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.
Garden of the Gods Settlement: Chasing Stories Series
Garden of the Gods Settlement: Chasing Stories SeriesWe found a Garden of the Gods Settlement not too long ago that all started with a story on social media. Welcome to a new article series where I blog about exploration and adventure in the Shawnee National Forest...
10 Best Shawnee Forest Towns to Visit
10 Best Shawnee Forest Towns to VisitAre you looking for the best Shawnee Forest towns to visit this year to add to your adventures? Then you’ve clicked on the right article. I live in Southern Illinois. I live minutes away from the Shawnee National Forest. I’m...
10 Shawnee Forest Hidden Gems You Need To See
10 Shawnee Forest Hidden Gems You Need To SeeAre you searching for Shawnee Forest hidden gems? You’ve come to the right place. I am Hiking with Shawn, after all. I go hiking every chance I get, and it is my goal to almost every acre of the nearly 300,000 acres of...
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...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Indian Kitchen
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Indian KitchenIndian Kitchen is a popular gem in the middle of the Lusk Creek Wilderness that is favored by both hikers and equestrians, alike. Indian Kitchen has so many things to see and do and is even packed with a lot of...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Max Creek Loop
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Max Creek LoopMax Creek is an interesting hike for different reasons. Max Creek, the actual creek itself is very scenic and provides a nice view. The trail offers various waterfalls and is a fun hike during different seasons of...
Hiking with Shawn’s Ultimate Trail Guide Series: LaRue Pine Hills
Hiking with Shawn’s Ultimate Trail Guide Series: LaRue Pine HillsLaRue Pine Hills is one of my favorite areas to visit throughout all the seasons of the year but especially during the spring and during the fall. LaRue Pine Hills is home to the world-famous Forest...
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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