The Best Hiking Quotes to Inspire and Amuse

I have a complicated relationship with hiking. Sometimes, I complain so much on the ascent that Brian, either on purpose or inadvertently, finds himself putting some distance between us so I’m out of earshot.

Yet we do it all the time. Like, it’s a thing that I can say we do on the regular even.

I love it for the thrill of those vistas, and I’m not alone. Hikes have inspired many, and the evidence is in the number of hiking quotes from famous naturalists or simply fans of the outdoors. Here are a few of my favorites.

Classic Quotes About Hiking

I just have to kick things off with a set for John Muir, the famed naturalist and general man about hiking who should open any list of the best trekking quotes.

I’ll share some of his best here — he had plenty more hiking quotes where these came from — followed by picks from other enthusiasts to dress up those Instagram captions.

I see what you’re doing there, social media wander babes. I like it.

Fun fact: Muir has many fun nicknames he likely bragged about, but my favorite is not the “Father of the National Parks,” but “John of the Mountains.” So rugged!

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir

Quote: The mountains are calling and I must go.

Could this hiking quote be on any more novelty tees? I don’t think so.

It’s classic Muir, all high expectations of our being one with nature. When I’m looking up at those mountains, it’s more of a taunting I’m getting than anything else, but as the stubborn sort, I get after that climb anyway.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” — John Muir, from Our National Parks

This one speaks to what many seemed to be going through during and shortly after the pandemic.

Living in a city at the time, I also learned that I don’t like people that much, and any road trip travel we did on the other side involved escaping humans.

Ah, the wildness.

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” — John Muir

Muir was smokin’ the good stuff when he let this one rip.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir

This one makes me think of the aforementioned wander babes, some of whom bring along a change of clothes with them to put on at the top of the mountain.

Your photos are beautiful, you hotties, but I just can’t.

Give me some hiking leggings and a pack of Twizzlers and I will happily show you what my sweaty face looks like at the end. The sweat means I worked hard, and for that, I am tired and maybe somewhat grateful.

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”— John Muir, from My First Summer in the Sierra

Don’t literally tug on things in nature, though, as they could be snakes.

Red touches black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow.

Jill is screwed either way.

“The world’s big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” — John Muir

I see what he’s getting at here, but I also do not want to be hiking after dark.

My sense of direction is bad enough as it is — compasses are a mystery to me, as well, because what is north if not up? — so the idea of traversing a thicket in the dark is scary.

There are critters that come out after dark, you guys, and also creepers.

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” — John Muir

A quote: In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.

I believe he means blisters here because you didn’t break in those hiking boots. I wasn’t looking for them, and yet there they are, every time.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” — John Muir

I’m admittedly a little worried about John of the Mountains here. What do we have to lose our minds for? I know nature’s splendor myself, but it seems a bit too intense.

“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” — John Muir

Then you meet up with the next pair, and you realize you’re lost. Hopefully, you’ve brought along someone else with a better sense of direction than your own. Fingers crossed!

Fun fact: Between Two Ferns sits Zach Galifianakis.

“Who wouldn’t be a mountaineer! Up here all the world’s prizes seem nothing.” — John Muir

Me.

I would not be a mountaineer.

Mountain hiking quotes definitely have a way of making me feel most inadequate. Let’s move on from John Muir, shall we?

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” — William Shakespeare

This is a good one for when you’re exploring the redwoods up in northern California. It’s their proximity to wine country that really gets me going, but the trees really are impressive all on their own.

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” — Margaret Atwood, from Bluebeard’s Egg

Check and check!

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” — Sir Edmund Hillary

Money helps in the pursuit of accomplishing extraordinary things also.

In terms of the hiking, though, it’s definitely a decision you must make to persevere when you’re hangry, sweaty, and not even halfway there.

Keep calm and hike on, trekkers!

“If I were a tree, I would have no reason to love a human.” — Maggie Stiefvater, from The Raven Boys

Well, yeah, because humans like to cut down trees so they can make more antique-style furniture, stationery, and room for more humans.

Note: It is estimated that 80 percent of Amazon rainforest deforestation is due to land “needed” for cattle grazing. Priorities, amiright?

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote: Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

That’s what I’m trying to tell Brian when he’s going all Energizer Bunny on me zooming up those hillsides.

“Slow down and lemme catch a breath!” I want to say, but he’s already gone.

“When you’re lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost. For the longest time, you can convince yourself that you’ve just wandered off the path, that you’ll find your way back to the trailhead any moment now. Then night falls again and again, and you still have no idea where you are, and it’s time to admit that you have bewildered yourself so far off the path that you don’t even know from which direction the sun rises anymore.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

Thankfully, we’ve never actually gotten lost in the woods.

I’m sure if it actually happened, I’d just pop a squat on a pile of leaves and die there. While I find myself in nature often, I have zero survival skills.

“Jumping from boulder to boulder and never falling, with a heavy pack, is easier than it sounds; you just can’t fall when you get into the rhythm of the dance.” — Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac must not have suffered from intrusive thoughts that have me picturing slamming up against rocky cliffs when I’m up at any elevation. It’s what prevents me from cliff diving.

Is that only me?

“What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die of course. Literally shit myself lifeless.” — Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson was basically my first foray into travel writing back when I was prepping for my Australia study abroad. His In a Sunburned Country taught me about the lethal wildlife and friendly Aussies I may encounter while Down Under.

I also relate to this quote completely. I would likely just sit there, accepting of my fate, if I were to encounter bears at my campsite. Again, I have no survival skills.

Note: Please don’t take this seriously. Read these bear safety tips instead.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

Quote: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

It also hopefully begins with a plan to catch a cab at some point, perhaps even some decent public transit if you’re outside of southern California.

My favorite adventures always include a good plan to get from Point A to Point B.

“My most memorable hikes can be classified as ‘Shortcuts that Backfired.’” — Edward Abbey

This one is similar to the Beverly Sills classic, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going,” but funnier. My most memorable hikes can be classified as “I Forced Myself to Do This, but I’m Mostly Glad I Did.”

This one also seems like a good one if you’re searching hiking quotes for couples, though, as there’s always the one who exclaims, “I know where I’m going!” on a walkabout.

“The long distance hiker, a breed set apart,

From the likes of the usual pack.

He’ll shoulder his gear, be hittin’ the trail;

Long gone, long ‘fore he’ll be back.” — M.J. Eberhart

The hiker with all the gear is a popular hiking trope when you’re out on the trails. I always assumed they were coming from elsewhere on long-distance hikes that take them to places less traveled I’d never reach.

I’ve since found that there are lots of folks who just love all the gear. Gimme some pocketed leggings, snacks, and enough water to get me complaining about having to pee two miles in, and I’m golden.

“There is always an adventure waiting in the woods.” – Katelyn S. Bolds

There are also bears, ticks, and plants looking to kill you, so you’ve been warned.

Hiking is awesome, though!

“Returning home is the most difficult part of long-distance hiking; You have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.” — Cindy Ross

As someone with the survival skills of a skittish chihuahua — it’s a theme here, I realize — I believe the most difficult part of long-distance hiking is actually the walking part. The bit where you don’t get a hot shower and comfy bed at the end of the day is also bad.

“Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything; we are returning to where we belong.” — Jennifer Pharr Davis

When you’ve lived in San Diego, some of the time spent outdoors is also the result of the guilt you’re feeling over hours spent binging something on Netflix.

“Hiking’s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.” — Sonja Yoerg

Sonja’s never visited Yellowstone in the summer months, it seems.

Jokes aside, I’ve always said going on a longer hike will get rid of most of the humans exploring the national parks for the highlights. Around that two-mile mark is where you usually lose the tour bus crowds.

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy.” — Sylvia Plath, from The Bell Jar

Altitudes are a killer for me, so I’m not sure what she’s getting at here. But it is quite the thrill when you get to the end of a hike and you’re all, “Yep, I did it. I’m a badass.”

I say this out loud, to myself and to others.

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” – George Carlin

Quote: Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

George Carlin has definitely been to Yellowstone in the summer months, likely observing someone try to take a bison selfie.

“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old – we grow old because we stop hiking.” — Finis Mitchell

You also just get old and what you used to do in your youth becomes much more difficult, no matter your level of fitness.

Take sitting cross-legged, for example. I’ve found that if I do so for too long, getting up from the couch becomes nearly impossible.

There’s also sleeping. More often than not these days, I wake up with pains that weren’t there the day before.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” — Henry David Thoreau

I went to the woods to show off that I did so on Instagram.

Just kidding. I also had to pee.

“These woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”

— Robert Frost, from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

I realize this is from a poem, but it’s still a classic for nature lovers. A nap sure is a good thing after a long hike, by the way, but not as good as a cheese plate.

That’s the promise I like to keep to myself when it’s become a struggle out there. Cheese plates are coming, dear. Keep going.

More Quotes About Hiking

I’ve shared my favorites. Here are a bunch more to fill those social media captions for the rest of your time on those apps:

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” — Gary Snyder
“You need special shoes for hiking—and a bit of a special soul as well.” — Terri Guillemets
“Each fresh peak ascended teaches something.” — Sir Martin Conway
“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” — Mary Davis
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller
“Returning home is the most difficult part of long-distance hiking. You have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.” — Cindy Ross
“You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” — Dr. Seuss
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” — Albert Einstein
“The mountains were there and so was I.” — Maurice Herzog
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it.” — Andy Rooney
“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” — Greg Child
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” — Sir Edmund Hillary
“For hiking is one of those things that you can only do when you have the determination in you.” — Unknown
“Deep down, at the molecular heart of life, the trees and we are essentially identical.” — Carl Sagan
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” — John Burroughs

Hiking is inspiring.

While much of this was super tongue-in-cheek, I have to agree that there is something special about being out in nature in that fresh air. It’s a great way to reconnect with the world and yourself and see how far you can push yourself.

It’s a great way to get to know a partner, too. It only took one hike for me to realize that sometimes Brian doesn’t know how far back I’ve fallen. We’re working on it…both his inattention and my stamina.

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