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 National Forest Snakes: Should you be concerned?

Shawnee National Forest Snakes: Should you be concerned?

Shawnee National Forest Snakes: Should you be concerned?Shawnee National Forest snakes have been a big topic lately on social media! I’m sure I have helped make it a topic, too. I post photos and videos of snakes I encounter on my hiking and biking adventures around...

Little Grand Canyon Trail Guide – Shawnee National Forest

Little Grand Canyon Trail Guide – Shawnee National Forest

Little Grand Canyon Trail Guide Shawnee National ForestLittle Grand Canyon is a popular day hiking loop trail located on the western side of the Shawnee National Forest near Carbondale, Illinois. This is a full loop hike of about 3.5-miles total. The best way to hike...

10 Shawnee National Forest Horse Campgrounds to Stay at in 2022

10 Shawnee National Forest Horse Campgrounds to Stay at in 2022

10 Shawnee National Forest Horse Campgrounds to Stay at in 2022Are you looking for great Shawnee National Forest horse campgrounds to stay at this year? Do you want to find campgrounds with unique features and close to excellent trails to ride? This article will point...

27 Hiking Tips for Beginner Hikers

27 Hiking Tips for Beginner Hikers

27 Hiking Tips for Beginner HikersHere are 27 essential hiking tips aimed at beginner hikers. If you’re new to hiking and want to make the best out of a hiking experience, this article is definitely for you. I’ve been hiking most of my life, but I got into serious...

Pomona Natural Bridge Guide – Shawnee National Forest

Pomona Natural Bridge Guide – Shawnee National Forest

Pomona Natural Bridge Guide Shawnee National ForestPomona Natural Bridge is a popular natural bluff feature located near Pomona, Illinois, in the Shawnee National Forest, Mississippi Bluff Ranger District. Pomona Natural Bridge is a moderately difficult loop trail...

Cove Hollow Trail – Cedar Lake – Shawnee National Forest

Cove Hollow Trail – Cedar Lake – Shawnee National Forest

Cove Hollow Trail Cedar Lake Shawnee National Forest Trail GuideCove Hollow Loop is a trail system located in the Shawnee National Forest near Pomona within the Cedar Lake area. This lollipop loop uses a combination of Cove Hollow and Wolfden Hollow trails. The total...

Shawnee National Forest Backpacking Guide

Shawnee National Forest Backpacking Guide

Shawnee National Forest Backpacking GuideIf you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking for Shawnee National Forest backpacking information – and it looks like you found the right place for that information. With nearly 300,000-acres, there are a lot of areas in...

10 Most Important Hiking Gear Items for the Shawnee National Forest

10 Most Important Hiking Gear Items for the Shawnee National Forest

10 Most Important Hiking Gear Items to take to the Shawnee National ForestAre you carrying the most important hiking gear items that you should be? The Shawnee National Forest is a small forest consisting of just shy of 280,000 acres spread across the southern portion...

Latest Trail Guides

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

Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Secret Canyon Loop

Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Secret Canyon Loop

Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Secret Canyon LoopDuring the summer, Michelle and I hiked the Secret Canyon Loop in the Shawnee National Forest within Lusk Creek Wilderness. There were so many horseback riders out that day that we didn’t film because of the...

Hiking Jackson Hole Ecological Area in the Shawnee National Forest

Hiking Jackson Hole Ecological Area in the Shawnee National Forest

Hiking Jackson Hole Ecological Area in the Shawnee National ForestJoin Hiking with Shawn as we hike Jackson Hole Ecological Area in the Shawnee National Forest of Southern Illinois. Jackson Hole Ecological Area includes beautiful waterfalls, awesome bluffage, and...

Red Cedar Trail – Giant City State Park – Backpacking Guide

Red Cedar Trail – Giant City State Park – Backpacking Guide

Red Cedar Trail Giant City State Park Backpacking Guide Red Cedar Trail at Giant City State Park is the premier backpacking trail of the entire inventory of trails within the state park. If you are looking for a rugged and more wilderness-like experience, the Red...

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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