’ll find the home of world famous Ben & Jerry’s. The factory offers a 30-minute guided tour, where you’ll learn how the ice cream is made. Most importantly, you can sample at the end! The hours vary, but at the height of summer, tours operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. You must buy tickets onsite; they’re first-come/first-served, but tours do sell out. Cost: Youth (12 & under) Free; Adult $4.
When in Vermont, you have access to some delicious dairy products including cheese! Cabot Creamery also offers tours of its factory, located about an hour’s drive from Smugglers’. At the Cabot Visitors Center, watch the cheesemakers do their thing andagain, sample! Cost: Youth (Under 12) Free; Adult $3.
KidTripster Tip: Call ahead to (800) 837-4261 to make sure the factory is making cheese on the day that you want to visit.
Where to eat at Smugglers’ Notch?
If you’re not full from all the ice cream and cheese that you’ve consumed, there are plenty of options back on the mountain for meals.
The Perk in the Country Store opens every day at 7:30 a.m., if you need a morning coffee or smoothie along with a Danish or cinnamon bun.
Hearth and Candle serves brunch, starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It’s entirely locally-sourced, and the menu changes depending on what’s available. On the morning that we went (when the kids were at camp), I ordered a salad with bacon, blue cheese, and nasturtium (edible flowers); it was amazing! My husband had eggs Benedict with prosciutto, which was equally as tasty. And his parents ordered buttermilk pancakes with lemon curd and blueberries and a Monte Cristo Cubano sandwich. None of us had a morsel left on our plates.
If you’re looking for something a bit more traditional, Morse Mountain Grille has a full breakfast, starting at 8 a.m., and if you go on Friday morning, you can have breakfast with the Friendly Pirate. Arrrgh! We had dinner with the Friendly Pirate at the Grille one evening, and the kids were enthralled. He wandered the dining room singing at various tables throughout the meal; all the tables had kids, and no one was left out. By the end, my daughter was requesting songs that she’d heard him sing at other tables but not ours. With gusto, he complied.
Other options for meals on the mountain include Riga-Bello’s Pizzeria, which serves pizza by the slice or full, along with pasta and other Italian dishes. Green Mountain Deli in the Village Lodge has a variety of sandwiches, burgers, and some vegetarian options. At FunZone 2.0, ReFuel Cafe serves sandwiches, salads, and soft-serve ice cream, including Vermont’s famous Maple Creme. ReFuel also offers beer and wine, which parents may take with them around the facility.
Getting to Smugglers’ Notch
Smugglers’ Notch is a 45-minute drive from Burlington and a 4-hour drive from Boston.
Kara Matuszewski Sassone is a former journalist who currently works in higher education. She’s the mother of 5-year-old twins – a boy and a girl – living outside Boston.
This writer received a complimentary stay and some activities for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
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