If there’s one thing I love as a hiker, it’s reading about hiking. Whether it’s a guidebook for a trip I want to do, inspiration for different hiking trails, or memoirs of epic adventures – I’m a sucker for all kinds of hiking books.
This post originated when I was writing my hiking gift guide. The section on books became so long, that I decided to just make an entire post about some of my favourites and different types of hiking books I like.
You can use this for inspiration for your next read, or if you are looking for a budget friendly gift for a hiker in your life, then I think any of these books would make a great option!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
In this post:
Trail Maps & Guidebooks
I love a guidebook. If I’m thinking about doing a trail, one of the first things that I do is buy a guidebook for it, and I enjoy flicking through it after I’m done as well – as a sort of memento.
Despite the prevalence of apps I almost always carry physical maps when I’m hiking a trail – and not just because it’s a necessary navigation backup. I genuinely enjoy pouring over the map in my tent, looking at the topography of what I’ve done that day and what is still to come.
I personally think this makes an ideal gift if you know the person is wanting to do a certain trail, or is just a complete map nerd like me. Where you get these guides/maps are going to be very location dependent.
Guides
For the UK & Europe I like Cicerone Guides, they have some guides further afield as well, but not many. I also enjoy Knife Edge Outdoors – I used their guide in preparation for the GR54 (Tour of the Ecrins).
I’ll be honest, I haven’t used any guidebooks on trails outside of Europe (other than the Cicerone PCT Guide – which I didn’t think was great). Falcon Guides seems to have a wide variety of USA guides to choose from though, so worth looking into.
Maps
For the UK I have used Harvey Maps for both the Cape Wrath Trail and The Affric Kintail Way – they are great for showing the specific trail and the type of terrain underfoot. OS Maps are handy if you want a detailed topographical view of a particular area.
In France I used an IGN Map for the GR54 (specifically this one), which I enjoyed as well.
For the US: I didn’t actually use any paper maps on my Pacific Crest Trail hike (which I kind of regret), but National Geographic has a huge selection of trail maps – I would definitely look into these if I did another trail there. They do have some trail maps for Europe as well.
Peak-bagging Books
Maybe this is a bit of a UK thing (let me know in a comment?) but I LOVE books that allow you to tick off accomplishments. The Munros is a favourite of mine, and The Corbetts has been pre-ordered. They contain both maps, walk descriptions, and a table that allows you to note when you first climbed the peak. I know that equivalents also exist for the Wainwrights in England.
For me, the appeal in these books come from the fact that I feel encouraged to try new things. Climbing all 282 Munros is not just a box ticking exercise, but also an excuse to explore peaks all over the country, in areas I might not otherwise go to.
If you have mountains in your area then there are bound to be books like this – get looking!
Trail Inspiration
I can’t get enough of books that inspire me to hike, whether it’s through amazing photography, or through describing the history of certain trails. Here are some books I own and love, and some that are on my wishlist.
The Wanderlust Series
I own both the original Wanderlust and the Wanderlust Alps, but I honestly plan to collect them all. I just love whipping these out occasionally and dreaming of being on the trail. They combine lovely photography, with descriptions of the trail – though I wouldn’t call them guidebooks by any means. They are an ideal way of discovering new trails as well – the Alps book is actually how I first heard about the GR54.
A History of the World in 500 Walks
Again, love flicking through this anytime I’m looking for inspiration. I really enjoy history and actually did it for a few of my uni years – so this book really hits the spot for me. It splits hiking trails up based on when it or the area was historically significant. For example – did you know the significance of the Alta Via routes in Italy? During World War I, military resupply & defence routes were used throughout the Dolomites, and en route you may see remnants of barracks and other ruins. This book doesn’t dive too deeply into the details – but it’s definitely enough to pique your interest.
Scottish Wild Country Backpacking
This book has some really cool and unique short trips in it, though unlike the previous two books, this one is obviously primarily aimed at those in the UK. I’ve had some great inspiration from this book, and it’s a good reminder that hikes don’t need to be weeks long to see some remote and stunning scenery!
Here are some more that are on my wishlist, like The World’s Best National Parks in 500 walks, The Great Divide, and 100 Hikes of a Lifetime – you see a theme.
Memoirs
Hiking memoirs can be a bit hit or miss – at the end of the day the act of hiking in itself is not that interesting – you walk, eat, shit and sleep. Whether the book is good or not depends on the writer’s ability to tell a story, or at least describe their journey in a humorous or unique way.
I’ll be honest, I’ve not read that many memoirs that I enjoyed, but here are a few:
Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found: Lots of PCT hikers love to hate this book, but I enjoyed it. It’s not a ‘how to hike the PCT’ guide, but rather about Cheryl’s journey in overcoming the grief from the death of her mother. She discovers that despite being unfit and unprepared she can achieve so much more than she ever thought she could, and I can relate to that.
The Salt Path & Landlines: After learning one of them is terminally ill and losing their house, a couple hikes the South Coast Path in England. Landlines is about them hiking from Cape Wrath back home. I really enjoy the way both of these are written – they add a good amount of humour to their struggles. I found the books to be really relatable, despite the completely different circumstances that caused them to undertake the trails.
Some that are on my wishlist:
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
Final Thoughts
If you’re anything like me, you don’t need an excuse to pick up another hiking book. Whether you want ideas for future trails or just enjoy reading about other people’s adventures, I hope this list pointed you towards something you’ll genuinely enjoy – or helped you find an easy gift for a fellow hiker.
