Smugglers' Notch State Park
Encyclopedia
Smugglers' Notch State Park is a Vermont state park near Stowe
in Lamoille County, Vermont
in the United States
. The park is at an elevation of 2119 feet (645.9 m) near Mount Mansfield
, and is named for Smugglers Notch
, which separates Mount Mansfield
—the highest peak of the Green Mountains
—from Spruce Peak and the Sterling Range.
that was prompted by a request of President Thomas Jefferson
to prevent American involvement in the Napoleonic Wars
. The United States Congress
passed the Embargo Act of 1807
which prohibitied American trade with Great Britain
and Canada
. The British bypassed the embargo by importing products to Canada and smuggling them down mountain trails through Smugglers Notch. The Act caused great hardship for locals, many of whom continued the illegal trade with Canada, carrying goods and herding livestock through the notch. The geology of the notch made it well suited for smuggling as the area is remote and laced with numerous cave
s. The caves were used as hideaways by the smugglers. Much of the illegal activity slowed with the onset of the War of 1812
. Smugglers Notch was later used on the Underground Railroad
when fugitive slave
s used the notch as an escape route to Canada. The route was improved to accommodate automobile traffic in 1922 thus providing a route for liquor to be brought in from Canada during the Prohibition
years. The caves were suited to storing illegal alcoholic beverages at near room temperature
.
Smugglers' Notch State Park was built near the notch by the depression-era
Civilian Conservation Corps
founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to provide employment for the out of work young men of New England
. In 2003 the park was relocated, making way for a larger campground and modern facilities incorporating alternative energy
. To preserve the work these pioneering conservationists, all original structures created by the CCC were carefully relocated to the new site.
which are part of the Appalachian Mountains
, a range that stretches from Quebec
in the north to Georgia
in the south. The Green Mountains have five peaks over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m). Three of these (Mount Mansfield
, Camel's Hump,
and Mount Abraham) support alpine vegetation. All of the major peaks are traversed by the Long Trail
, a wilderness hiking trail that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and joins the Appalachian Trail
for roughly ⅓ of its length.
is open for year round recreation, but access is limited in the winter months to snow mobiles and skiers
. There are fourteen lean-to
shelters and twenty campsites at the campgrounds that are located just off Route 108. The park serves as a trailhead for several hiking trails that stretch into Mount Mansfield State Forest. Sterling Pond trail passes through a dense secondary forest
. The trail begins above the campground and is reached by a connector trail. It rises 900 feet to Sterling Pond which is open to fishing and swimming. Several trails begin at Smugglers' Notch State Park and ascend Mount Mansfield
. Mountain climbing and spelunking
is permitted at the park. Many large boulder
s and caves are found throughout the park and vertical cliffs are on Mount Mansfield and Elephant's Head.
Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
in Lamoille County, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park is at an elevation of 2119 feet (645.9 m) near Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, and is named for Smugglers Notch
Smugglers Notch
Smugglers Notch is a mountain pass in Lamoille County, Vermont.The notch separates Mount Mansfield, the highest peak of the Green Mountains, from Spruce Peak and the Sterling Range....
, which separates Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
—the highest peak of the Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
—from Spruce Peak and the Sterling Range.
History
Smugglers Notch is named for the smugglingSmuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
that was prompted by a request of President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
to prevent American involvement in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
passed the Embargo Act of 1807
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...
which prohibitied American trade with Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The British bypassed the embargo by importing products to Canada and smuggling them down mountain trails through Smugglers Notch. The Act caused great hardship for locals, many of whom continued the illegal trade with Canada, carrying goods and herding livestock through the notch. The geology of the notch made it well suited for smuggling as the area is remote and laced with numerous cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s. The caves were used as hideaways by the smugglers. Much of the illegal activity slowed with the onset of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Smugglers Notch was later used on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
when fugitive slave
Fugitive slave
In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachusetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
s used the notch as an escape route to Canada. The route was improved to accommodate automobile traffic in 1922 thus providing a route for liquor to be brought in from Canada during the Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
years. The caves were suited to storing illegal alcoholic beverages at near room temperature
Room temperature
-Comfort levels:The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has listings for suggested temperatures and air flow rates in different types of buildings and different environmental circumstances. For example, a single office in a building has an occupancy ratio per...
.
Smugglers' Notch State Park was built near the notch by the depression-era
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to provide employment for the out of work young men of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. In 2003 the park was relocated, making way for a larger campground and modern facilities incorporating alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
. To preserve the work these pioneering conservationists, all original structures created by the CCC were carefully relocated to the new site.
Geography
Smugglers' Notch State Park is situated in the Green MountainsGreen Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
which are part of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, a range that stretches from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in the north to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in the south. The Green Mountains have five peaks over 4000 feet (1,219.2 m). Three of these (Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, Camel's Hump,
and Mount Abraham) support alpine vegetation. All of the major peaks are traversed by the Long Trail
Long Trail
The Long Trail is a hiking trail located in Vermont, running the length of the state. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club...
, a wilderness hiking trail that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and joins the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
for roughly ⅓ of its length.
Recreation
Smugglers' Notch State Park on Vermont Route 108Vermont Route 108
Vermont Route 108 is a north–south state highway in northern Vermont, United States. Its southern terminus is at VT 100 in Stowe, and its northern terminus is at the Canadian border in Franklin, where it continues into Quebec as Route 237. VT 108 is long.-Route...
is open for year round recreation, but access is limited in the winter months to snow mobiles and skiers
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. There are fourteen lean-to
Lean-to
A lean-to is a term used to describe a roof with a single slope. The term also applies to a variety of structures that are built using a lean-to roof....
shelters and twenty campsites at the campgrounds that are located just off Route 108. The park serves as a trailhead for several hiking trails that stretch into Mount Mansfield State Forest. Sterling Pond trail passes through a dense secondary forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
. The trail begins above the campground and is reached by a connector trail. It rises 900 feet to Sterling Pond which is open to fishing and swimming. Several trails begin at Smugglers' Notch State Park and ascend Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
. Mountain climbing and spelunking
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
is permitted at the park. Many large boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s and caves are found throughout the park and vertical cliffs are on Mount Mansfield and Elephant's Head.