Trail name(s)
Smugglers' Cave Nature Loop Trail
Location
Smugglers Notch State Park, Route 108 Stowe VT
Permitted uses
Hiking, Nature Study, Bouldering, Cave exploration
Prohibited uses
No Camping or Fires
Hours
Dawn to Dusk
Fees and Parking
There is no fee to park or use the trails. Parking is at the Smuggler’s Cave and Information Booth area. The parking fills up quickly and is limited, but there are other parking areas a short walk from the trailhead and at peak times, parking is allowed alongside the road.
Pets
Dogs are allowed on the trails and must be leashed. Owners are required to clean up after their pets.
Accessibility
This hike is not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities
There are restrooms available at the Smuggler’s Cave and Information Booth Parking area. The restrooms are on the opposite end of the parking lot from the Ranger Station and trailhead. There is a large information kiosk with a posted map near the restrooms and another smaller information kiosk closer to the Ranger Station. Throughout the week, Park Rangers are available at the station and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of Ranger education programs that are offered at that location. There is usually a placard posted for times and programs. At the smaller kiosk near the Ranger station there is a posted map and some history. There are no trash bins. Please carry out all the trash you create or find.
Length and Trail information
This hike was approximately .3 miles long and was easy. It was done as a loop hike with some side exploration that we accessed from inside the cave. Our goal for this hike was to hike the loop trail and then have some fun exploring the cave. The trail is marked with blue trail blazes and is very easy to follow. We chose to hike the trail going away from Smuggler’s Cave because we wanted our hike to end at the Cave. We knew we wouldn't be able to get good GPS readings inside the massive cave structure, so that part of our excursion has not been included in the posted GPS part of this report.
To be honest, the Loop Trail is not that big of a deal, it’s a fun little walk in the woods. There are some nice educational plaques to read along the way. The fun part of the hike is going inside Smuggler’s Cave and then seeing where you can get to from there. The Ranger warned us about slippery rocks and pointed out that there is always the possibility of falling rocks. We had seen warnings posted along the trail informing us that we were in a “Hazardous Active Rock Slide Area”. The Ranger said it was possible to make your way through the rock maze from the cave to the other end of the parking lot and so we did.
This is such a great place to bring kids to hike and explore. Not only could you get to enjoy a Ranger education program, but you get to explore and play inside the cave and surrounding rocks. Bring some sturdy shoes and a headlamp and enjoy being a kid again.
