Smugglers’ Notch State Park

Tucked into the narrow cleft of Smugglers’ Notch between Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, this 38-site campground sits in one of Vermont’s most dramatic settings. The sites are carved into dense woods with solid privacy, and the stone-walled notch towers overhead like cathedral walls. Most sites handle mid-size rigs, though a few are tent-only. The park fills on summer weekends — book ahead or arrive early.

Route 108 through the notch closes completely from late October through May due to steep grades and ice, so access is strictly seasonal. The narrow, winding pass road isn’t trailer-friendly even when open, but it’s the kind of drive that makes you pull over just to stare up at the rock walls.

Campground squeezed between towering cliff walls