by Hiking With Shawn | Sep 10, 2025 | Hiking Tips
10 of My Favorite Waterfalls in Southern Illinois for 2025 Everyone is always asking me about my favorite waterfalls in Southern Illinois! I figured it’s time to list them, at the very least, in a top 10. I chose a top 10 because they’re all my favorites, but that’s...
by Hiking With Shawn | Aug 20, 2025 | Hiking Tips
How to Choose the Best Hiking Daypack Are you looking for the best hiking daypack possible? It’s essential to find a suitable daypack for several reasons. You want to be comfortable on your hike. You want to be free of pain. You especially want convenience while out...
by Hiking With Shawn | Aug 13, 2025 | Hiking Tips
10 Easy Summer Hiking Trails in Southern Illinois Are you looking for easy summer hiking trails in Southern Illinois? Many people decide not to hike in the summer because they imagine all the trails are in bad shape and covered in biting bugs. As a result, they miss...
by Hiking With Shawn | Jul 23, 2025 | Hiking Tips
How to Start Trail Running in the Shawnee National Forest I recently wrote an article on another blog about why cycling is better than running, but little did I know that a few months later, I would be trail running. I signed up for a half-marathon trail run. I wasn’t...
by Hiking With Shawn | Jun 25, 2025 | Hiking Tips
A Guide to Summer Hiking in the Shawnee National Forest Summer hiking in the Shawnee National Forest makes for some of the best hiking of the year. Just because it’s hot and humid doesn’t mean you should lock yourself up inside and become a recluse until winter...
by Hiking With Shawn | May 14, 2025 | Hiking Tips
Shawnee National Forest for Beginners This 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...
