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...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Bell Smith Springs Bell Smith Springs is truly a magical place of the Shawnee National Forest. It is home to a popular diving and swimming hole, the largest arch in southern Illinois, iconic rock formations that are...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Garden of the Gods Observation Trail Garden of the Gods Observation Trail is said to be the most Instagram’d area of the Shawnee National Forest. Chances are, if you’ve been to southern Illinois for hiking, you’ve hiked on the...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Pounds Hollow Recreation Area Pounds Hollow Recreational Area is a great spot to visit in the Shawnee National Forest because of the many things to do in the area. Aside from the obvious hiking activities, there are also camping...
Hiking with Shawn’s Trail Guide Series: Kaskaskia Experimental Forest Kaskaskia Experimental Forest was a forest set aside for experimental research in tree and forest stands. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the site went from less than 500 acres to over 1,300 acres....
