“Wild” by Cheryl Strayed tells the true story of her challenging solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Strayed faces personal grief, lost relationships, and inner turmoil during her life-altering journey.
With barely any hiking experience, Strayed fights through physical pain and emotional battles. She finds a sense of peace and self-healing on the rugged trail. Strayed vividly captures the stunning landscapes, extreme hardships, and raw human strength.
Her courageous spirit and powerful storytelling inspire readers who wonder about the transformative power of the natural world and the quiet yet profound revelations that come from walking.
In “A Walk in the Woods,” Bill Bryson humorously narrates his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail with his friend, Stephen Katz. The duo, inexperienced and unprepared, faces countless amusing setbacks and difficulties along this legendary path.
Bryson expertly mixes anecdotes, history, and candid observations, offering an engaging blend of entertainment and information. His detailed descriptions depict vividly America’s diverse wilderness as the trail stretches across mountains, forests, and towns.
Bryson’s engaging writing celebrates the joys, frustrations, and deeper lessons found through the simple act of walking in nature.
While “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien isn’t strictly about hiking, it revolves around an epic journey taken mostly on foot across Middle-earth.
The adventure of Frodo and his companions shows how a long walk through wild territories can test friendships, courage, and character.
Tolkien creates rich landscapes and cultures through detailed depictions of settings and challenges along the way—the mountains, marshes, and enchanted forests feel tangible.
Tolkien’s quest is steeped in mythology, but it connects with experiences familiar to hikers: battling the elements, exhaustion, and discovering strength deep within oneself.
Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” explores hiking through a haunting, post-apocalyptic landscape. In it, a father and son journey on foot through ash-covered America, surviving by their wits and dwindling supplies.
Their hike is grim, arduous, and filled with threats lurking along empty roads and through ruined countryside. McCarthy’s sparse but powerful language frames walks of survival where every step counts.
The simplicity and starkness of their traveling conditions underscore the depth of their bond and determination. The relentless forward movement on foot highlights the significance of human connection in the most desperate hikes of survival.
Robyn Davidson’s memoir “Tracks” recounts her astonishing 1,700-mile hike through the Australian desert, accompanied only by camels and her dog. Davidson’s fascinating narrative describes the vast isolation and harsh beauty of the desert she crosses.
She endures blistering heat, loneliness, and challenges from the elements, wildlife, and internal conflicts. Davidson provides a captivating view of self-discovery and personal growth achieved while traveling by foot.
Readers witness a profound connection forged between hiker and environment, appreciating the stark beauty of solitude and strength drawn from the wilderness.
“The Salt Path” by Raynor Winn describes how Raynor and her husband, after losing their home and facing serious illness, set off to hike England’s rugged Southwest Coast Path. With limited resources, they bravely decide that walking will help rebuild their shattered life.
Winn vividly conveys the daunting yet breathtaking landscapes along the coast, capturing in words the cliffs, sea air, and isolated beaches. Their journey details the emotional healing found in the steady pace of walking amidst nature.
This powerful memoir celebrates perseverance and the quiet victory found on the trails we travel.
In Rachel Joyce’s novel, Harold Fry spontaneously decides to walk across England to visit an old friend who is dying. With no preparations, map, or training, Harold sets out from the south coast, relying purely on hope, determination, and goodwill from strangers.
His hike becomes more than just a physical journey—Harold reflects deeply on his life, his marriage, and buried regrets. Joyce vividly conveys how every mile shapes Harold, gradually breaking down barriers built over a lifetime.
The novel beautifully illustrates how a simple walk can become a profound act of reconciliation and self-discovery.
Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums,” based on his real-life engagements with outdoors-loving writers and poets, celebrates hiking not just as physical activity but as spiritual practice.
The narrator’s mountain hikes showcase the allure of the outdoors as liberation, spiritual renewal, and adventure. Ascending the stark peaks of California’s wild ranges, characters meditate, write poetry, and discuss Zen philosophy.
Kerouac vividly describes the joys and challenges inherent in outdoor exploration, emphasizing simplicity and mindful wandering. Readers glimpse how a hike can still restless minds and open the path to enlightenment.
Aspen Matis’s memoir “Girl in the Woods” shares her courageous trek of over two thousand miles along the Pacific Crest Trail after experiencing trauma on her college campus.
Facing difficult terrain, harsh weather, and confrontations deeply rooted within herself, Aspen portrays honest emotions of healing. Her journey weaves vivid accounts of unforgettable scenery, hardships overcome step-by-step, and personal discoveries encountered along the path.
Aspen’s bravery and willingness to move forward alone through stunning landscapes encourage readers interested in the wilderness as a place of refuge and transformation.
Gary Paulsen’s “Hatchet” follows thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, who becomes stranded alone in the remote Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. Forced into survival mode, young Brian learns to rely on his wits, determination, and his only tool—a small hatchet.
Paulsen’s straightforward storytelling vividly captures Brian’s daily trials, including hunting, building a shelter, and overcoming his fears.
Readers experience directly the tension of being stranded in the wilderness, appreciating the quiet determination required for each new day.
Brian’s physical journeys through the harsh landscape connect strongly to themes of resilience, perseverance, and the personal strength formed through wilderness challenges.
Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild” meticulously reconstructs the true story of Chris McCandless, a young idealist who abandons his possessions to hike deep into Alaska’s wilderness. Chris travels in pursuit of a simplicity and truth he believes exist far from society.
Krakauer carefully describes Chris’s physical and philosophical journey into isolation and wilderness survival. This account explores the profound appeal, risks, and consequences of leaving civilization behind in search of absolute freedom.
Krakauer’s gripping retelling inspires readers to consider the courage—and limits—of hiking to find truth.
In “The Old Ways,” Robert Macfarlane passionately explores the history and experience of walking ancient trails and forgotten paths across Britain and beyond. He follows routes travelers have trodden for millennia, retracing ancient landscapes through his vivid descriptions.
Macfarlane discovers how these old routes shape collective memories, storytelling traditions, and national identities. Walking along these timeless trails, he demonstrates how walking connects us intimately with the land, history, and ourselves.
Macfarlane eloquently shows a mindful reverence for the ground beneath our feet and the profound relationship humans share with ancient paths.
Ben Montgomery’s “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk” chronicles the remarkable hike of Emma Gatewood, who at sixty-seven years old became the first woman to walk the Appalachian Trail solo.
Gatewood, grandmother and great-grandmother, set off one morning with minimal gear, relying on intuition and grit. Montgomery’s portrayal highlights Gatewood’s determination, wit, and quiet bravery as she conquers injury, challenges, and doubts.
This inspiring narrative portrays vividly her unlikely feat against great odds, showing how enduring hardship step by step transformed a grandmother into a hiking legend.
In “Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart,” Carrot Quinn honestly shares her demanding journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Quinn candidly recounts highs and lows—blistered feet, star-filled skies, lasting friendships, solitude, and emotional ups and downs.
She reveals the profoundly human side of long-distance hiking: its pains and joys, solitude and community. Readers accompany Quinn closely down the winding trail, weather every challenge with her, and glimpse the profound bonds formed among hikers.
Her authentic storytelling reveals clearly the complex emotional and physical reality of life on the trail.