Hiking with Shawn Blog
Welcome to the official Hiking with Shawn Blog, where you can find my trail guides, gear reviews, and more! I try to post a few times a week! Please feel free to share my posts and leave a comment!
Hiking with Shawn Blog: Latest Posts
The latest posts from Hiking with Shawn!
10 of the Best Sweet Shops in Southern Illinois You Must Visit
10 of the Best Sweet Shops in Southern Illinois You Must VisitYou got to try these amazing, sweet shops in Southern Illinois! Whether you’re a local or someone visiting to enjoy the Shawnee National Forest and our state parks, these mom-and-pop sweet shops are to die...
10 Delicious Restaurants Near the Shawnee National Forest
10 Delicious Restaurants Near the Shawnee National ForestI’m always looking for restaurants near the Shawnee National Forest. I want something unique, different from the rest, and tasty! I don’t want the same ole fast food burger that’s 90% greasy and a heart attack...
7 Kid-Friendly Hikes in Southern Illinois
7 Kid-Friendly Hikes in Southern IllinoisAre you looking for kid-friendly hikes in Southern Illinois? State parks are scattered throughout the Southern Illinois region. The Shawnee National Forest is vast, covering nearly 300,000 acres. Signage has never been the...
Upcoming Events for the Total Solar Eclipse Weekend and Other Days
Upcoming Events for the Total Solar Eclipse Weekend and Other DaysFor this week's blog post, I've decided to share some of my last newsletter on the Total Solar Eclipse events that are occurring around southern Illinois and the Shawnee National Forest. It includes...
The 2024 Dirty South Roubaix Recap
The 2024 Dirty South Roubaix RecapI did the Dirty South Roubaix this year for the first time. This is my race recap of what I experienced and what my overall thoughts of the race were. A Roubaix (pronounced Roo Bay) is a mix of mud, dirty, paved, and mixed road...
The Hiker’s Code: Unwritten Rules of Trail Etiquette
The Hiker's Code: Unwritten Rules of Trail EtiquetteTo me, there’s something about going out on the trails, either solo or with friends, that will always hold a special place in my heart. It doesn’t matter if I’m having a good or bad day, I always look forward to...
Hiking with Shawn Trail Guides
Free and detailed trail guides for navigating the Shawnee National Forest, State Parks, and Beyond!
Mill Branch Trail Guide
Mill Branch Trail Guide Mill Branch Trail is one of the most unique hiking trails in the Shawnee National Forest. (Moderate – 1.8 miles – Loop)There’s no other trail quite like Mill Branch. This trail can be accessed at Bell Smith Springs in the Shawnee National...
How To Go Caving at Illinois Caverns
How To Go Caving at Illinois CavernsAre you planning to go caving at Illinois Caverns this year? Illinois Caverns recently opened back up to the public a few years ago after being closed to help protect the native bat population from White Nose Syndrome, a disease...
Giant City Road Biking Route Itinerary
Giant City Road Biking Route ItineraryGiant City road biking is great for many different reasons. It’s scenic. It’s great for fitness. It’s lightly trafficked. Your selected road biking route can make or break your cycling adventure. You spent all that money on a road...
Glendixon Mountain Biking Trail Guide
Glendixon Mountain Biking Trail GuideHave you enjoyed some Glendixon mountain biking? Have you ever even heard of Glendixon? It combines words from the local mountain biking community in the Shawnee National Forest area. It’s short for Glendale and Dixon. Glendale...
Eagle Falls Waterfall Hiking Guide
Eagle Falls Waterfall Hiking GuideHave you ever heard of the Eagle Falls Waterfall? This amazing waterfall is attached to an old trail in the Bell Smith Springs area that is no longer being maintained, likely due to budget cuts. Access to this waterfall is rugged,...
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,...
Hiking with Shawn Gear Reviews
Check out my hiking, biking, and outdoor recreation related gear reviews.
Day Hiking Essentials: Bring these things on every hike!
Day Hiking Essentials: Bring these things on every hike!There are important day hiking essentials that you should bring with you on every day hike. These essentials will help you enjoy the best hiking experience possible. But not all hiking gear is created equal. Some...
5 Hiking Emergency Items Worth Taking on Every Hike
5 Hiking Emergency Items Worth Taking on Every HikeSome hiking emergency items are worth taking, just in case. You might plan for an uneventful day hike, but in nature, anything can happen. Humans really control nothing in nature, either. It’s rugged and unforgiving...
RightOnTrek Breakfast Meal Review
RightOnTrek Breakfast Meal ReviewI tried something new this morning. I ate a RightOnTrek breakfast meal. It was Cheesy Mushroom Egg Scramble. The name alone made it sound so delicious. I love cheese. I love eggs. I really love mushrooms. But I never thought about...
Hiking Gear List: What I Take on My Hikes
Hiking Gear List: What I Take on My HikesA lot of you have asked about my hiking gear list, and I wanted to write something that talks about it. Having hiking gear is essential to helping you make the best out of your outdoor experience. It allows you to push the...
10 Kayaking Gift Ideas to Get this Holiday Season
10 Kayaking Gift Ideas to Get this Holiday SeasonDo you need kayaking gift ideas this holiday season? Is there a special kayaker in your life that you want to treat? Look no further! In this article, you’ll see ten great kayaking Christmas gift ideas for that special...
10 Awesome Hiking Gift Ideas this Holiday Season
10 Awesome Hiking Gift Ideas this Holiday SeasonAre you looking for hiking gift ideas for that particular hiker in your life? Christmas and other holidays are almost here, and there is little time to shop. Hiking gifts are perfect for our outdoorsy significant other,...
Hiking with Shawn Blog Posts
My latest posts about the Shawnee National Forest, state parks, and beyond!
10 Delicious Restaurants Near the Shawnee National Forest
10 Delicious Restaurants Near the Shawnee National ForestI’m always looking for restaurants near the Shawnee National Forest. I want something unique, different from the rest, and tasty! I don’t want the same ole fast food burger that’s 90% greasy and a heart attack...
7 Kid-Friendly Hikes in Southern Illinois
7 Kid-Friendly Hikes in Southern IllinoisAre you looking for kid-friendly hikes in Southern Illinois? State parks are scattered throughout the Southern Illinois region. The Shawnee National Forest is vast, covering nearly 300,000 acres. Signage has never been the...
The 2024 Dirty South Roubaix Recap
The 2024 Dirty South Roubaix RecapI did the Dirty South Roubaix this year for the first time. This is my race recap of what I experienced and what my overall thoughts of the race were. A Roubaix (pronounced Roo Bay) is a mix of mud, dirty, paved, and mixed road...
The Hiker’s Code: Unwritten Rules of Trail Etiquette
The Hiker's Code: Unwritten Rules of Trail EtiquetteTo me, there’s something about going out on the trails, either solo or with friends, that will always hold a special place in my heart. It doesn’t matter if I’m having a good or bad day, I always look forward to...
The Outdoor Economic Summit
The Outdoor Economic SummitAbout a week ago or so, I sat in on the Outdoor Economic Summit at SIU’s Touch of Nature Educational Center in Makanda. It was put on by the folks at Southern Illinois Now, which is an organization with an aim to help people move to, stay...
Hiking Gear Essentials: What to Pack for Your Next Adventure
Hiking Gear Essentials: What to Pack for Your Next AdventureAre you carrying the important hiking gear essentials with you on your day hikes? The last thing you want to do is get stranded in the forest and not have the right tools to keep you safe and sound while you...
Hiking with Shawn Patreon Posts
Premium blog posts only available to Patreon Members. Learn more at My Patreon Page.
Bushwhacking Off Trail: How to Effectively Hike Off Trail
Bushwhacking Off Trail: How to Effectively Hike Off TrailBushwhacking might sound a little taboo. Many folks are against bushwhacking off trail for a number of reason. One particular reason is ecology because you might harm sensitive plants or violate leave no trace....
Apps Hiking with Shawn Uses
Apps Hiking with Shawn UsesHowdy Patreon Supporters! In this exclusive Patreon-member only article, I’ll be going over each of the apps Hiking with Shawn uses on my phone and what I use it for. This will be apps Hiking with Shawn uses on my iPhone of course but I’m...
Hiking Hacks for Patreon Supporters
Hiking Hacks for Patreon SupportersWelcome to another Patreon Exclusive article! In this article, I’ll be focusing on hiking hacks or just tips and tricks to make hiking much easier. Many of these hacks are something I use and have changed hiking for me altogether....
Lightening your Load while Hiking and Backpacking
Lightening Your Load while Hiking and BackpackingLightening your load will reduce the weight you must carry while hiking or overnight backpacking through the forest. Most of us hikers deal with the issue of weight. Our packs get loaded with weight and sometimes it can...
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Hiking with Kids in the Shawnee National Forest
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Hiking with Kids in the Shawnee National ForestMany of you might have kids and your kids might be smaller kids that still live at home. Getting your kids involved in your hikes promotes outdoor stewardship and a healthy lifestyle. Kids nowadays seem...
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Top 5 Waterfalls Away From the Masses in Southern Illinois
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Top 5 Waterfalls Away From the Masses in Southern IllinoisWaterfalls in southern Illinois are probably one of our better features of the Shawnee National Forest. But a lot of them can get pretty crowded on active days. Getting a good view or photo...
Write for the Hiking with Shawn Blog
I’m always looking for one-time guest bloggers as well as reoccurring guest bloggers. If you’re interested in writing outdoor-related articles for my blog, then I am interested in you. While I will allow you to have a link to a related websites (outdoor related), I don’t allow affiliate links or posts that are commercial in nature from guest bloggers. If you’re just looking for do-follow links, you should definitely look somewhere else. I’m looking for articles about Shawnee National Forest, southern Illinois state parks, local events related to the outdoors, state outdoor topics, and general hiking/biking/outdoor articles. If you’re interesting in writing for my blog on a one-time or regular basis, please Contact Me Today!
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