56 Hiking Quotes and Sayings About Walking in the Wilderness

Do you prefer walking in the concrete jungle or striding in the green forest? Hiking is a favorite outdoor activity worldwide, whether for a brief encounter or the more adventurous. It requires great physical strength and stamina. With an endless supply of hills and mountains, we always have a new summit we can conquer every weekend. Our hiking quotes below summarize this strenuous activity's hardships, fulfillment, and rewards.

Like camping, the number of Americans who started hiking grew exponentially during the pandemic. And as of 2021, almost 59 million people have engaged in hiking activities at least once. So, after reading our collection of hiking quotes in this article, you can head to our camping quotes for more insights about the great outdoors.

Are you ready for the ascent? Get ready for the adventure with our inspiring hiking quotes below.

Quick links to our selection of hiking quotes:

Best Hiking Quotes

We don't need to climb a mountain to hike. All we need to do is to walk in nature. So, if you are intimidated by hiking gear, tools, special shoes, and outfits, don't be. Instead, grab any shoes you have and start walking! 

Then, as you gradually fall in love with hiking, you can begin investing in appropriate shoes, eco-friendly backpacks, sustainable outdoor wear, and other essentials. Finally, you can start hiking in national forests in your state. The National Park Service has a simple directory to help you find your next hiking trail.

Start your hiking life and embrace the fresh air after you check out our favorite motivational hiking quotes below.

"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

"Adventure awaits. Grab your hiking boots and get ready for new adventures."
- Unknown

"The trail leads not merely north and south, but up to the body, mind, and soul of man."
- Harold Allen

"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it."
- Andy Rooney

Mountain Hiking Quotes About Being One With Nature

Walking slows our fast-paced life. It has many benefits, but getting outdoors and walking in nature can multiply them. 

For example, one advantage of hiking mountains over walking in the city is maintaining memory. We exercise our hippocampus as we navigate the forest without street names or landmarks. 

In a study, two groups took a quick memory test. One walked through a botanical garden, while the other strolled through a city. After their return, subjects underwent another quick memory test. The nature walk participants scored 20% higher than they had on the initial test, while the urban control group showed no significant improvement¹.

After reading the next set of hiking quotes, walk through the wilderness and improve your recall. You might also like to read up on our mountain and forest quotes for destination inspiration. You might also like to read up on the benefits nature has on our mental health.

"The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain he is inspired by it."
- William Arthur Ward

"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

"Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise."
- Carrie Latet

"Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain."
- John Kerouac

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread."
- Edward Abbey

"On a hike, the days pass with the wind, the sun, the stars; movement is powered by a belly full of food and water, not a noxious tankful of fossil fuels. On a hike, you’re less a job title and more a human being. A periodic hike not only stretches the limbs, but also reminds us: Wow, there’s a big old world out there."
- Ken Ilgunas

If adventure has a final and all-embracing motive, it is surely this: we go out because it is our nature to go out, to climb mountains, and to paddle rivers, to fly to the planets and plunge into the depths of the oceans. When man ceases to do these things, he is no longer man.

~ Wilfrid Noyce

Inspirational Mountain Hiking Quotes About Life Journey

Every part of hiking - the uphill, peak, and downhill - can be related to our lives. Most hiking quotes we gravitate towards are about perseverance in our uphill struggles in life. Climbing a mountain teaches us to have the grit to overcome every gigantic boulder and uneven terrain of our lives until we reach the summit, our goals. 

Angela Duckworth researched all about grit being a significant predictor of success. In this Ted Talk, she defined grit as "passion and perseverance for very long-term goals." Similar to mountain hiking, which could take hours, our ultimate life goals also require patience and mental toughness. 

After reading the inspirational hiking quotes below, you can check where you are in this Grit Scale quiz.

"When everything feels like an uphill struggle, Just think of the view from the top."
- Unknown

"I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost

"The hardest mountain to climb is the one within."
- J. Lynn

"The best view comes after the hardest climb."
- Unknown

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing views. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds."
- Edward Abbey

"Fall down seven times and stand up eight."
- Japanese Proverb

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere."
- Frank A. Clark

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angel's whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.

~ Raymond Inmon

There is wisdom in climbing mountains... For they teach us how truly small we are.

~ Jeff Wheeler

Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person.

~ Yvon Chouinard

Camping is not a date; it's an endurance test. If you can survive camping with someone, you should marry them on the way home.

~ Unknown

You, who know that all the bruises and scrapes from scrambling and rambling are the best because they remind you of being alive.

~ Madison Perrins

Quotes About Hiking By John Muir And Other Famous People

When discussing hiking, who's the famous person on top of your mind? Probably Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953. 

But do you know the father of America's National Park System? He is no other than John Muir, a famous environmentalist and naturalist. He protected and fought for forest lands threatened by commercial developments for many years. 

His dedication eventually influenced President Roosevelt, leading to his conservation legacy. Through their efforts, we are now enjoying 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands totaling 193 million acres, according to the Forest Service of USDA.

To guide you up the mountain, read the hiking quotes below by John Muir and other climbing experts.

"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

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

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine into trees."
- John Muir

"One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books."
- John Muir

"It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
- Sir Edmund Hillary

"People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things."
- Sir Edmund Hillary

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front 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."
- Henry David Thoreau

"Walking is a man’s best medicine."
- Hippocrates

The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.

~ John Muir

Between every two pines there is a doorway to a new world.

~ John Muir

Never follow someone else's path unless you're in the woods and you're lost, and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.

~ Ellen Degeneres

Our minds, as well as our bodies, have need of the out-of-doors. Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the wind and the rain, moonlight, and starlight, sunrise and mist and mossy forest trails, the perfumes of dawn and the smell of fresh-turned earth and the ancient music of wind among the trees.

~ Edwin Way Teale

You never climb the same mountain twice, not even in memory. Memory rebuilds the mountain, changes the weather, retells the jokes, remakes all the moves.

~ Lito Tejada-Flores

Funny Hiking Quotes To Make You Laugh

Messy hair and dog-like panting are some of the hilarious memories we have while hiking with friends. But, aside from having fun, we should always be cautious about apparent risks - slips, falls, animal bites, lightning, dehydration, and many more. 

As we climb elevations higher than 8,000 feet above sea level, dangers will multiply, and we should now be mindful of altitude illness. The best way to prevent it is to consult your doctor first, or you can read this comprehensive guide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Make hiking a fun experience by following safety reminders. Meanwhile, whether hiking the same trail or undertaking your next outdoor adventure, read the funny hiking quotes below that will ease you during the ascent.

"I might look like I am listening to you, but in my mind, I am hiking."
- Unknown

"Bring a compass. It’s awkward when you have to eat your friends."
- Unknown

"I’ve never understood treadmills when there’s so many trails to hike."
- Unknown

"Sleeping bags are the soft tacos of the bear world."
- Unknown

Best Inspiring Hiking Instagram Captions

Even if you're hiking for the first or the hundredth time, some of us can't avoid sharing it on social media before the hike day. We post our hiking photos, gear, clothes, and overall excitement. But the preparation is more complex. 

We should also educate our online friends on how we ready our bodies for the grueling long climb and high altitude. Preparation usually takes days or weeks, depending on the demand of the trek. 

If we engage in regular aerobic exercises and strength training a couple of times each week, our general fitness will increase, making our hike more pleasant. So, if you're planning to become a long-distance hiker, always consult a professional on the best training program.

No need for lengthy quotes about hiking trails; these inspirational and funny hiking captions for Instagram are perfect word nuggets to share before your hiking adventure ascent. Feel free to pair your hiking pictures with some of these inspiring hiking captions.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
- Lao Tzu

"A walk in nature walks the soul back home."
- Mary Davis

"We don’t stop hiking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop hiking."
- Unknown

"Do more things that make you forget to check your phone."
- Unknown

"To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles."
- Mary Davis

"There is always an adventure waiting in the woods."
- Katelyn S. Bolds

"After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value."
- G.M. Trevelyan

"Anywhere is 'within walking distance."
- Unknown

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."
- Sir Rannulph Fiennes

"Each fresh peak ascended teaches something."
- Sir Martin Convay

Clouds come and go, the mountain remains.

~ Meeta Ahluwalia

Take only memories, leave only footprints.

~ Unknown

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

~ Henry David Thoreau

The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot.

~ Werner Herzog

All you need is a mountain breeze and tall trees.

~ Unknown