Smugglers Notch owes its name to the very profitable traffic of goods and slaves between Canada and the United States during the war of 1812. This narrow route, connecting Stowe to Jeffersonville, rises sharply, then winds through a scenic gorge between Mount Mansfield and Spruce Park. The thick, dark forest adds to the place's gloomy atmosphere. Beware... a few boulders have rolled to the edge of the road.