On a cloudless winter day, watching dozens of skiers unload their equipment in the Stowe Ski Area parking lot, I'm giddy knowing that I'll soon be leaving them on the slopes.

I grab my trusty snowshoes from my car and make my way to Route 108. This road slices through the exquisite mountainous pass they call Smugglers Notch, from Stowe to Jeffersonville, Vermont. Come winter, it's closed to vehicles, leaving a wide and scenic path for snowshoers in the know.

Snow has been falling for days and the tall pines bear its brunt, bending over in the raw and hardened look of winter. The scene becomes even more gripping as the road veers uphill and starts to twist. Sheer walls of quartzite and mica drop down to the large boulders resting on the floor below. The notch was formed by a glacial retreat over 10,000 years ago. Its name comes from the Vermont smugglers who ventured north to trade with Canada illegally after Thomas Jefferson declared an embargo in 1807. The route was also used by fugitive slaves to find freedom in Canada, and by Vermonters in the 1920s to sneak liquor into America during Prohibition.

I cross the road and continue on the flat rock steps up the side of a ridge, part of the Long Trail heading north. The views of the notch and surrounding Green Mountains get better with every steep step. At the top of the slope sits iced-over Sterling Pond, my picnic spot for the day. As I dig into my turkey sandwich and take in the placid surroundings, it's easy to understand why snowshoeing has become one of the fastest growing winter sports in America.

Venture out on a wintry day, when the trails are polished with a fresh dusting of snow, and you'll find snowshoers making their way up mountains, along the banks of a river, or strolling at the nearby golf course. While the beauty of the landscapes may partially explain the recent surge of popularity in snowshoeing, another reason may be the ease of learning how to do it. "Strap and go" is how many folks describe the action of attaching the bindings to your boots. Once you have snowshoes on, you're free to find your own "less-traveled" wilderness. Try these personal favorites for starters. Many of these trails will be known to the summer hiking crowd, but they're even more desirable in winter, when you and your snowshoeing buddies are likely to have them to yourselves.

The Carriage Path Trails, Acadia National Park
Mount Desert Island, Maine

Several layers of warm clothes and a good pair of snowshoes seem like a small price to pay to avoid the crowds and occasional mosquitoes that swarm around Acadia National Park in the summer. Locals savor the winter, the time of year when they can reclaim their prized territory. Follow their cue into Acadia's piney interior and you'll soon be breathing in the clean, crisp air—a potent blend of fragrant balsams and the salty scent of the ocean, which is never far from view.

The same scenic carriage roads that are loved by cyclists in warm weather are cherished by outdoor enthusiasts in the winter. Donated to the park by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., this 43-mile network of hard-packed gravel trails traverses much of Mount Desert Island. Start with the loop around Eagle Lake, with views of Cadillac Mountain in the background. If you really want to avoid other groups, park at the Brown Mountain Gatehouse lot, located a mile north of Northeast Harbor on Route 198. You'll soon be trekking up a hillside with vistas out to the Atlantic. The sweeping route takes you through a dark towering pine forest and over the longest of Rockefeller's stone bridges.

For more information: Discover Acadia National Park (AMC Books), or U.S. National Park Service

100-Mile Wilderness and AMC's Maine Lodges
Greenville, Maine

Over the past two decades, many sporting camps dating from the latter half of the 19th century have changed ownership. When the opportunity arose in 2003 to purchase the Little Lyford Pond Camps, nestled in a grove in the 100-Mile Wilderness region, the Appalachian Mountain Club decided to buy it. Then AMC acquired 37,000 acres of surrounding land and added two additional sporting camps, now known as Gorman Chairback and Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins. The result is a network of lodges, connected by trails, offering skiers the adventure of a hut-to-hut trip but with the comfort of a private cabin and sauna at day's end. For snowshoers, miles of trails surround each lodge. Start with the many paths that branch off from Gorman Chairback, which was built as a private camp in 1867 and extensively renovated before reopening with a new main lodge last winter. It's hard to top the locale, set on the shores of Long Pond in the shadows of the Barren-Chairback Range.

For more information: outdoors.org/mainelodges

The 19-Mile Brook Trail to Carter Notch
Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire

AMC keeps three huts in the Whites open in the winter. If you relish a good climb, try the 3.8-mile (one-way) hike from Pinkham Notch to Carter Notch Hut via the 19-Mile Brook Trail. Spend three to four hours snowshoeing up between the dramatic ridges of Carter Dome and Wildcat A, then spend the night at AMC's oldest standing hut. The stone building, constructed in 1914, is perched just above two glacial lakes.

The trail splits at the 1.8-mile mark, veering left to the top of Carter Dome or straight to Carter Notch. As you cross a bridge and continue the ascent to the notch, the northern hardwood forest is soon replaced by a boreal forest of sweet-smelling spruces and firs. The last section of the trail snakes between the ridges and the majestic glacial lakes to the old hut. Inside the cozy walls, you've earned your dinner and a night's sleep on a mattress. Just remember to bring your own food and a cold-weather sleeping bag, since Carter Notch Hut is self-service in winter and the bunkhouses are unheated.

For more information: White Mountain Guide (AMC Books), outdoors.org/carter

Mount Willard Trail
Crawford Notch, New Hampshire

If the thought of climbing a mountain in winter makes you sweat long before leaving your car, wipe your brow and give 2,804-foot Willard a try. Close to an hour later, you'll make it to the peak, where jaw-dropping views of Crawford Notch stand below you, a reward for your efforts. Not surprisingly, this easy climb (3.2 miles round-trip) is a favorite for families in both warm-weather and cool-weather months.

The hike begins behind the Crawford Depot and Macomber Family Information Center, a short walk from AMC's Highland Center, where guests can borrow snowshoes at no charge from the L.L. Bean gear room. The trail starts off sharply but becomes more gradual as you criss-cross through a forest of dense spruce and fir. Eventually, sunshine seeps into the woods and you'll reach a large opening, the light at the end of the tunnel. Look down from the rocky ledge at the railroad line carved into the mountainside and the cars that snake through Crawford Notch on Route 302. Then pat yourself on the back for climbing a White Mountain peak on snowshoes.

For more information: White Mountain Guide (AMC Books), outdoors.org/mountwillard

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