Goat Island to Three Sisters: five minutes, no shortcut.

About a quarter mile, maybe less. The path is straightforward—walk past the Cave of the Winds elevator entrance and follow the riverside trail. The first bridge to the Three Sisters is right there.

“Shortcut” doesn’t really apply because there’s only one way to get there from the main parking lot (unless you park illegally closer, which I wouldn’t recommend). The distance is short enough that a shortcut would save you maybe 30 seconds.

Just park and walk—it’s part of the experience.