Shortcut Back.
Shortcut Back is a connector or alternate route whose exact distance hasn't been formally recorded, suggesting it may be a brief spur, social path, or seasonal variation used by locals to link longer segments. Without verified length data, it's likely a minor feature in a larger trail network rather than a standalone destination.
Seasonal pattern for this trail · tops out ~1,066 ft · live closures appear above
- GroundSurface
Read the line before you walk it.
What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
Guides, outfitters & shuttles.
If you’re already out here.
Brant Lake.
The corner of the Park this trail calls home — its hamlets, waters, lodging, and the rest of its field record.
Read the Region→
Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- Cafe Adirondack Restaurant & Wine Room2.3 mi
Please call 518-494-5800 for reservations, or to check for takeout and walk in availability.
- Sticks & Stones Wood Fired Bistro & Bar6.5 mi
Sticks and Stones Wood fired Bistro and Bar, Menu, Events, Catering, Location, Adirondack style private parties.
- DeCesare's Pizzeria7.2 mi
DeCesare's Pizzeria in Schroon Lake offers a menu of pizza, Italian dishes, and salads. They provide online ordering for both carryout and delivery.
- becks TAVERN7.8 mi
A tavern on Peaceful Valley Road in North Creek serving German-inspired dishes alongside burgers, wings, and bar standards. The Yurts out back are the conversation piece.
Sip.
3- 9 Mile Coffee Co7.9 mi
9 Mile Coffee Co. is a coffee shop in downtown Schroon Lake, NY, serving a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, sandwiches, and soups. They also sell their custom coffee blends and gift cards online.
- Cupola Crepes7.9 mi
Family-run creperie at 1095 Main Street in Schroon Lake. Sweet and savory crepes (gluten-free batter available), scones, coffee, and soft serve. Wednesday through Sunday.
- Caffe Vero23.5 mi
Breakfast, baked goods, sandwiches & house-roasted coffee in a comfy, earth-toned cafe.
Sweet.
4- Stone Bridge Ice Cream2.4 mi
Stone Bridge Ice Cream is a seasonal stand located 2.5 miles from the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, offering over 40 flavors of soft serve, custom ice cream cakes, and signature sundaes. It features outdoor seating and a kids' swing set.
- Crossroads Ice Cream6.8 mi
The ice cream counter at The Crossroads, a country and outdoors store off I-87 Exit 25 in Chestertown between Schroon and Brant Lake — hard and soft ice cream on the road north.
- Main Street Ice Cream Parlor7.3 mi
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- The Hungry Crow Market & Café7.3 mi
A downtown North Creek market and cafe serving soft serve alongside scratch-made desserts, next to Hudson River Trading Co. — the cone stop in the Gore and Upper Hudson area.
Drink.
4- Black Bear Restaurant & Bar2.3 mi
Black Bear Restaurant & Bar is an American eatery in Pottersville, NY, offering comfort food, sandwiches, and breakfast. Known for its welcoming atmosphere, quick service, and popular dishes like meatloaf and gravy fries.
- The Hub7.3 mi
The Hub is a cafe, restaurant, lounge, bar, and bike repair shop located in Brant Lake, also serving the Lake George, Loon Lake, Friends Lake, and Schroon Lake areas.
- The Brown Swan and Tavern7.7 mi
The Brown Swan and Tavern in Schroon Lake, NY, offers Adirondacks-inspired cuisine with locally sourced ingredients in a family-friendly setting.
- Flanagan's Pub & Grill7.8 mi
Long-standing, log cabin–style haunt offering traditional pub grub, draft beer & cocktails.
Stay.
4- Wakonda Family Campground3.9 mi
Wakonda Family Campground is a cooperative established in 1990, offering 132 campsites and 16 cottages on 82 acres. It features frontage on both private Lake Wakonda and the Schroon River.
- Adirondack Pines Bed & Breakfast5.3 mi
Adirondack Pines offers lodging in an 1837 country farmhouse B&B and a renovated 3-bedroom vacation rental house, located minutes from Schroon Lake and area attractions.
- The Lodge at Loon Lake5.9 mi
A small lodge on Route 8 in Chestertown, on Loon Lake in the southern Adirondacks, with cabin-style accommodations and lake access. Year-round.
- Park Mountain Campground5.9 mi
Park Mountain Campground is a family-owned RV and tent campground with 15 spacious sites in the Adirondack Mountains, less than a mile from Schroon Lake and near the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness area.
See.
4- Natural Stone Bridge & Caves0.4 mi
Explore the largest marble cave entrance in the eastern U.S., carved by Trout Brook. Offers self-guided trails, adventure tours, and winter snowshoeing with ice formations.
- North Creek Depot Museum7.1 mi
Saved from demolition, this 1872 landmark station is now a museum, heritage center, and cultural hub in historic North Creek, featuring a fabulous diorama and exhibits on the Adirondack Railroad, Theodore Roosevelt, and local history.
- Revolution Rail Co. - Thurman Station7.1 mi
A pedal-powered rail biking operation at Thurman Station on the Adirondack Railroad bed near North Creek, with family-friendly seasonal tours rolling alongside the Hudson River corridor through forest and open river-bank country.
- Town of Horicon Museum7.4 mi
The Brant Lake Museum is housed in an 1890s farmhouse, featuring period furniture, clothing, tools, and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. It also includes a Carriage House with military and local hotel exhibits.
Add to the record.
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Sunrise on the dock, a cairn at the summit, a bend on the trail. Your camera roll, our archive.
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Trail conditions, water level, bug pressure, blowdown. The kind of detail that helps the next person plan.
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Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
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Frequently asked.
- How long is the Shortcut Back?The Shortcut Back is approximately 0.03 miles (0.0 kilometers) — a short out-and-back suitable for most fitness levels.