Hi there,
So, I had this plan (which yet may or may not come off) to fly out to Chicago, then get down to Southern Illinois to view the eclipse on 21 August. Shawnee National Forest looks like it's slap bang in the path of the eclipse. Does anyone know about hammock camping out there? I saw there are some campgrounds, but I'd really like to camp wild in the forest if possible. Here in the UK wild camping is technically illegal, but widely tolerated as long as you don't cause a nuisance and clear up after yourself. What's the situation in US National Forests?
I'm also interested in the possibility of doing some multi-day hikes around the area, so if anyone can give me tips on a good starting point, I'd be very grateful. From the map it looks like the area actually has quite a lot of roads, so I'm not sure how easy it is to get away from traffic on trails, and feel like you're in the wilderness.
And finally: is there any risk from a) bears and b) hunters? I have zero experience of either of those things...
Thanks!
Will
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