The "The best vacation value for Family Fun!." Smugglers Notch is a family resort boasting activities all year round. In the Winter, they have skiing, and in the Summer, they have water parks and hiking activities.
Let's dive in
Ski Season
The mountain has some reasonably nice skiing and has the only triple black diamond trail on the east coast. If you are an expert skier, you may not consider the trail difficult but more of a marketing ploy to get people's attention. However, it works for them.
I did not find the pros to outweigh the cons of this mountain when I visited.
You need to park across the road on a semi-blind turn for the upper mountain. It is a little nerve-racking, especially if you are walking across with all of your gear. Then you have to step up this incredibly steep incline to get to the lifts.
The lifts. They are all double chairs that haven't been changed since the mountain first opened. Maybe that is a bit dramatic; however, I have never felt more unsafe on a lift in my life. I couldn't imagine putting children on it. All of the lifts are incredibly slow. They would benefit from replacing all of their lifts with newer detachable chairs, especially if they aren't limiting ticket sales.
A huge selling point of the mountain was that if you own a condo, your children or grandchildren get free child care and lessons at the resort. However, that has since been changed to a heavy discount. From word of mouth, it isn't comparable to what the homeowners were receiving before.
Summer at the Resort
The summer at Smugglers notch seems to be their primary season. The resort has many water parks and features for all ages. This seems to be where most of the money of the resort goes. There are pools, indoor kids clubs, waterslides, and more.
However, there is no gym for non-homeowners, which is a downside if you want to work out while staying at the resort.
The resort is gorgeous in the summertime. Hiking is incredible, and there is so much to see. The nature staff takes teaching seriously, and the kids' camps are outstanding. The children seem to really enjoy it.
While I would not personally go back, it can be a great place if you have the money and need a break from your children.
Check them out and let me know what you think: https://www.smuggs.com