Shawnee is a very large forest and its possible to become lost. Some trails are marked well and some are not. We recommend you take all the maps, your GPS and a cell phone.

The below info came off a trail sign and is info you may need in an emergency. Worth printing and taking with your maps.

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Also useful is the number 1800-Mywoods (Forest preserve)

(N37°30.703' W88°36.555')

and 

Peter cave

(N37°30.594' W88°37.128')

These two locations can be reached in the same days ride  Jackson hole and Peter Cave are both very beautiful areas with rock formations, caves, ledges and waterfalls during the spring and falls. The trails to these areas are worth the ride alone but seeing these two spots makes the ride. We stayed at Bear Creek Ranch but these trails can be accessed from Hayes Canyon camp ground and Circle B campground.  We don't recommend one camp ground over another and none of these have chosen to be sponsors of HTMPS.  But we have included for our users the fliers we gathered from all three camp grounds to help you find a place to stay.

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We would like to give special thanks to Billy Lovell who we met on the trail and was our guide to and from Jackson hole and Peter cave as we mapped. 

N37°30.893' W88°32.448'

Indian Kitchen is an incredible area. The trails to and from it are dazzling. But once you reach the tie-up area of Indian kitchen do not be fooled like many visitors to thinking that's all there is. Look for the park signs at the edge of the tie-up area. From there leave your horses and walk down the trail. On your right side of trail as it goes down hill through the trees you will see a small ledge that goes off the main trail and runs long the edge of the bluff. This small trail leads to a small cave like ledge that is rumored to have been used by local Indians long ago as a defensible food storage.  The view down is hundreds of feet to a scenic creek.  Once you leave this area and climb back to the main trail continue down the main trail to the bottom.  There you will find a hidden paradise. Cliffs hidden by the trees rise up before you and above you hundreds of feet in the air. These cliffs run as far as you can see to the left and right. I am told these cliffs in the rainy season form waterfalls all along them. They fall down into the creek below which even in the dry season we visited has clear water full of fish.   All of this is hidden by trees when in the tie-up area and is missed by many riders who aren't warned what they are missing. 

We would like to give special thanks to Billy Lovell who we met on the trail and was our guide to and from Jackson hole and Peter cave as we mapped.