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.
Top 5 Most Popular Hiking Destinations in Shawnee National Forest
Top 5 Most Popular Hiking Destinations in the Shawnee National ForestAre you looking for the most popular hiking destinations in southern Illinois? Well, it just so happens the Shawnee National Forest is down here, and we have quite a few popular spots. I’d have to...
Eagle Falls Waterfall Hiking Guide
Eagle Falls Waterfall Hiking GuideHave you ever heard of the Eagle Falls Waterfall? This amazing waterfall is attached to an old trail in the Bell Smith Springs area that is no longer being maintained, likely due to budget cuts. Access to this waterfall is rugged,...
Hiking Hydration: How much water should you take?
Hiking Hydration: How much water should you take?Hiking hydration is extremely essential to your safety and health. I recently published an article about items not to take on a hiking trip. The main idea for the article was to make it humorous. I failed to make that...
18 Easy Camping Hacks to Make Camp Better
18 Easy Camping Hacks to Make Camp BetterAre you in search of some easy camping hacks? Well, I’ve got 18 camping hacks just for you. These hacks are bound to improve your camping trip, whether you’re glamping or backpacking to your camp spot. Camping should always be...
16 Things Not to Pack for Hiking
16 Things Not to Pack for HikingDISCLAIMER: due to some of the content from comments made on this blog post, I’ve decided to add this disclaimer. first of all, my reasoning for this article is mainly geared at hikers who are looking up cut weight. If you were with...
10 Places to Stay Near Shawnee National Forest
10 Places to Stay Near Shawnee National ForestDo you need a place to stay near Shawnee National Forest? You're not from Southern Illinois. You don't know your way around that well. There are so many little towns around the Shawnee National Forest. You don't know where...
10 Shawnee National Forest Backpacking Loop Trails
10 Shawnee National Forest Backpacking Loop TrailsAre you struggling to find good Shawnee National Forest backpacking loop trails? There are more than 400 miles of trails in the Shawnee National Forest. It's hard to determine what trails loop and which ones will have...
10 Strenuous Hikes in the Shawnee National Forest
10 Strenuous Hikes in the Shawnee National ForestThere are quite a few strenuous hikes in the Shawnee National Forest. Those last two words (“to enjoy”) might make some of you look at this article twice. Who in their right mind wants to go on a strenuous hike? Many...
Speed Hiking: A form of exercise that’s actually fun!
Speed Hiking: A form of exercise that’s actually fun!Have you ever considered speed hiking as a hobby or form of fitness? When I first started hiking, I hiked pretty fast. Once I met Michelle, she explained why I should slow down, stop, and smell the roses. But I...
Latest Trail Guides
Check out the latest trail guides published in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
LaRue Pine Hills Snake Road Guide
LaRue Pine Hills Snake Road GuideLaRue Pine Hills Snake Road is the only road in the world that closes annually so snakes can migrate across, and that road is located in the Shawnee National Forest. The road closes two times a year. During the closer-horseback,...
Glen O Jones Lake Visitor Guide by Hiking with Shawn
Glen O Jones Lake Visitor Guide by Hiking with ShawnGlen O Jones Lake is an Illinois state-managed fish and wildlife area. Other than fishing and hunting opportunities, there are numerous other recreational activities, too. You can kayak the lake. There is a bicycling...
Rim Rock National Recreation Trail – Shawnee National Forest – Trail Guide
Rim Rock National Recreation Trail Shawnee National Forest Trail GuideRim Rock National Recreation Trail is a premier recreation area in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. Rim Rock offers multiple hiking opportunities, historical sightseeing, nature...
Latest Gear Reviews
Check out my latest outdoor gear reviews posted in the Hiking with Shawn Blog.
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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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