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.

10 Hiking Hacks to make your Hike Better!

10 Hiking Hacks to make your Hike Better!

10 Hiking Hacks to make your Hike Better!Hiking hacks can go a long way to make your hike better. Hiking hacks are little tricks to make hiking easier for you to focus on enjoyment of the hike. Most hiking hacks we tend to learn on our own – I know I have over the...

10 Hiking Gear Essentials for Shawnee National Forest Hiking Trips

10 Hiking Gear Essentials for Shawnee National Forest Hiking Trips

10 Hiking Gear Essentials for Shawnee National Forest Hiking TripsHiking gear essentials are important for ensuring that your hiking trips can be positive and comfortable. The Shawnee National Forest is just like any other forest-rugged and full of nature that can be...

#RecreateResponsibly

#RecreateResponsibly

Recreate ResponsiblyRecreate Responsibly - As Illinois moves towards a transition into Phase Three of the Restore Illinois plan, more outdoor recreational opportunities are set to open for public use as long as safety guidelines are followed. This means that outdoor...

COVID-19 Resource Center

COVID-19 Resource Center

SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS STATE RECREATIONAL AREAS UPDATED COVID-19 RESOURCE CENTERThis page is not an official page of the US Forest Service or Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This page was created by Hiking with Shawn, LLC to act as an...

Southern Illinois State Parks and COVID-19

Southern Illinois State Parks and COVID-19

Southern Illinois State Parks and COVID-19Southern Illinois State Parks and Covid-19 As many of you may know, the Illinois 'Stay at Home' Executive Order was extended until May 30, 2020 with some additional modifications made to it. These modifications allow some...

Beginner Hiking Gear for Hiking the Shawnee National Forest

Beginner Hiking Gear for Hiking the Shawnee National Forest

Beginner Hiking Gear for Hiking the Shawnee National ForestBeginner hiking gear is an important topic if you are just getting into hiking. The Shawnee National Forest isn’t a huge National Forest that requires mass amounts of gear like that of the Pacific Crest Trail...

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...

Latest Trail Guides

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

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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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