Hiking with Shawn

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.

A Case Against the Creation of Cairns (Rock Stacking)…

A Case Against the Creation of Cairns (Rock Stacking)…

A Case Against the Creation of Cairns (Rock Stacking)…Cairn destroying. If you watch my videos, look at my photos and follow me on social media, you’ll know I’ve written and said the phrase ‘cairn destroying’ many times throughout my Hiking with Shawn adventure. You...

5 Southern Illinois State Parks: To Do List

5 Southern Illinois State Parks: To Do List

5 Southern Illinois State Parks: To Do ListSouthern Illinois State Parks are great for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy nature while also getting out with friends and family. While most southern Illinois State Parks offer some kind of hiking trail, there is...

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...

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.