Top 10 Hiking with Shawn Articles

Do you enjoy my Hiking with Shawn articles? I post a new article every day at 10:00 AM CST. I’ve posted daily articles for over 100 days and plan to keep doing it.

Every now and then, I like to recap some of my best articles.

For today’s article, I want to recap and link to my Top 10 Hiking with Shawn articles on this blog. These articles are based on having the most views.

If you enjoy any of these articles, please consider sharing them with others to help support my efforts of providing you with daily hiking and outdoor recreation content.

Top 10 Hiking with Shawn Articles

Here are the Top 10 Hiking with Shawn articles from this blog based on having the most views.

1 – Shawnee National Forest Horse Campgrounds

This article outlines and links the top 10 horseback rider campgrounds in and around the Shawnee National Forest. Equestrian use in the Shawnee is very popular. Riders from all over the country come to Southern Illinois to ride our extensive equestrian trail network. Knowing where to camp when hauling an equestrian trailer is always a great resource. In this article, we cover 10 campgrounds based on how close they are to some of the best trails Shawnee offers.

2 – Hiking Exercises to Improve Hiking Fitness

Staying fit as a hiker is important. This article concentrates on different exercises to make you a better hiker as you practice them daily. The stronger you get as a hiker, the more you can do while on the trail. You’ll be able to hike on hillier routes, hike longer mileage, and choose trails rated at a higher difficulty level. You can even use these exercises to stick to the easier trails. They are designed to help all hiking fitness levels.

3 – Shawnee National Forest Cabins

If you want a grand experience of lodging while visiting the Shawnee National Forest, many local cabin outfitters are at your service. Every cabin in southern Illinois has some amazing next to them, whether it’s a fun town or a cool hiking trail. I live minutes away from the Shawnee National Forest, and even I still love to stay at cabins every now and then. This article focuses on some of the best cabins in the Shawnee National Forest to stay at, whether you’re a visitor or a local.

4 – Shawnee National Forest Historical Areas

The Shawnee National Forest is full of different historical areas in its nearly 300,000 acres of boundary. There are early Native American sites and rock art areas. There are old signs of previous settlements and evidence of when the CCC came in and created the National Forest. There are old homesteads and wells scattered all around the Shawnee. There are Underground Railroad sites, River Pirate points, and so much more places of history. There are even legends of ghosts and haunting.

5 – Shawnee National Forest Towns

No Hiking with Shawn articles list is complete without promoting what makes the Shawnee National Forest as awesome of an experience it is – the towns and communities around the forest! In this article, I focus on some of the best local communities in and around the Shawnee and why you should visit them. These communities have great lodging, dining, shopping, and sightseeing opportunities to make you fall in love with the Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois even more.

6 – Shawnee National Forest Hidden Gems

Many hidden gems are scattered around the Shawnee National Forest and southern Illinois. Some of them are too much of a gem to even write about. But others are gems you should be able to see at least once if you’re going off the beaten path. I wanted to create an article focusing on some of the best-hidden gems the Shawnee offers. These gems make for good visiting spots when you don’t want to deal with crowded areas like Garden of the Gods and Bell Smith.

7 – Oboz Waterproof Boots Review

I created an online review for my waterproof boots by Oboz. I still use them today for hiking. I dislike making reviews unless it’s about something I enjoy using. The boots in this review are my second pair of Oboz boots, so I thought they deserved a review since it’s the second time I’ve bought from that company. I want to be fully transparent with you. This article has a referral link. If you buy from that link, I will earn a commission for referring you to the sale of the product.

8 – Shawnee National Forest Frozen Waterfalls

I have quite a few Hiking with Shawn articles about waterfalls. But I wanted to make one specifically focusing on frozen waterfalls because they’re worth checking out. You have to ensure you are using extra caution and putting safety first when chasing frozen waterfalls. Everything is so much more slippery than it usually is. There are quite a few frozen waterfalls listed in this article. I try to give information for easier waterfalls all the way up to the harder to get to waterfalls.

9 – Bears, Wolves, and Cougars in the Shawnee

I wrote an article about Bears, Wolves, and Cougars in the Shawnee National Forest because I felt it was an important topic to discuss. No populations of these critters in the Shawnee exist, but they may occasionally move through the area. I wanted to create a safety article explaining how to respond if you did see one in the Shawnee. Chances are, you never will see one even if it is in your vicinity, but if you do, my article will help prepare you for it.

10 – Garden of the Gods Old Settlement

I wanted to create Hiking with Shawn articles focusing on chasing legends and history. One of the first articles in that series focused on an old settlement at Garden of the Gods and asked about a fan on the Facebook page. We set out to find the settlement and found something. It might not be what the person was looking for, but it was a settlement area, nonetheless. There are many old legends around the Shawnee National Forest, and we enjoy chasing them down.

And that’s my Top 10 Hiking with Shawn articles on this blog. I hope you enjoyed seeing this recap. Comment below and tell me which of these 10 articles is your favorite and why? If you enjoyed reading these articles, please subscribe to my free monthly newsletter for more hiking tips and the Shawnee National Forest information.

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Thanks again for checking out another one of my articles and until next time, I’ll see you on the trail!