Imagine planning a long-awaited hike, only to find your favorite trailhead locked behind a metal gate, the smell of smoke ...

Hike the 8.8-mile loop or explore the wildlife refuge’s boardwalks and gazebos more leisurely. The best spot to view bald ...

That’s Shawnee National Forest for you—a sprawling 289,000-acre paradise tucked away in southern Illinois near Herod that somehow remains one of America’s most underrated natural wonders.