Hiking with Shawn Blog
Welcome to the Hiking with Shawn Blog! You can expect weekly blog posts featuring hiking, camping, cycling, and kayaking tips. I also post trail guides around Southern Illinois and beyond. You’ll also find gear reviews on the Hiking with Shawn Blog, as well.
Latest from the Hiking with Shawn Blog
The Hiking with Shawn Blog will feature one post a week featuring outdoor recreation tips, trail guides, and gear reviews.
10 Unique Waterfalls in Southern Illinois
10 Unique Waterfalls in Southern IllinoisAre you looking for unique waterfalls in Southern Illinois? Everyone already knows about Burden Falls, Cedar Falls, and Jackson Falls waterfalls, right? But there must be some unique ones you've not been to yet, right? There...
How to Prepare for a Hiking Trip the Right Way
How to Prepare for a Hiking Trip the Right WayIt’s important to prepare for a hiking trip before you go. If you don’t prepare, it can be a bad trip. You could get hurt. You could get stranded. You could have a bad enough experience that you never want to go hiking...
What are the Best Hiking Trails Nearby in Southern Illinois?
What are the Best Hiking Trails Nearby in Southern Illinois?Are you looking for the best hiking trails nearby where you live? This is a list of some of the best hiking trails in the area of five different communities spread across the southern Illinois region. Surely,...
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...
15 Most Asked Hiking Questions with Honest Answers
15 Most Asked Hiking Questions with Honest AnswersThese are the 15 most asked hiking questions I commonly see. When it comes to hiking, no question is a bad question. Hiking can be rewarding and life-changing as long as you do it right. But if you don’t do it right,...
How to Try Solo Dispersed Wilderness Camping for the First Time
How to Try Solo Dispersed Wilderness Camping for the First TimeHave you ever been solo dispersed wilderness camping? The chance is, if you’re on this article, you haven’t tried it. Or maybe you have, and you’d like more advice to ensure the next time is better. Either...
Banning Pets on Hiking Trails: Agree or Disagree?
Banning Pets on Hiking Trails: Agree or Disagree?How do you feel about public lands banning pets on hiking trails? The banning of pets from hiking trails isn't uncommon. It's a big practice in National Parks, Nature Preserves, State Parks, and other natural areas...
Required Hiking Permits: Should we pay to use hiking trails?
Required Hiking Permits: Should we pay to use popular hiking trails?This article questions and debates the required hiking permits for using popular trails. In most cases, permits for hiking trails will cost money. Some may cost a few dollars, while others could cost...
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...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Indian Point Trail Guide
Indian Point Trail GuideIndian Point Trail, or the Backpackers Trailhead, is a short trail within Garden of the Gods Wilderness in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. This is a popular hiking and overnight backpacking trail used throughout the year. This...
Illinois Iron Furnace Guide
Illinois Iron Furnace GuideIllinois Iron Furnace isn’t just a nice spot for a picnic on a warm sunny day. It’s the last remaining Iron Furnace in the region. It’s a piece of southern Illinois history worth seeing for yourself. Illinois Iron Furnace is the last iron...
Giant City Red Cedar Trail Guide
Giant City Red Cedar Trail GuideGiant City Red Cedar Trail is the longest hiking trail within Giant City State Park. It is commonly used by hikers, backpackers, trail runners, birders, and nature watchers. Getting to Giant City Red Cedar Trail is easy. The trail is...
Latest Gear Reviews
Check out my latest outdoor gear reviews posted in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
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I am currently accepting guest contributions from outdoor enthusiasts and local businesses and organizations that are interested in posting on my blog. For the most part, guest posting is free as long as it’s non-commercial in nature. Just to be clear, I do not sell links. While I do accept paid sponsored posts from time to time, I reject around 9 out of 10 of sponsored post requests. If the content isn’t of the highest value to my readers, I will not accept it.
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