Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Giant City State Park This guide concentrates on the entire hiking trail inventory of Giant City State Park. Giant City State Park is located south of Carbondale and resides in both Jackson and Union counties in the town of...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Garden of the Gods Wilderness (Hitching Post) When most people think about Garden of the Gods, they think about the Observation Trail or Indian Point. No one ever really thinks about the other hiking opportunities around the...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Interstate Trail The Interstate Trail is a 1.6 mile trail that is very easy to hike. This is a horseback trail but is also open to hikers as well. There are some features to see on this trail including bluffs, a former school...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Schwegman Ecological Area & Groundhog Den Schwegman Ecological Area and Groundhog Den are unique gems in the Shawnee National Forest. I’ve talked to the fella who used to live in these areas before the land was sold to the...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Trigg Observation Tower Trigg Observation Tower is a former fire watch observation tower located in the Shawnee National Forest near Simpson, Illinois. Trigg Observation Tower was originally about 100 foot in height but half of...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Millstone Bluff Millstone Bluff is a day-use recreational site within the Shawnee National Forest located near Simpson in southern Illinois. This site is fairly easy to navigate and hike and is appropriate for younger users and...
