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.

Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Safety Guide

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,...

Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Tips

Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking Tips

Shawnee Forest Winter Hiking TipsShawnee Forest winter hiking is one of the best times to hike. Sue, I love summer a lot more than winter, personally. I enjoy warm weather. I don’t like the cold that much. My joints and bones hurt in the cold. But with winter comes...

Merry Christmas from Hiking with Shawn

Merry Christmas from Hiking with Shawn

Merry Christmas from Hiking with ShawnIt’s Christmas Day, and I wish you a Merry Christmas!No blog post today since most of us spend time with our loved ones. But I wanted to make sure I posted something since I post something every day!Please Support Hiking with...

10 Essentials of Hiking in the Shawnee National Forest

10 Essentials of Hiking in the Shawnee National Forest

10 Essentials of Hiking in the Shawnee National ForestThere are ten essentials of hiking that you should familiarize yourself with and take with you on every hike in the Shawnee National Forest. These 10 essentials of hiking will help to ensure you have a positive...

How to Hike in Extremely Cold Temperatures

How to Hike in Extremely Cold Temperatures

How to Hike in Extremely Cold TemperaturesHave you ever wanted to hike in extremely cold temperatures and weather conditions? These temperatures for these last few days have been pretty dangerous. I’d never recommend hiking in wind-chill of -20 or lower like we’ve...

Southern Illinois Hiking Itinerary Planning Services

Southern Illinois Hiking Itinerary Planning Services

Southern Illinois Hiking Itinerary Planning Services Planning for a hike in southern Illinois is hard. You have nearly 300,000 acres of Shawnee National Forest to choose from. There are over 400 miles of hiking trails in that, too. Then there are state parks scattered...

6 Shawnee Forest Waterfall Trails to Visit After Heavy Rain

6 Shawnee Forest Waterfall Trails to Visit After Heavy Rain

6 Shawnee Forest Waterfall Trails to Visit After Heavy RainThere are tons of Shawnee Forest waterfall trails to visit after a good heavy rain. Instead of just visiting one waterfall, it’s better to visit multiple waterfalls. Luckily, the Shawnee National Forest and...

Graffiti on Public Lands

Graffiti on Public Lands

Graffiti on Public LandsHow do you feel about graffiti on public lands? The argument comes up from time to time when people find out others have “tagged” spray paint or carved on natural features in the Shawnee National Forest. Sometimes, people blame me without...

10 Shawnee National Forest Sunrise Spots

10 Shawnee National Forest Sunrise Spots

10 Shawnee National Forest Sunrise SpotsThere are some fantastic Shawnee National Forest sunrise spots to enjoy throughout the year. Some are best during the leaf-off months, while others can be enjoyed year-round. I wanted to create an article with a few options for...

Latest Trail Guides

Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.

Clear Springs Wilderness Guide

Clear Springs Wilderness Guide

Hiking with Shawn’s Guide to the Wilderness Areas of the Shawnee National Forest: Clear Springs WildernessClear Springs Wilderness is a 4,730-acre designated wilderness area within the Shawnee National Forest located in rural southwestern Jackson and northwestern...

Burden Falls Wilderness Guide

Burden Falls Wilderness Guide

Hiking with Shawn’s Guide to the Wilderness Areas of the Shawnee National Forest: Burden Falls WildernessBurden Falls Wilderness is a Designated Wilderness Area within the Shawnee National Forest. This wilderness area consists of 3,775-acres and is located in...

Bay Creek Wilderness Guide

Bay Creek Wilderness Guide

Hiking with Shawn’s Guide to the Wilderness Areas of the Shawnee National Forest: Bay Creek WildernessBay Creek Wilderness is a Designated Wilderness Area within the Shawnee National Forest. Consisting of 2,866-acres, Bay Creek Wilderness is located in rural Pope...

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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