Calling All Adventurers: Take on the 2024 Shawnee Challenge

Garden of the Gods © Courtesy of Southernmost Illinois Tourism

Calling All Adventurers: Take on the 2024 Shawnee Challenge

If you love nature and hiking, head for the Hills of Shawnee Forest Country in Southernmost Illinois. With beautiful rock formations, lush green trees, and birds and butterflies galore, this charming region is an outdoor paradise. You could hike for a week and still have more to see!

The Shawnee National Forest covers much of southernmost Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The area is well suited for an outdoor adventure any time of year. In fact, every season can offer something different.

Are you ready for a challenge? Take the Shawnee Challenge, a free mobile exclusive, self-supported, outdoor challenge that allows you to experience different parts of the Shawnee National Forest in the ways you prefer: hiking, paddling, horseback, or mountain biking.

Earn points by checking into challenge locations to redeem a Shawnee Challenge sticker and sweepstakes entries for a quarterly drawing of a Shawnee merchandise prize package—view locations to explore on an interactive map at southernmostillinois.com/explore.

Spanning 289,000 acres, Shawnee National Forest is nestled in Southern Illinois between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. It features strikingly beautiful oak-hickory forests, flourishing wetlands, lush canyons, razorback ridges, and unique geological features.

This challenge is not a stroll in the park. It is for those looking to get off the beaten path and reconnect with nature. Part of the challenge is to ‘pack it in and pack it out’—a ‘leave no trace’ adventure.

When visiting a participating location, enable location services to check in and earn points. Since the forest can have connectivity issues, a one-mile radius from each location is set for check-in, so try in different areas.

Check in at three challenge locations for a free Shawnee Challenge sticker, or use your points for entries in a drawing for a Shawnee apparel prize package.

Shawnee Forest Country is known for its scenic beauty and natural wonders, which create the perfect backdrop for adventure. The Shawnee National Forest provides a natural arena for a wide variety of outdoor exploration. To help you enjoy your experience, you must be prepared: watch your step, be alert for any hazards, and wear proper clothes and shoes for a forest adventure.

Along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, enjoy 12 different wineries and 12 different experiences surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest in Jackson and Union Counties in southern Illinois. All 12 award-winning wineries are just a few minutes from each other. Enjoy a few unique and different wineries on a day trip, or visit them all over a long weekend. Several of the wineries serve sandwiches and full meals, and most offer picnic areas for you to bring picnic baskets and enjoy your lunch with an award-winning Southern Illinois wine. Live music and some special weekend events add to the ambiance.

You can start the trail from either end or jump in somewhere in the middle. Rolling hills and picturesque vistas are the backdrop for the various vineyards and wineries along the way. The Shawnee National Forest provides some of the most beautiful scenery in the Midwest.

Whether you want to participate in an outdoor activity, take in the gorgeous scenery, or explore small river towns seemingly caught in a time warp, this small section of Illinois has enough to satisfy on all counts. Cabins, cottages, tree houses, historic hotels, and unique lodging options all offer a serene and secluded getaway.

Start exploring Shawnee Forest Country at southernmostillinois.com/explore or call 1-800-C-IT-HERE.