Jeffersonville

Ski Area

Smuggler's Notch. "The granddaddy of all family resorts," Smuggler's Notch consistently wins accolades for its family programs. Its children's ski school is one of the best in the country—possibly the best—but skiers of all levels come here. Smugglers' was the first ski area in the East to designate a triple-black-diamond run—the Black Hole. All the essentials are available in the village at the base of the Morse Mountain lifts, including lodgings, restaurants, and several shops. Smugglers' has a full roster of summertime programs, including pools, complete with waterfalls and waterslides; the Giant Rapid River Ride (the longest water ride in the state); lawn games; mountain biking and hiking programs; and craft workshops for adults. The Treasures Child Care Center accepts children 6 weeks and older.

The self-contained village has outdoor ice skating and sleigh rides. The numerous snowshoeing programs include family walks and backcountry trips. SmuggsCentral has an indoor pool, hot tub, Funzone playground with slides and miniature golf, and a teen center, open from 5 pm until midnight. In terms of Nordic skiing, the area has 18 miles of groomed and tracked trails and 12 miles of snowshoe trails.

For downhill skiing, Smugglers' has three mountains. The highest, Madonna, with a vertical drop of 2,610 feet, is in the center and connects with a trail network to Sterling (1,500 feet vertical). The third mountain, Morse (1,150 feet vertical), is adjacent to Smugglers' "village" of shops, restaurants, and condos; it's connected to the other peaks by trails and a shuttle bus. The wild, craggy landscape lends a pristine wilderness feel to the skiing experience on the two higher mountains. The tops of each of the mountains have expert terrain—a couple of double-black diamonds (and the only triple-black-diamond trail in the east) make Madonna memorable. Intermediate trails fill the lower sections. Morse has many beginner and advanced beginner trails. Smugglers' 70 trails are served by eight lifts, including six chairs and two surface lifts. Top-to-bottom snowmaking on all three mountains allows for 62% coverage. There are four progression terrain parks, including one for early beginners. Night skiing and snowboarding classes are given at the new Learning and Fun Park.

Ski camps for kids ages 3-17 provide excellent instruction, plus movies, games, and other activities. Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday are kids' nights at Treasures, with dinner and supervised activities for children ages 3-11. 4323 Vermont Rte. 108 South, Jeffersonville, VT, 05464-9537. 802/644-8851 or 800/419-4615. www.smuggs.com.

More Sports and Outdoors

• Kayaking
• Llama Rides

• Ski Area