Hiking and spending time in the wild is an amazing activity, but it’s not something you might be able to do all the time. For example – I’m recovering from food poisoning as I’m writing this, which makes it pretty much impossible to go on that hike I was planning. It does, however, give me some time to watch trail and hiking movies while dreaming of my next hiking adventure.
If you too aren’t able to venture out into the great outdoors at the moment or if you’re looking for some inspiration before planning your next hike, then these trail movies might be exactly what you’re looking for!
This list features the best hiking movies out there, from famous Hollywood productions to self-filmed documentaries.
Hiking and trail movies
1. A Walk in the Woods (2015)
In this movie, Bill Bryson, an American travel writer, decides to return to the U.S. after spending a decade in England.
Once he’s back in the States, Bill takes a stroll up the Appalachian Trail, and at that moment, he decides he will hike the entire 3492 km (2,170 mi) of the trail.
Bill brings his long-lost friend Katz with him – the only person he can find who’s willing to join him on the hike. He will soon discover that he and his friend both have a completely different definition of the word “adventure”, though.
Watch the trailer of A Walk in the Woods
2. Wild (2014)
Wild is one of the best trail movies out there!
This movie tells the story of Cheryl Strayed, a woman who has lost all hope after a failed marriage, the passing of her mother and years of self-destructive behaviour.
It’s time for a change and Cheryl decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. She doesn’t have any previous experience but what she does have, however, is a lot of determination! This 1.770 km (1.100 miles) hike will become a journey that will change her life forever.
Wild is a very inspiring movie that shows how capable we are of reaching our goals if we just set our minds to it.
3. Edie (2017)
Edie is my new hero! In the movie with the same name, the 83-year-old Edie decides to climb Mount Suilven in the Scottish Highlands.
After the passing of her husband, Edie’s daughter starts making plans for Edie to move to a retirement home. Edie on the other hand has different plans. She’s been wanting to climb Mount Suilven ever since her father planned a trip for them to climb this mountain, but her husband made her stay at home.
Realizing she may one day die with regrets and under the motto “it’s never too late”, Edie decides to embark on this trip by herself.
4. The Way (2010)
The Way is one of the most touching trail movies out there. It tells the story of a father who heads to France to retrace the last days of his son’s life.
Once he arrives in France, he decides to hike the El Camino de Santiago, which is where his son passed away.
Carrying his son’s ashes with him during the hike, he meets many other hikers on the way and discovers that they’re all looking for something.
5. Southbounders (2005)
This movie tells the story of Olivia, a young woman who attempts to thru-hike the entire 3492 km (2,170 mi) of the Appalachian Trail.
With this hike, Olivia wants to boost her confidence and confront her fears. While she starts hiking the trail on her own, she quickly makes two friends who will become her hiking companions.
Southbounders will give you a glimpse into the world of long-distance hiking and the perseverance that it takes. It’s an inspiring story that follows three individuals on an epic adventure.
Watch the trailer of Southbounders
6. Tracks (2013)
If you’re asking me, Tracks is one of the most inspiring trail movies there is! It’s a story about self-discovery and incredible courage.
This movie follows the story of Robyn Davidson, a 27-year-old woman who sets out on a 9-month solo hike across Australia. She treks across the desert, from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, and is only accompanied by four camels and her pet dog.
The best part about this movie is that it’s a true story – Robyn Davidson trekked through the desert in 1977. This movie was based on the book she wrote about her experience.
7. Into the Wild (2007)
Into the Wild is another true story – the one of Chris McCandless.
This college graduate abandoned all of his possessions and gave all of his savings to charity to hitchhike across North America and live in the Alaskan wilderness by himself.
It’s an inspiring, yet tragic movie based on the research and book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. The movie also has a beautiful soundtrack full of travel songs by Eddie Vedder.
Watch the trailer of Into the Wild
8. The Way Back (2010)
In this movie, which takes place in 1940, Janusz, a young military officer, leads an escape from a remote Siberian labour camp.
Escaping seems to be the easiest part, however, as Janusz and six fellow prisoners now have to traverse the Himalayas on foot.
The group start the 6437-km (4,000 mi) trek that leads them through deserts and mountains, hoping that it will lead them to freedom too.
Watch the trailer of The Way Back
9. Wildlike (2014)
After the death of her father, Mackenzie, a 14-year-old girl from Seattle, is sent to live with her uncle in Alaska. When he starts molesting her, she decides to run away and find her mother, who is in rehab.
Trying to escape her uncle’s grasp, Mackenzie finds herself alone and helpless until she meets Bart, a middle-aged backpacker who’s heading to Denali National Park.
Bart initially tries to get rid of her but eventually helps her survive in the wilderness and hike back home.
10. 127 Hours (2010)
127 Hours tells the true story of Aron Lee Ralston, an avid outdoorsman who goes hiking in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park by himself. He decides to climb a slot canyon, and that’s when his forearm becomes trapped between a boulder and the canyon wall.
Aron tries to move the boulder in numerous ways but nothing seems to work. Becoming more and more desperate, he finally decides to cut off his arm…
This movie shows what people are capable of doing in order to survive, and it also makes you rethink how important it is to be careful.
To be honest with you, I didn’t watch this movie and I don’t think I will. I did see a documentary about Aron Lee Ralston and find it incredible how brave he is!
Watch the trailer of 127 Hours
11. Everest (2015)
This tragic drama was based on the true story of two mountain climbing expeditions making an attempt to climb Mount Everest in 1996. During their ascent, the mountain is unexpectedly struck by one of the most brutal blizzards ever.
The teams are caught in a battle to survive in incredibly harsh conditions, which leads to one of the worst mountaineering disasters that ever took place.
Numerous documentaries have also been made about this event, including Storm Over Everest, which you can watch on YouTube.
12. Redwood Highway (2013)
Marie, a retiree who’s not happy with the life she’s living in a retirement community, decides to hike 129 km (80 mi) to see the ocean for the first time in 45 years.
Once she gets there, she also wants to attend her granddaughter’s beach wedding as an unexpected guest.
On her hike, Marie meets lots of interesting people and discovers that you’re never too old to learn something about life or yourself. She’s determined to reach the coast and doesn’t let blisters or other injuries stop her from reaching her goal.
Watch the trailer of Redwood High
13. Backcountry (2014)
This survival movie is loosely based on the true story of a hungry bear that attacked Mark Jordan and Jacqueline Perry.
In Backcountry, Alex and his girlfriend Jen prepare to go hiking and camping. The trail they initially wanted to take is closed so they decide to take another one instead. Alex is confident that he knows the area well and doesn’t need a map.
When the pair starts hiking off-trail in search of a lake Alex remembers, they get lost, and things are about to get worse.
Before they know it, they’re faced with a man-eating bear who attacks them. Their romantic camping trip is quickly turned into a terrifying quest to survive.
Watch the trailer of Backcountry
Hiking and trail documentaries
14. Appalachian Impressions: Hiking the Appalachian Trail (2005)
As its name suggests, this documentary will take you along the famous Appalachian Trail, which is one of the most famous long-distance hiking trails in the world. With a length of 3492 km (2,170 mi), it usually takes 5 to 7 months to hike it.
The documentary tells the story of hikers who have embarked on this trek. It paints a picture of what daily life is like on the trail as well as the challenges of long-distance hiking.
Watch the trailer of Appalachian Impressions
15. I’ll Push You (2016)
I’ll Push You is the story of two best friends, Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, who decide to hike the 804 km (500 mi) El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.
Justin, however, is in a wheelchair due to a rare neurological disease so Patrick offers to push him.
The documentary follows them as they make their way across mountains, deserts, hills and valleys. It’s an inspiring documentary that also paints a picture of the struggles related to Justin’s disease.
Watch the trailer of I’ll Push You
16. Mile… Mile and a Half (2013)
A group of artists leave their daily lives behind to hike the beautiful John Muir Trail in California. This trail goes from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney – a 352-km (219-mi) long journey they aim to complete in 25 days. The documentary was filmed by this group and shows some breathtaking views of the hike!
On their way, they meet other artists and people in search of adventure, and they learn that it’s true what they say in the famous hiking quote: “It’s about the journey, not the destination”.
Watch the trailer of Mile… Mile and a Half
17. The Long Start to the Journey (2015)
This is a self-filmed documentary about the Appalachian Trail. It’s a story of perseverance, adventure and growth that follows filmmaker Chris Gallaway who spends 7 months on the trail in an attempt to thru-hike it.
Chris meets and befriends other hikers on the way, and learns more about why the Appalachian Trail was founded. The landscapes he captures along the trail are stunning and will make you want to head out there and start hiking!
Watch the trailer of The Long Start to the Journey
18. Highline (2020)
Highline follows five friends who embark on a 10-day hike on the remote Uinta Highline Trail in northern Utah. This is a challenging trek where the experienced hikers will have to face altitude sickness, storms and navigation problems.
On the trek, they learn more about the history of the area, while we learn more about the hikers and their lives. It’ll give you an insight into why they love the outdoors so much but it also touches on subjects like addiction and PTSD.
19. Only the Essential (2014)
Only the Essential is the story of Casey Gannon and Colin Arisman who thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013. Armed with their cameras, it takes them 5 months to hike the 4293 km (2668 mi) from Mexico to Canada.
The title of this documentary comes from a quote from Henry David Thoreau that inspired the film:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to confront only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Watch the documentary of Only the Essential
20. Tell It on the Mountain (2013)
This documentary follows a varied group of hikers as they hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It takes them five months to hike from the US-Mexico border to Canada, their final destination.
The journey will take them through deserts as well as mountain passes, and they’re equipped with cameras to record it all. It’s one of these trail movies that will inspire you to follow your own thru-hiking adventures and head out into the wild.
Watch the trailer of Tell it on the Mountain
21. Do More With Less (2017)
Do More With Less is another documentary about the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s a conversation between over 100 hikers who talk about their favourite activity (hiking) and how to live an adventurous off-grid lifestyle.
This documentary will give you an insight into why thru-hikers hit the trail for such a long period of time, what challenges they face and what makes it so addictive. It’s an interesting documentary that will definitely make you want to hit the trail!
Watch the trailer of Do More With Less
Trail and hiking movies – Final thoughts
That was it! These were 21 of the best hiking and trail movies out there. Whether you were looking for an inspirational movie or a documentary, I hope you have found exactly what you were looking for in this list.
What I love about these trail and backpacking movies is that they’re inspiring and will bring you along people’s epic journeys. I can’t wait to hit the trail again after writing this post and hope these movies will inspire you as well.
Numbers 2, 6 and 7 are my personal favourites. What are yours? Or do you think there’s a movie missing from this post? Let me know in the comments below, as I’m updating this post frequently!
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