It meanders gently through the eastern portion of the forest, which is strewn with cliffs, canyons and wildflowers. Its particularly scenic shores offer bird watching, mushroom hunting, and hiking. The Shawnee is filled with ponds and lakes that provide excellent fishing. Murphysboro Ranger District is filled with fishing destinations where you can find sunfish, largemouth bass, channel catfish, trout, walleye pike, and muskie. Popular sites include Horseshoe Pond, Lake Kincaid, and Cedar Lake.
Elevation varies greatly, an the trail can become downright difficult in stretches.
It includes both well-packed fire trails and dirt singletrack paths. A point of interest along the way is the paddling destination Little Lusk Creek. Some incredibly rare species, such as the Indiana bat, eastern woodrat, pygmy sunfish or blind cavefish make the Shawnee their home, but are not likely to show themselves to any human visitor. You'll have to content yourself with the Shawnee's ancient bald cypress forests, hovering oak, and its 49 species of mammals and 253 species of birds. Reptiles, amphibians and fish abound in the wetland portions of the forest.