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.
Community Hikes
Community HikesIn 2023, I want to start Community Hikes as a new feature of Hiking with Shawn. Community Hikes will be planned group hikes that you register to join. These hikes will be free to the community. The community is anyone who wants to hike, no matter where...
First Hike of 2023
First Hike of 2023Where was your first hike of 2023? We decided to hit the trail at Piney Creek Ravine for our first hike of the year. We went with a small group. Some had been there before. Others have never been there. We were hoping for a lot of waterfall activity....
Last Hike of 2022
Last Hike of 2022Our Last Hike of 2022 was a doozy! We decided to go to Fountain Bluff for the last hike of 2022. If you don’t know, Fountain Bluff is on the west side of the Shawnee National Forest near Grand Tower. It’s an area once inhabited by ancient people from...
Happy New Year
Happy New YearHappy New Year from Hiking with Shawn! I’m going hiking today to start the New Year right! We went to bed before midnight last night. We slept well from a long hike on New Year’s Eve. We made sure to hike on the last day of the year. And we make sure we...
Southern Illinois Outdoors
Southern Illinois Outdoors ForumSouthern Illinois Outdoors is the new forum in town. Social media isn’t for everyone, and I understand that. Before social media, there were discussion forum communities. These communities had better privacy controls, were more specific...
The New Shawnee Challenge Gets Major Updates
The New Shawnee Challenge Gets Major Updates Have you heard of the New Shawnee Challenge? I created the challenge in collaboration with Southernmost Illinois Tourism, the US Forest Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Shawnee Mountain Bike...
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...
How to Protect Your Feet when Hiking
How to Protect Your Feet when HikingIt is significant to protect your feet when hiking. Your feet are the main part of your body that you need to be at their fullest when hiking. Your feet will get you where you want to go. Your feet will get you back to where you...
Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Safety Guide
Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Safety GuideWelcome to the Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Safety Guide. It’s wintertime in the Shawnee National Forest. Southern Illinois is no stranger to snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. Most people stay inside during wintry conditions,...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Wildcat Bluff
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Wildcat BluffWildcat Bluff is a nestled little gem of the Cache River State Natural Area managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Located in rural Johnson County, Illinois-this amazing place offers hikers views of...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Heron Pond
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Heron PondHeron Pond Preserve is a special gem of the southern Illinois region. Located in rural Johnson County, Heron Pond provides a look into what the area once looked like before pioneer settlers came in and drained the...
Panther Den Wilderness Guide
Hiking with Shawn’s Guide to the Wilderness Areas of the Shawnee National Forest: Panther Den WildernessPanther Den Wilderness is a 1,195-acre designated wilderness area within the Shawnee National Forest. Panther Den Wilderness is the smallest wilderness area within...
Latest Gear Reviews
Check out my latest outdoor gear reviews posted in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
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Interested in Writing on the Hiking with Shawn Blog?
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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