8 Inspiring and Informative Books To Read Before Your Thru-Hike
It’s January. For some, this means layering up, braving the cold, and chasing adventure in the mountains we all love. Honestly, hats off to you. You’re tougher than I am. Meanwhile, you’ll find me indoors, wrapped in blankets, sipping tea, and losing myself in a good book.
My winter hibernation doesn’t diminish my passion for the outdoors. If anything, it fuels it, drawing me to stories about hiking, long trails, and wilderness adventures. If you, like me, prefer to live vicariously through others’ epic journeys when the windchill reaches sub-zero, here’s my curated list of must-reads for hikers.
1. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
This beautifully written book weaves Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the author’s love of nature into a profound exploration of our relationship with the land. It’s not just a book for hikers but for anyone who cherishes the outdoors. This book altered the way I see the landscape around me while hiking — especially when I stumble upon a field of goldenrods and asters.
2. Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis
A must-read for anyone considering a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Davis focuses on the mental challenges of long-distance hiking, offering practical tips and inspirational stories to keep you going. He also encourages prospective thru-hikers to participate in a few exercises to help you hone in on your why of thru-hiking, and this list on my phone was one I referred to often on the CDT.
3. Losing Sight, Gaining Vision: One Man’s Unexpected Journey to the Colorado Trail by Tim Mason
Mason’s memoir takes you through the journey of his life and losing sight in one eye to his thru-hike of the Colorado Trail at 61 years old. Part trail journal, part personal reflection, the book chronicles his journey through the beautiful wilderness, blending vivid descriptions of the trail with his insights on resilience and beginnings.
I found this book to be a powerful reminder of my ability to constantly reinvent myself and the necessity of finding joy in perseverance.
4. On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor
This book takes readers on a journey that starts with the Appalachian Trail and expands to trails worldwide. Moor explores the origins and evolution of paths both physical and metaphorical, drawing on science, history, and philosophy.
From Cherokee trails to the rise of the internet, Moor weaves personal adventures with profound reflections on how trails shape our understanding of order, chaos, and human progress. This book sat in my “to read” pile for close to a year before I finally picked it up, and I’m deeply grateful that I did.
5. North by Scott and Jenny Jurek
Scott and Jenny take you along Scott Jurek’s incredible 2015 attempt to break the speed record for the Appalachian Trail. Known for his prowess in ultrarunning and his commitment to a vegan diet, Jurek takes on the 2,189-mile trail, facing grueling terrain, extreme weather, and physical exhaustion.
With support from his wife and friends, he pushes through the mental and emotional challenges, discovering new depths of endurance and personal growth along the way. For reasons I can’t quite articulate, this book makes me ugly cry each time I read it, and I say that as the highest compliment.
6. Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker by Glen Van Peski
I find this book to be perfect for the offseason, as it teaches you how to apply the lessons you learn on trail to your life at home. Through his personal journey, Van Peski reveals how reducing the weight of his pack in the wilderness transformed not only his hiking experience but also his approach to life.
With wisdom gleaned from decades of ultralight backpacking, he shares life-changing lessons that go beyond outdoor adventures, encouraging readers to focus on subtraction, generosity, reframing their stories, and embracing failure.
If the title sounds familiar, that may be because Van Peski went on to found the gear company Gossamer Gear. You may have heard of it.
7. Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart by Carrot Quinn
This captivating memoir tells the story of a woman who leaves behind her city life to embark on a transformative journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. Struggling with loneliness and disconnection, Quinn sets out to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada, facing physical pain, mental exhaustion, and a slew of challenges along the way. This honest and emotional journey is a powerful reminder that thru-hiking is mostly about what you discover within yourself along the way.
8. This Is Gonna Hurt: Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Arizona Trail in a Calendar Year by Brandon Weis
More people had walked on the moon than had completed the Calendar Year Triple Crown when Brandon Weis set out on his journey. If that absolutely unbelievable statistic isn’t enough to pique your interest, the witty and engaging writing style of Weis’ account of his 7,000+ mile Calendar Year Triple Crown attempt should do it. This is the story of someone who refused to back down from an absurd goal, showing the massive accomplishments that can stem from one’s willingness to endure hardship.
Honorable mentions must go to Thruhikers: A Guide to Life on the Trail by Renee Miller and Tim Beissinger and
Happy reading, and may your own trails (literal or literary) be full of wonder and discovery.
Featured image: Photo by Allie Harper; graphic design by Zack Goldmann.
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Comments 5
I absolutely LOVED Braiding Sweetgrass. This is a great list! I’ll definitely be adding a few to my own reading list. You write great stuff as always!
Thanks for listing Robert Moor’s “On Trails,” an amazing exploration of the subject of trails, walking and life. It’s one of those books that can be reread for years and provides fresh insights every time.
One of my favorite AT books is ‘No Horses, No Parents, No Bedtime!’ by Tucker Atwood, an AT thru-hiker. Funny and well-written. My only complaint was that he went too fast.
I’ve read 3 of them.
Thanks so much for this kickass list!