January 24, 2025 | Oh, the mishaps that led us to Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois! Around 11 pm the night before we were supposed to road trip to New Mexico, our son cracked his tooth! At that moment we canceled our entire spring break vacation and focused on getting our child to the dentist. Long story short - our son was seen and all was well, but it left us panicking to find a closer destination that wasn't crowded. We are so thankful for these mishaps because Shawnee blew us away. With its sprawling 289,000 acres of land and over 403 miles of hiking trails, Shawnee National Forest spares no shortage of things to do. There's something for everyone (boating, hiking, fishing, zip-lining, caves, waterfalls, animals, kayaking...). Keep reading to see the best things to do in Shawnee National Forest and why it left us amazed.