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.
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Trail 001T Cove Hollow
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Trail 001T Cove HollowTrail 001T Cove Hollow is a spectacular trail. Most people refer to Cove Hollow as being a trail connected onto Cedar Lake on the west side of the Shawnee National Forest. However, there is another Cove...
53 Shawnee National Forest Camping Areas for All Types of Camping
53 Shawnee National Forest Camping Areas for All Types of CampingShawnee National Forest camping areas aren’t hard to find. Getting them, all listed in one place on the other hand isn’t always that easy. So, I decided to create a new article listing all the Shawnee...
Hiking Hacks for Patreon Supporters
Hiking Hacks for Patreon SupportersWelcome to another Patreon Exclusive article! In this article, I’ll be focusing on hiking hacks or just tips and tricks to make hiking much easier. Many of these hacks are something I use and have changed hiking for me altogether....
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...
Lightening your Load while Hiking and Backpacking
Lightening Your Load while Hiking and BackpackingLightening your load will reduce the weight you must carry while hiking or overnight backpacking through the forest. Most of us hikers deal with the issue of weight. Our packs get loaded with weight and sometimes it can...
Hiking with Shawn’s Beginner Hiker Series: Choosing the Right Hiking Gear
Hiking with Shawn’s Beginner Hiker Series: Choosing the Right Hiking GearChoosing the right hiking gear is important when you are a beginner to hiking. To kick off a brand-new series of mine completely focusing on beginner hikers, this first article will be solely...
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Hiking with Kids in the Shawnee National Forest
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Hiking with Kids in the Shawnee National ForestMany of you might have kids and your kids might be smaller kids that still live at home. Getting your kids involved in your hikes promotes outdoor stewardship and a healthy lifestyle. Kids nowadays seem...
5 Must Visit Scenic Creeks around the Shawnee National Forest
5 Must Visit Scenic Creeks around the Shawnee National Forest Scenic creeks make for great photography moments. Whether you’re a professional using a high-end DSLR camera or an amateur using your smart phone camera, a good scenic creek provides an excellent...
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Top 5 Waterfalls Away From the Masses in Southern Illinois
PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Top 5 Waterfalls Away From the Masses in Southern IllinoisWaterfalls in southern Illinois are probably one of our better features of the Shawnee National Forest. But a lot of them can get pretty crowded on active days. Getting a good view or photo...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Latest Gear Reviews
Check out my latest outdoor gear reviews posted in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
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.
Copyright © 2025 Hiking with Shawn™ All Rights Are Reserved.
Hiking with Shawn® is a Registered Trademark of Hiking with Shawn, LLC
Hiking with Shawn is not affiliated with any local, state, or federal government agency.
