Walk through quiet, scenic forests and along the river.

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit #29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue all the way to Newcomb and Route 28N. Take a left onto 28N and continue for just under 6.75-miles to the trail on the right.  

Hiking

This is the southern approach to Hewitt Eddy and is a mellow and lovely 0.8 mile hike. Only a very small rise over a hogback will be in front of you. A trail continues past the eddy and becomes what is known as the Boreas River Trail. With two cars or a 0.75 mile road walk you could use both trails for an extended hike.   

• Distance Round Trip: 0.8 miles

Winter

The hard part about this trail is finding a good place to park. If the snow banks are pushed back it’s not too bad, but otherwise you may have to consider using the Bores River Trail to access Hewitt Eddy. The trail is short and seldom used, but if you want to experience breaking trail this would be a good place to start. At just over 0.8 miles to Hewitt Eddy it’s not a demanding process. 

Enjoy a peaceful walk along a river. Listen to the birds chirp. Listen to the river flow. It's the best of nature here.

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake, follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit, #29. From here, follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue all the way to Newcomb and Route 28N. Take a left onto 28N and continue for just under 6-miles to the trail on the right (just as you cross the Boreas River).  

Hiking

This is the northern approach to Hewitt Eddy and is a flat and attractive hike of just over 1 mile. The trail follows along the course of the river, where in the autumn part of the year with peak colors, is an outstanding destination. A trail continues past the eddy and becomes what is known as the Hewitt Eddy Trail. With two cars or a 0.75 mile road walk you could use both trails for an extended hike.   

• Distance: 2.4 miles, round trip
• Elevation gain: 110 feet

Boquet Falls is on the North Fork of the Boquet River and accessed from the same location as Shoebox Falls.

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for two exits to exit 30. From here take a left and follow Route 9 toward Elizabethtown and shortly a left onto Route 73 and head toward Keene. Continue for 1.3 miles to the bridge over the Boquet River, the parking in just over the bridge on the right. 

Nature walks

From the parking area cross the road onto an old dirt road, blocked by large boulders; walk this to the river and upstream for a less than 0.1 miles to the base of the falls. The top of the falls can be accessed by crossing the river slightly below the falls by rock hoping the gentle current. Again this is another popular swim hole with a deep pool of cool Adirondack waters below the falls.  

• Distance Round Trip: Less than 0.1 miles

Easily accessible, easy to love: that's Shoebox Falls. In the summer, this can be a popular spot. 

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for two exits to exit 30. From here take a left and follow Route 9 toward Elizabethtown and shortly a left onto Route 73 and head toward Keene. Continue for 1.3 miles to the bridge over the Boquet River, the parking in just over the bridge on the right. 

Hiking

Shoebox Falls is on the north side of Route 73 after it passes under the bridge. Walk back over the bridge and continue for a few hundred feet to a path leading to the top of the falls. The falls are bit tough to see from here but does offer a somewhat popular swim hole. To best see the falls, continue a bit further past the tree line where the falls can be seen from the roadside. Please stay on the backside of the guardrail for safety from traffic. 

• Distance: Less than 0.1 miles round trip

This trail is actually quite steep, but it is also short. The pond rests on the shoulder of Skiff Mountain so essentially you are climbing the mountain to reach the pond.

Getting there

From the intersection of Route 74 and Route 9N in Ticonderoga follow Route 74 west toward Schroon Lake. Continue to the small Hamlet of Eagle Lake and cross over the bridge separating the two portions of the lake. In roughly 0.25 miles there is a launch for Eagle Lake on the left. About another 0.5 mile or so the trail for the Short Swing Trail will be on the left, park here. The trail is about 100 feet further up the road on the opposite side of Route 74. 

Key statistics

• Distance: 0.6 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 350 feet

Hiking

The mountain you will be hiking near is private property, do not be tempted by the prospect of good views to trespass. You will come out to the southern shore of the pond; the cliffs of Skiff Mountain are seen opposite of you. Herd paths do go around the pond in parts to give different perspectives of this body of water.