
Hiking with Shawn
Welcome to Hiking with Shawn, your premiere source for trail guides, services, hiking tips, and resources for adventuring in the Shawnee National Forest and State Parks in Southern Illinois.
Local Hikes

Guide Services

Official Merch

Latest Blog Posts from Hiking with Shawn
Check out the latest blog posts from Hiking with Shawn. Be sure to head over to my main blog for access to all my posts.
Ultimate Review: Merrell Moab Speed 2 Coyote (Men’s Hiking Shoe)
Ultimate Review: Merrell Moab Speed 2 Coyote (Men’s Hiking Shoe)I’m reviewing the Merrell Moab Speed 2 Coyote hiking shoe for those who may be looking for a new hiking or trail running shoe. Although it’s advertised as a hiking shoe, I also use it for trail running....
Big Rocky Hollow Trail Guide
Big Rocky Hollow Trail GuideThe Big Rocky Hollow Trail is also considered the “main waterfall” trail at Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, Illinois. This is an easy trail located within the state park that features multiple waterfalls, bluffs, additional hiking...
Shawnee National Forest for Beginners
Shawnee National Forest for BeginnersThis is your ultimate Shawnee National Forest for beginners guide. The near 300,000-acre Shawnee National Forest spans across most of the southern portion of Illinois. The forest, while large, is perfect for beginners because of...
Latest Local Hiking Trail Guides
Check out the hiking, cycling, and kayaking Trail Guides by Hiking with Shawn. Visit my Main Trail Guides page to see all the guides.
Honker Lake Loop Trail Guide
Honker Lake Loop Trail GuideHonker Lake Loop Trail is a 5-mile loop hiking trail located within the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky. This loop hiking trail is available on the All Trails app. (Affiliate Link) This easy-to-moderately...
A Guide to Hutchins Creek in the Shawnee National Forest
A Guide to Hutchins Creek in the Shawnee National ForestHave you ever been to Hutchins Creek in the Shawnee National Forest? Hutchins Creek is located near Alto Pass in Union County, Illinois. The creek is known as the landmark which separates the two wilderness areas...
Lower Cache River Area Guide
Lower Cache River Area GuideThe Lower Cache River area is a section of the Cache River State Natural Area that might not be as often visited as much as places like Heron Pond and Wildcat Bluff. It’s a wonderful area that truly offers multiple types of outdoor...
Latest Gear Reviews by Hiking with Shawn
Check out the latest hiking, cycling, and kayaking gear reviews by Hiking with Shawn. Visit my Main Gear Reviews page to see all my reviews.
Peak Refuel Meals Review
Peak Refuel Meals ReviewI'm usually a Mountain House Meals kind of guy, but I wanted to try something new, so I grabbed a couple of Peak Refuel Meals to try out on my last big camping trip. My wife and I went on our last big camping trip, which was to the Great Smoky...
RightOnTrek Breakfast Meal Review
RightOnTrek Breakfast Meal ReviewI tried something new this morning. I ate a RightOnTrek breakfast meal. It was Cheesy Mushroom Egg Scramble. The name alone made it sound so delicious. I love cheese. I love eggs. I really love mushrooms. But I never thought about...
3 Osprey Hiking Backpack Reviews for Different Hiking Trips
3 Osprey Hiking Backpack Reviews for Different Hiking TripsThe Osprey Hiking Backpack is well known for being a prominent pack for the hiking community. Osprey Packs is a widely-known hiking backpack brand. It is usually a little bit more expensive than other brands,...
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.