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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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...
Support Friends of the Shawnee National Forest
Support Friends of the Shawnee National ForestFriends of the Shawnee National Forest is a non-profit organization that supports the Shawnee National Forest. I’ve been a board member of the organization for a few years. I maintain their website, and I also serve on the...
Are you Following Me Everywhere?
Are you Following Me Everywhere?Aside from this blog, I’m all over the place, and I’d love to invite you to follow me everywhere else! I run a hiking forum that’s free to join called Outdoor Adventure Topics I’m on Facebook as Hiking with Shawn, and I have a local...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Big H
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Big HBig H or H-Rock is a natural window/arch feature located in Garden of the Gods Wilderness Area in the Shawnee National Forest. There is a nice 6.3-mile loop (650-foot elevation gain) from the main Observation Trail Day-Use...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Cedar Creek Wonders
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Cedar Creek WondersCedar Creek Wonders is a uniquely presented feature of the Shawnee National Forest located in the more middle section of the Shawnee Purchase Unit. Cedar Creek Wonders is an excellent waterfall chasing spot...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Cave-In-Rock State Park
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Cave-In-Rock State ParkCave-In-Rock State Park is a history-rich state park located on the southern Illinois side of the Ohio River. The area has a history for being a popular place used by river pirates and outlaws as early as...
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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