



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Interstate Trail
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Interstate Trail The Interstate Trail is a 1.6 mile trail that is very easy to hike. This is a horseback trail but is also open to hikers as well. There are some features to see on this trail including bluffs, a former school...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Schwegman Ecological Area & Groundhog Den
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Schwegman Ecological Area & Groundhog Den Schwegman Ecological Area and Groundhog Den are unique gems in the Shawnee National Forest. I’ve talked to the fella who used to live in these areas before the land was sold to the...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Trigg Observation Tower
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Trigg Observation TowerTrigg Observation Tower is a former fire watch observation tower located in the Shawnee National Forest near Simpson, Illinois. Trigg Observation Tower was originally about 100 foot in height but half of...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Millstone Bluff
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Millstone BluffMillstone Bluff is a day-use recreational site within the Shawnee National Forest located near Simpson in southern Illinois. This site is fairly easy to navigate and hike and is appropriate for younger users and...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Piney Creek Ravine
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Piney Creek RavinePiney Creek Ravine, while well known, is a sort of hidden gem in southern Illinois. It is located on the west side of the state near Ava, Illinois and provides a wonderful hiking opportunity as well as an...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Bell Smith Springs
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Bell Smith Springs Bell Smith Springs is truly a magical place of the Shawnee National Forest. It is home to a popular diving and swimming hole, the largest arch in southern Illinois, iconic rock formations that are...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Garden of the Gods Observation Trail
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Garden of the Gods Observation TrailGarden of the Gods Observation Trail is said to be the most Instagram’d area of the Shawnee National Forest. Chances are, if you’ve been to southern Illinois for hiking, you’ve hiked on the...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Pounds Hollow Recreational Area
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Pounds Hollow Recreation Area Pounds Hollow Recreational Area is a great spot to visit in the Shawnee National Forest because of the many things to do in the area. Aside from the obvious hiking activities, there are also camping...



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Kaskaskia Experimental Forest
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Kaskaskia Experimental Forest Kaskaskia Experimental Forest was a forest set aside for experimental research in tree and forest stands. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the site went from less than 500 acres to over 1,300 acres....



Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: East Trigg to Splatterstone Fall
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: East Trigg to Splatterstone Fall Splatterstone Fall is a really scenic waterfall located in Jackson Hollow Ecological Area within the Shawnee National Forest. This area is very wild and scenic all the way from East Trigg...
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