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.
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...
35 Easy Southern Illinois Hikes with A Lot to See
35 Easy Southern Illinois Hikes with A Lot to SeeAre you looking for some easy Southern Illinois hikes with a lot of cool stuff to see? You and about a hundred thousand others! I get this question all the time. So, I thought to myself, “Why not make an article about...
Subscribe to the Hiking with Shawn Newsletter
Subscribe to the Hiking with Shawn NewsletterBefore you click off, hear me out… Please subscribe to my free monthly Hiking with Shawn Newsletter. Once a month, I send a lovely big newsletter with all sorts of exclusive goodies that I only post on that newsletter....
Hiking with Shawn’s 5 Favorite Hiking Trails
Hiking with Shawn's 5 Favorite Hiking TrailsEveryone is always asking me what my favorite hiking trail are. I really don’t have one favorite. I have a few. So, I figured I might as well create an article about it so that you have some ideas of where you might want to...
6 Essential Shawnee Forest Beginner Hiking Tips
6 Essential Shawnee Forest Beginner Hiking TipsThere have been a lot of Shawnee Forest Beginner hiking folks in these last couple of years. The global pandemic, mixed with just wanting to get out and get some fresh air, had a lot to do with it. Many people were stuck...
Shawnee National Forest Bushwhacking Guide
Shawnee National Forest Bushwhacking GuideShawnee National Forest bushwhacking sounds like a scary thing to do. Doesn’t it? The truth is that it can be scary for some people. If you’re prone to get lost and panicking, bushwhacking isn’t going to be wise. If you like...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Horse Creek Trail
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Horse Creek TrailHorse Creek Trail is a moderately rugged 5.7-mile loop trail located near McClure, Illinois in Alexander County. This trail is a part of the Shawnee National Forest and is maintained by the Mississippi Springs...
Old Stoneface Trail Guide in the Shawnee National Forest
Old Stoneface Trail Guide Shawnee National ForestOld Stoneface is a 1.6-mile out and back moderately rugged trail in Saline County, Illinois. Old Stoneface trail features various bluff, rock formations and scenic overlooks. The trail is most known for its main rock...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: High Knob Area
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: High Knob AreaHigh Knob is a pretty special gem of the Shawnee National Forest to many different user groups. High Knob is very popular to the horseback and mule riding communities. High Knob is also a favorite of hiking and...
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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