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.
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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.
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...
How Hard is it to Hike Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest?
How Hard is it to Hike Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest?Is it hard to hike Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest? The short answer is YES and NO. The long answer is the information below, which I have collected in an effort to show any...
10 Outdoor Activities to do in the Shawnee National Forest
10 Outdoor Activities to do in the Shawnee National ForestThere are many different types of outdoor activities to do in the Shawnee National Forest. Most of these outdoor activities are free, too. You just need to show up with your gear or the required method and then...
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.
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...
Hiking to the Bottom of Owl Bluff in Lusk Creek Wilderness
Hiking to the Bottom of Owl Bluff in Lusk Creek WildernessWe recently hiked to the bottom of Owl Bluff in the Lusk Creek Wilderness of the Shawnee National Forest. Even though it was during leaf-off, this wasn’t an easy hike. We had to hike a few miles of the trail...
Garden of the Gods Wilderness (Northeast Corner)
Garden of the Gods Wilderness (Northeast Corner)I recently published a video that depicts the very northeast area of the Garden of the Gods Wilderness. I was scrolling through my map app (OnX Hunt) one day and realized it was an area of Garden of the Gods Wilderness...
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.
Men’s Merrell Crosslander 3 Low Hiking Boots Review
Men's Merrell Crosslander 3 Low Hiking Boots ReviewThis is my review of the Men's Merrell Crosslander 3 Low Hiking Boots! These versatile shoes, marketed as low hiking boots but more akin to hiking shoes, have been my trusted companions for a few months now. I'm...
Impetro Gear Backpack: A Comprehensive Review
Impetro Gear Backpack: A Comprehensive ReviewThis is a review of the Impetro Gear Backpack. Just for full transparency, I use affiliate links in this review. That means I earn a commission for every sale made, but it doesn't impact your price. You can search for the...
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...
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