8 Real Life Adventure Books About Hiking 

Celebrating the National Parks of the United States, this book is a field guide to some of the most exciting hikes, based on the experiences of the adventurous women who’ve walked them before. 

Author Heather Balogh Rockfort shares a wealth of information about the parks amid the stories of each individual woman. 

The book also provides maps, instructions, photos, and details about permits that might be required. A visit to any of the covered National Parks would be easier with this comprehensive guide.

In this quippy, illustrated book for beginners, the author makes a point of laying out the welcome mat, explaining hiking and backpacking as a hobby anyone can access for any reason. 

Hiking and backpacking come with a whole lifestyle of gear, equipment, and knowledge. How to Suffer Outside is for those looking for an approachable guide that relieves any overwhelming feelings, so you can actually climb a mountain.

Author Ben Montgomery memorializes folk hero Emma Gatewood, also known as Grandma Gatewood. She is the first woman to thru-hike—meaning to walk a long-distance path from start to end—the Appalachian Trail and the first person ever to do so twice. 

Montgomery blends information from Gatewood’s journals, the area’s history, and the charming story of a woman who keeps going despite the odds being against her. If you want to know more about hiking and the Appalachian Trail, look no further. 

Wild is perhaps the most well-known hiking book, at least by pop-culture standards. Cheryl Strayed’s writing is raw and relatable. Readers who may not know the grief of losing a parent can feel it in waves through Strayed’s words. 

The author details what led her to take on an adventure like hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, and the revelations that occurred along the way. 

Strayed was also not an avid backpacker before the trip, which, again, makes the story much more relatable to those who haven’t spent months at a time hiking and camping. It’s a classic, and a must-read for those looking to vicariously enjoy the great outdoors. 

Author Becky Jensen decides, in a moment of desperation, to hike the Colorado Trail—and is forever changed because of it. At 45, with bills to pay and a life to lead, she decides to put everything on hold out of a desperate need to figure out what she wants. 

Jensen grapples with the physical journey of long daily hikes while struggling with her resentment of her family, grief over the loss of her father, and misunderstood depression. It is an inspiring tale of a woman reclaiming her life out in nature. 

At 23, author Amanda K. Jaros decides to take a shot at thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Fresh out of college and looking to leave her parents' house behind, Jaros decides that this arduous journey is the obvious next step in her life. 

Along the way, she shares vignettes of her difficult childhood while also connecting with a community of hikers who help her feel truly accepted. Readers can’t help but cheer her on, and maybe feel motivated to try out a difficult hike themselves.

Whistler’s Way is another book about the Pacific Crest Trail. The hiker (and author) William Monk has experience as a hiker, having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017 before starting the PCT in 2019. 

Monk begins the hike with a trail friend he met on his previous adventure. It’s a challenging journey, but one that he faces one step at a time. 

Ultimately, Monk shares the beauty and magic of connecting with others on the trail, as long as you’re open to it. For a more seasoned perspective on hiking, this is a great read. 

In this book, Dr. Christopher Ives looks at his experiences hiking and practicing Zen Buddhism. For the spiritually inclined, it is an invitation to step into nature with a perspective on how we can show up better, both on the trail and in our day-to-day lives. 

Ives relates his experiences hiking to his knowledge of pilgrimage traditions. He provides a broader framework for understanding the ultimately human feeling of being called to nature when we feel we are missing something. 

The book is woven with personal accounts of the author's own trail adventures. Anyone looking for a deep understanding of hiking and connecting with nature should pick this book up.