Hiking with Shawn – Shawnee National Forest

Learn about everything Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois State Parks on this official Hiking with Shawn website. Find trail guides, blogs, top 10s, gear reviews, and updated conditions for the Shawnee here on Hiking with Shawn. The Shawnee National Forest is a nearly 280,000-acre National Forest located in Southern Illinois.

Hiking with Shawn is an outdoor recreation brand that promotes hiking, biking, and outdoor use centering around the Shawnee National Forest, Southern Illinois state parks, and beyond. This brand was founded by Southern Illinois native and avid outdoorsman Shawn Gossman. Shawn is also a licensed and permitted hiking guide offering guide services in the Shawnee National Forest.

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Hiking with Shawn Trail Guides

Enjoy my latest Trail Guides which are free and updated to help keep you on the trail!

Cache River State Natural Area Guide

Cache River State Natural Area GuideCache River State Natural Area is a nearly 15,000-acre Illinois state natural area with ample opportunities for fish and game, outdoor recreation, and educational programming. Visitors can enjoy miles upon miles of hiking, biking,...

Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Guide

Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area GuideHave you ever visited Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area in southern Illinois? It's an amazing spot for all different kinds of recreational uses. Whether you're a boater, kayaker, fisherman, hunter, cyclist, hiker,...

Abneyville Rock Trail Guide

Abneyville Rock Trail GuideThe Abneyville Rock Trail is a short but very remote hiking trail located in the northwestern Shawnee National Forest near Sand Ridge, with the closest city being Murphysboro. The trail is around four miles out-and-back and has roughly 600...

Hiking with Shawn Blog

Check out the latest posts from Shawn’s blog!

How to be an Ultralight Hiker

How to be an Ultralight Hiker

How to be an Ultralight HikerDo you want to be an ultralight hiker? Do you even know what ultralight hiking is? Ultralight hiking can be summed up as hiking with the least amount of gear possible and only taking what you really need rather than what you might need....

What to Wear Hiking: Your Complete Guide

What to Wear Hiking: Your Complete Guide

What to Wear Hiking: Your Complete GuideDo you want to know what to wear hiking? You shouldn't wear your everyday clothes on a hiking trip. It could result in a bad trip. You wouldn't think about that until it was too late. But the right clothes to wear hiking is an...

No More Daily Blogs

No More Daily Blogs

No More Daily BlogsHowdy folks! Daily blogging is doable, but it requires more allocation of time and resources. I’ve ultimately decided not to do daily blogs anymore. But never fear – I still plan to blog on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That’s still more than I...

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