Hiking is honestly one of my favorite pastimes. There’s nothing more relaxing than hiking in nature and no greater feeling of accomplishment than conquering a difficult trail. Going on a wonderful hike can feel so rewarding, but it can also clear your head and allow you to think about things you never have before. It’s true, some of my best ideas and breakthrough moments happen when I’m hiking.
This blog encompasses all of these elements of hiking through quotes. Some of these quotes will inspire you to hit the trail, some will remind you of a hiking memory, some will make you laugh, and some, well, might even put your life in perspective. That’s right, some of these hiking quotes carry very powerful messages that’ll likely create some internal reflection.
Not all hiking quotes are deep though. Some are short, cute, clever, and witty. They will make you smile, and they make are perfect hiking captions for Instagram too!
I love hiking quotes so much that I even wrote a few of my own! Amongst these original hiking quotes you’ll also find some very popular phrases by recognizable authors. This blog features quotes by everybody from Alberta Einstein to ?? to ??. There’s a huge variety of hiking quotes you’ll find right here in this blog – which is why I’ve broken it down into sub-categories to make things easier to navigate.
Be sure to also keep an eye-out for my fun facts and quote interpretations throughout. I like to keep things interesting, so I always add some bits of information throughout. Sometimes you’ll learn about the quote author and sometimes I just throw my two cents around. Either way, I hope you enjoy reading my blog about all the best hiking quotes!
Unique Hiking Quotes
I really love the written word. As a child, I actually wrote poems and fiction books. Somewhere in my adult life though I discovered my love for quotes. Now, I usually spend all my time reading other people’s quotes and figuring out what they mean to me. But sometimes, I do write a few of my own quotes.
These next hiking quotes are ones I’ve actually written. They are unique to this blog and I have you like them!
“It never ceases to amaze me that hiking, the thing that causes such pain, also causes such joy.” – Inspire with Quotes
“And just when my feet start to pulse, my back aches, my legs are tired, I can’t catch my breath, and I’m dead tired – I feel the most alive. That’s the irony of hiking in the mountains.” – Inspire with Quotes
“There’s no mountain you can’t climb. You just need the dedication and training to do so.” – Inspire with Quotes
“Getting lost in nature is where you’ll find yourself.” – Inspire with Quotes
“Hiking in the mountains is therapeutic because it Alps clear your head.” – Inspire with Quotes
“There is no view more breathtaking than the one you hike to.” – Inspire with Quotes
Quote Explanation: This quote about mountain views reminds us that any view is so much better when you’ve worked hard to get there. You’ll enjoy a scenic view while feeling accomplished – it’s great!
“Prove yourself wrong. Climb that damn mountain.” – Inspire with Quotes
“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy new hiking gear.” – Inspire with Quotes
“Live your life like a hike. Move slow and steady. Take deep breaths. Plan to conquer the highest peaks. Make steps to reach them. One step at a time. And when you reach the top, have gratitude.” – Inspire with Quotes
Why I love this quote: Like many quotes about breathing, this quote reminds us to slow down and take things easy, one step at a time with mindful intention. Taking deep breaths is good for the soul!
“Once I reach a mountain peak I always take a moment to look down at my feet. These two little feet carried me all the way up here! Thanks, feet.” – Inspire with Quotes
Quote Explanation: I wrote this quote because I honestly think that sometimes people don’t have enough gratitude for their bodies and where they take us. I’m thankful for my feet, my legs, my lungs, and my body for the ability to hike up a mountain.
“When you start to feel down, it might just be time to change your altitude.” – Inspire with Quotes
“When you reach a mountain peak, take a moment of gratitude. Be grateful for the view, the struggle to get there, and your mind and body for perservering.” – Inspire with Quotes
“The biggest reality check you’ll get amongst mountains is realizing how small you are.” – Inspire with Quotes
Quote Explanation: Being near or on top of towering mountains has a way of making a person feel insignificant or small. As a reality check, this is important because it keeps our egos at bay and reminds us that we are just one very minuscule piece of this huge world.
“Hiking in the woods is the most present I’ll ever be.” – Inspire with Quotes
“Accomplishing a challenging hike is great. You know, the type of hike that takes months of preparation, maybe even years. When you finally do it, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched.” – Inspire with Quotes
” ‘I don’t want to go to the mountains today,’ said no one ever.” – Inspire with Quotes
“If you’re afraid of heights then you have no choice but to climb to the top of the mountain.” – Inspire with Quotes
Quote Explanation: This mountain quote is one I wrote as a reminder to always push yourself to do the things that scare you the most, even if that means climbing a mountain! Read more quotes about climbing mountains in my blog.
Popular Hiking Quotes
This next section of hiking quotes is the best in my opinion. It contains the most popular quotes about hiking. These are quotes you might’ve even heard before since some are so popular they are even common phrases these days. These quotes are some of the most powerful and relatable.
“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.” – Steven Wright
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
“Each fresh peak ascended teaches something.” – Sir Martin Convay
“Walking is a man’s best medicine.” – Hippocrates
Related Read: Check out my blog about the best quotes about walking in nature for more!
“Not all who wander are lost.” — JRR Tolkien
“There is no wifi in the mountains, but I promise you will find a better connection.”
“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than trees.”- Henry David Thoreau
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” – Henry David Thoreau
Did you know: Henry David Thoreau was an American poet, essayist, and philosopher from the 19th Century. Many popular hiking and nature quotes were written by Thorearu in his book “Walden” that was about living simply in natural surroundings.
“If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.” – Hippocrates
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” — Robert W. Service
“I’d rather be in the mountains thinking of God than in church thinking of the mountains.” – John Muir
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost
“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.” – Harley King
Quote Interpretation: This short mountain quote is about having large dreams and having the courage and ability to achieve them – I love it!
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
Why I love this quote: There are miracles that happen in nature every single day. Like quotes about butterflies transforming from caterpillars, nature is full of amazing creations!
“The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth.” – Thich Nhat Hahn
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-Tzu
“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.” – JRR Tolkien
“If you think you’ve peaked, find a new mountain.“
Quote Interpretation: This is one of my favorite mountain captions, it is witty and a play on words all while reminding us to keep pushing ourselves. Always strive for something bigger and better!
“If everyone in the world took care of each other the way folks do out on the trail, and if everyone approached each day with as much hope and optimism as hikers do, the world would be a better place.” – Jon Tullis
“Hiking and happiness go hand in hand or foot in a boot.” – Diane Spicer
“Happiness is not at the top of the mountains but in how to climb it.”– Confucius
“It’s impossible to walk in the woods and be in a bad mood at the same time.”
“Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” – Ed Viesturs
“To aim for the highest point is not the only way to climb a mountain.” – Nan Shepherd
“I love walking in the woods, along the trails, by the beaches. I love being part of nature. I love walking alone. It is therapy. One needs to be alone, to recharge one’s batteries.” – Grace Kelly
Why I love this quote: This quote is about beaches and the woods – two of my favorite things. I whole-heartedly believe being in nature is therapeutic.
“Anywhere is ‘within walking distance’.”
“The best view comes after the hardest climb.”
“Hiking’s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.” – Sonja Yoerg
“If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish.” – Charles Dickens
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills
“Why is it that I can’t be content to live a normal life? Why do I spiral into depression when I am away from the wilderness for too long?” ― Heather Anderson
“We don’t stop hiking because we grow old. We grow old because we stop hiking.” – Finis Mitchell
Quote Interpretation: This is one of my favorite hiking quotes. It tells us that hiking is good for you and keeps you young and healthy. You shouldn’t let your age stop you from hiking.
“I slow down when hiking. The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. The sun comes up, it moves across the sky, and you begin to synchronize to that rhythm.” – John Mackey
“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.” – Helen Keller
“We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down.” – Robert Sweetgall
“The climb speaks to our character, but the view, I think, to our souls.” – Lori Lansens
“You can visit the same trail twice but you’ll never take the same hike.”
Why I love this quote: This quote is great because it is about how going on a hike is an experience all on its own. Even if you do the same trail twice, it will be a different experience. I find that this is so true! Views change, weather conditions change, and even your mindset changes. The same trail hiked on different days definitely provides a different experience. I also believe that this quote could be a metaphor, but I personally prefer to take it literally.
“Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization.” – Charles Lindbergh
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal.”— Paulo Coelho
“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” — Chief Seattle
“My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.” – Aldous Huxley
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” – Sir Rannulph Fiennes
“As human beings, we have an innate need to explore, to see what’s around the corner.” – Jimmy Chin
“Stop staring at mountains. Climb them instead, yes, it’s a harder process but it will lead you to a better view.”
“Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.” – Carrie Latet
“What a funny world we live in when we won’t turn our phones off but we get excited to see we’ve hiked far enough to lose service.”
We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down. – Robert Sweetgall
“The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.” – Jacqueline Schiff
After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value. – G.M. Trevelyan
“You never climb a mountain on accident – it has to be intentional.”– Mark Udall
Quote Interpretation: I love, love, LOVE this quote! Nobody accidentally climbs a huge mountain, it takes perseverance and effort. To me, this relates to life. Nothing great just happens, you have to work hard to make it happen. Quotes about climbing mountains such as this one inspire me, even though it is about a mountain at first glance, it really means so much more and is a reminder I can carry with me daily.
Cute and Short Hiking Quotes
If you’re looking for a great hiking quote that is short and to the point, these next few are perfect. Although only a couple of words long, they are great quotes that carry a lot of meaning. These hiking quotes are ideal for crafting, scrapbooking, or even as a hiking caption for an Instagram or social media post.
“If I see a mountain, I just pick up and hike it.” – Aurora
“We survived hiking together; we can survive anything.”
“Hiking hair, don’t care.”
“Hike more, worry less”
“I know I hike like a girl, try to keep up.”
Why I love this quote: Can you say ‘girl power’! This hiking quote is about how girls are great hikers too – it’s probably pretty obvious why I like this quote (being a girl myself and all…)
“When life gives you mountains, put on your boots and hike.”
“They say returning home is difficult after a long hike. I say, take your home with you.”
“I hike to burn off the crazy.”
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”- Henry David Thoreau
“Speed is not a priority, just enjoy your hike.”
“I am never lost in the mountains, its where I find myself.”
Quote Interpretation: This quote is about the mountains and how they make you discover things about yourself. When in the mountains hiking, it is a great time for reflection. It’s where many people feel the most at home.
“Happiness is hiking with friends.”
“Hopeless wanderers.”
“Rise and hike.”
“Let’s wander where the WiFi is weak.”
“Fresh air, don’t care.”
Why I love this quote: Quotes about breathing in the fresh air are some of my favorite. They remind me how great it is to get outside and just breath deeply!
“Stressed? There’s a hike for that.”
“I’ve never understood treadmills when there’s so many trails to hike.”
“Hiking side effects include sweating, euphoria and general awesomeness.”
“Hike your own hike.”
Quote Interpretation: To me, this quote has a similar meaning to the popular phrase “stay in your own lane.” As in, focus on yourself and don’t worry about what people around you are doing.
“It’s not how many miles you walk, it’s how many smiles you share.”
“Hiking is the answer. Who cares what the question is.”
“Happiness walks on busy feet.”
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir
“Go where you feel most alive.”
“All I need is a mountain breeze and tall trees.”
“Hiking is cheaper than therapy.”
“Some people walk in the rain; others just get wet.” – Roger Miller
“You need special shoes for hiking—and a bit of a special soul as well. – Terri Guillemets
Quote Interpretation: Hiking isn’t for everybody. You need to have a certain kind of drive and personality.
“The Earth has music for those who listen.” – William Shakespeare
“There ain’t a single good reason to climb a mountain. Well, except to have fun.” – Iron Mike Smith
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss
“Walk into my world and I’ll make it ours.”
“Life is better in hiking boots.”
“Think outside. No box required.”
“All I need is a little hiking therapy.”
“Hiking and happiness go hand-in-hand, so take mine.”
“You can’t climb up a mountain with downhill thoughts.”
“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.” – Wallace Stevens
“I might look like I am listening to you, but in my mind, I am hiking.”
“Hiking in undiscovered places is a lot of fun.” – Karolina Kurkova
“When preparing to climb a mountain – pack a light heart.” – Dan May
“Ingredients for the perfect date: a trek, picnic and you.”
“Life is better in hiking boots.”
“I’d rather be hiking in the rain, than sitting inside at a desk on a sunny day.”
“Life sucks a lot less when you add mountain air, a campfire, and some peace and quiet.”— Brooke Hampton
“Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” – Edward Abbey
Quote Interpretation: This quote is about how being in nature is essential for humans. It is not something we should think of as a luxury, like something we might only do on vacation. Being in nature is something we should thing of as essential, and prioritize in our daily lives.
Hiking Quotes that Motivate and Inspire
Hiking isn’t always easy. Sometimes hiking can be challenging – both physically and mentally. This is why hiking and trekking quotes are often inspirational, or even sometimes, motivational. These next hiking quotes will make you feel like it’s time to hit the trail, never give up, or be proud of your accomplishments. Many of them also use hiking as a metaphor, and have a deeper message that related to life in general. These are my favorite inspirational hiking quotes.
“You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.”- Tom Hiddleston
“You never know if you’re in the right place until you reach it. Keep walking.”
“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” — Frank A. Clark
“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“For hiking is one of those things that you can only do when you have the determination in you.”
“Be like a mountain, aim to touch the sky but stay rooted to the ground.”
Quote Interpretation: This quote speaks to me in a couple of ways. First of all, it tells me to set high goals and try to achieve them. However, it also tells me to “stay rooted” which I think is saying to remember where I came from, and also to keep my ego in check.
“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” – George Washington Carver
“When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.”
Quote Interpretation: This mountain view quote is a reminder to keep your eye on the prize. At the end of any challenge (whether that be climbing a mountain or a general struggle in life), it will all be worth it!
“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
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it.” – Andy Rooney
“Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself the opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.”
“The trek uphill makes you wish for the future; the view up top anchors you to the present.”
“Choose the mountain you want to climb: don’t pay attention to what other people say, such as ‘that one’s more beautiful’ or ‘this one’s easier’. You’ll be spending lots of energy and enthusiasm to reach your objective, so you’re the only one responsible and you should be sure of what you’re doing.”– Paulo Coelho
“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” ― David McCullough Jr.
Quote Interpretation: Never go hiking and climb a mountain so that you can brag about it. Do it for yourself – for the challenge and the clarity it brings. This quote could be applied to anything in life as a metaphor. I like to apply it to achieving a goal. We should never set a goal just to pump our egos and have something to brag about, every goal we achieve should be entirely personal and about better ourselves without the need for approval of others.
“I’m always looking for a new challenge. There are a lot of mountains to climb out there. When I run out of mountains, I’ll build a new one.”– Sylvester Stallone
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro
“Remember to turn everything off once a week – including your brain – and walk somewhere quiet.”
“Walking is the favorite sport of the good and wise.” – A. L. Rowse
“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
There’s no glory in climbing a mountain if all you want to do is to get to the top. It’s experiencing the climb itself – in all its moments of revelation, heartbreak, and fatigue – that has to be the goal.” – Karyn Kusama
“Mountain hikes instilled in me a life-long urge to get to the top of any inviting summit or peak.” – Paul D. Boyer
“Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature’s darlings.” – John Muir
“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.“ – Mary Davis
“Over every mountain, there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.” — Theodore Roethke
“Say yes, and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” – Tina Fey
Why I love this quote: My friends often call me a “yes person” fore the simple fact that I love to try new things and am a keener for adventure. To me, this quote speaks to having that type of attitude.
“I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
“Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again. And if you allow yourself the opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit.”
“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in an office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac
Quote Interpretation: Just YES! No hidden meaning in this quote, it’s just a little push to remind you to do something different and extraordinary. Spend your time doing the things that bring you joy.
“I go on hikes expecting to see the great outdoors but spend most of the time lost in my own head.”
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” – Edward Abbey
“I think, every time I am on the mountain, I am just so thankful to be there.”— Chloe Kim
“I love to sit on a mountain top and gaze. I don’t think of anything but the people I care about and the view.” – Julian Lennon
“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” — Henry David Thoreau
“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
“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”– Henry David Thoreau
“You have to hike up the mountain path to reach the summit. Thinking won’t get you there.” – Marty Rubin
“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” – Raymond Inmon
“I will come again and conquer you because as a mountain you can’t grow, but as a human, I can.” – Sir Edmund Hillary
Quote interpretation: This is one of my favorite short mountain quotes by Sir Edmund Hillary. To me, this quote reminds us that even if we fail, we can grow and become successful in the future.
Thought-Provoking Hiking Quotes
These next quotes about trekking and hiking are going to get the wheels turning in your mind. Many of them are longer quotes with underlying messages. If you’re looking for a quote that will get you thinking and reflecting, then these next ones are exactly what you’re looking for. I’ve added a few of my own interpretations, however, they might mean something different to you – which is great! Have a read and take some time to think about each quote individually, I’m sure you’ll find a few that you absolutely love.
“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
“As a result of my hike, I am much more inclined to “do” things. I will have fewer “should have done’s” even if it means incurring some “wish I hadn’t’s.” – David Miller
“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
“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir
“Days of slow walking are very long: they make you live longer, because you have allowed every hour, every minute, every second to breathe, to deepen, instead of filling them up by straining the joints.” – Frederic Gros
“There is pleasure in the pathless woods. There is rapture on the lonely shore. There is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea and music in its roar. I love not man the less, but Nature more.” – Lord Byron
Did you know: Lord Byron is famous historical English poet. He was also a politician who was a leading figure in the Romantic movement. He died in 1824 but many of his poems are still quoted to this day.
“The more I see of deer, the more I admire them as mountaineers. They make their way into the heart of the roughest solitudes with smooth reserve of strength, through dense belts of brush and forest encumbered with fallen trees and boulder piles, across canons, roaring streams, and snow-fields, ever showing forth beauty and courage.” – John Muir
“I take all day to climb mountains and then spend about 10 minutes at the top admiring the view.”– Sebastian Thrun
“You lift your head, you’re on your way, but really just to be walking, to be out of doors. That’s it, that’s all, and you’re there. Outdoors is our element: the exact sensation of living there.” – Frédéric Gros
“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.” – Nancy Newhall
“It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”
“There really is no correct way to hike the trail and anyone who insists that there is ought not to worry so much about other people’s experiences. Hikers need to hike the trail that’s right for them.” – Adrienne Hall
Quote Interpretation: This is another one of those hiking quotes that could be taken literally or figuratively. This hiking quote is about focusing on your own hike and not worrying what those around you are doing. But, it could be referring to life in general – do your own thing!
“No hiking boot fits right until you’ve taken it on many hikes to become familiar, comfortable and protective.”
“I love that moment in a hike when you snap to and suddenly realise for the last 10 minutes you’ve not been observing nature but have instead become a part of it.”
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” – Aristotle
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more that what we could learn from books.” – John Lubbock
“We are built to walk. Not to SoulCycle and jog and hike. Walking is mental. You sharpen your thoughts and process your emotions.” – Caroline Kepnes
“When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“I feel a hint of pity for those who don’t get to experience the crisp air and excitement of mountain climbing. Are they ever really awake?” ― Tommy Caldwell
Why I love this quote: Only those who have climbed to the top of mountains will understand this quote, the excitement and feeling of being truly alive is something that is hard to describe. You must experience it for yourself to realize what you’re missing out on.
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” – John Burroughs
“Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature’s darlings.” – John Muir
“I slow down when hiking. The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. The sun comes up, it moves across the sky, and you begin to synchronize to that rhythm.”- John Mackey
“None of your knowledge, your reading, your connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with. Walk alone, across mountains, or through forests. You are nobody to the hills or the thick boughs heavy with greenery. You are no longer a role, or a status, not even an individual, but a body, a body that feels sharp stones on the paths, the caress of long grass, and the freshness of the wind. When you walk, the world has neither present nor future: nothing but the cycle of mornings and evenings. Always the same thing to do all day: walk. But the walker who marvels while walking (the blue of the rocks in a July evening light, the silvery green of olive leaves at noon, the violet morning hills) has no past, no plans, no experience. He has within him the eternal child. While walking I am but a simple gaze.” – Frédéric Gros
“When a man climbs to some mountain height, he sees the relative size and importance of things in a way which he never could from the plains below.“ -J. Sidlow Baxter
“I understood at a very early age that in nature, I felt everything I should feel in church but never did. Walking in the woods, I felt in touch with the universe and with the spirit of the universe.” – Alice Walker
“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
Quote Interpretation: This quote helps us understand human behavior and our need to be in wilderness and the mountains.
“It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even with getting from point A to point B. It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.” – Cheryl Strayed
“Think while walking, walk while thinking, and let writing be, but the light pause, as the body on a walk rests in contemplation of wide-open spaces.” – Frédéric Gros
“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
“Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere. Climb the mountain just a little bit to test it’s a mountain. From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain.” – Frank Herbert
“Remember to turn everything off once a week including your brain and walk somewhere quiet.”
Why I love this quote: This hiking quote is a reminder to take time to go for a walk in nature. I personally think this is so important!
“Although I deeply love oceans, deserts, and other wild landscapes, it is only mountains that beckon me with that sort of painful magnetic pull to walk deeper and deeper into their beauty.” – Victoria Erikson
“The perfect pair of hiking boots brings you safely through thrumming rivers and broken rocks; the perfect partner is walking right beside you.”
“I felt like lying down by the side of the trail and remembering it all. The woods do that to you, they always look familiar, long lost, like the face of a long-dead relative, like an old dream, like a piece of forgotten song drifting across the water, most of all like golden eternities of past childhood or past manhood and all the living and the dying and the heartbreak that went on a million years ago and the clouds as they pass overhead seem to testify (by their own lonesome familiarity) to this feeling.” — Jack Kerouac
“The greatest gift of life on the mountain is time. Time to think or not think, read or not read, scribble or not scribble—to sleep and cook and walk in the woods, to sit and stare at the shapes of the hills.” – Phillip Connors
“When we walk into a grove of trees or under an open sky the magic of nature takes over and the heaviness of life lifts a little.” – Natassia Cassinero
“To those who have struggled with them, the mountains reveal beauties that they will not disclose to those who make no effort. That is the reward the mountains give to effort. And it is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly to those who will wrestle with them that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again. The mountains reserve their choice gifts for those who stand upon their summits.”- Sir Francis Younghusband
“Oh, how can I put into words the joys of a walk over country such as this; the scenes that delight the eyes, the blessed peace of mind, the sheer exuberance which fills your soul as you tread the firm turf? This is something to be lived, not read about.” – Alfred Wainwright
“The ground we walk on, the plants and creatures, the clouds above constantly dissolving into new formations – each gift of nature possessing its own radiant energy, bound together by cosmic harmony.” – Ruth Bernhard
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
Why I love this quote: I think that this quote carries so much more weight because it is by Alberta Einstein. I mean, as one of the smartest people in history, if he says nature brings clarity then I believe him.
“In nature, nothing is perfect and yet everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” – Alice Walker
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” – Gary Snyder
“I walked slowly to enjoy this freedom, and when I came out of the mountains, I saw the sky over the prairie, and I thought that if heaven was real, I hoped it was a place I never had to go, for this earth was greater than any paradise.” – Daniel J. Rice
“Do you know how fast you are walking? To get a close estimate, count the number of steps you take in a minute and divide by 30.” – Albina Fabiani
“In my afternoon walk, I would fain forget all my morning occupations and my obligations to society.” – Henry David Thoreau
“I needed to begin respecting my own body’s boundaries. I had to draw clear lines. Ones that were sound in my mind and therefore impermeable, and would always, no matter where I walked, protect me.” – Aspen Matis
“Walking in solitude fixes nothing, but it leads you to the place where you can identify the malady—see the wound’s true form and nature—and then discern the proper medicine.” – Aspen Matis
“Slowness means cleaving perfectly to time, so closely that the seconds fall one by one, drop by drop like the steady dripping of a tap on stone. This stretching of time deepens space. It is one of the secrets of walking: a slow approach to landscapes that gradually renders them familiar. Like the regular encounters that deepen friendship.” – Frédéric Gros
Did you Know: Frédéric Gros is a professor of Philosophy in Paris. Many hiking and walking quotes are written by him from his best selling book titled “Philosophy of Walking.”
Hilarious Hiking Quotes (and puns!)
Okay, enough of the serious stuff. I thought we should end this blog with some of the best funny quotes about hiking. These next hiking quotes will make you chuckle, or at the very least, put a smile of your face. Some of them are silly puns, some are jokes, and some are simply clever. I love these next hiking quotes – I’m sure you will too.
“Hiking puns are hill-arious!”
“You know the old joke about how to survive a bear attack: Make sure you hike with someone who you can outrun.” – Carolyn Jourda
“That’s the difference between backpackers and holidaymakers. The former can’t help but invite hassle whilst the latter pay to escape it.” – Harry Whitewolf
“Hipsters often prefer hiking backcountry rivers. They’re less mainstream.”
“I wood never leaf a hiker behind.”
“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where the hell she is.” – Ellen Degeneres
Why I love this quote: It is actually so funny. Ellen Degeneres has some great jokes!
“Fact: Hiking is actually just walking, only on dirt or rocks or other uneven surfaces. Or walking where an animal larger than you can kill and eat you.” – Brendon Leonard
“If the winter is too cold and the summer is too hot, you are not a hiker.”
“What did the river say to the hiker with the clunky boots? Water those?!”
“A bad day hiking is better than a good day working.”
“She said, “Hiking is the same thing as walking, only hotter and twice as far as you want to go. But usually, you’re glad you went.” – Anita Diamant
“I love hiking — I don’t take it for granite.”
“In the mountains, you are sometimes invited, sometimes tolerated, and sometimes told to go home.”— Fred Beckey
“You need mountains. Long staircases don’t make good hikers.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from hiking, it’s that the early bird gets the face full of spider webs.”
Why I love this quote: If you’ve ever hit a trail early in the morning then you can definitely relate the getting a face full of spider webs – it’s such a terrible feeling.
“I went for a hike, now I’m feel oak-ay.”
“DEET is nature’s cologne.”
“Hiking is the best workout! You can hike for three hours and not even realize you’re working out.” – Jamie Luner
“I used to hike… but then I got a drone.”
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.” – Demetri Martin
“We’re not even really hiking, more like meandering in cinematic light.” – Kristen Henderson
“The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.” – Paulo Coelho
“Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it.” – Sir Edmund Hillary
“Sleeping bags are the soft tacos of the bear world.”
“Backpacking: An extended form of hiking in which people carry double the amount of gear they need for half the distance they planned to go in twice the time it should take.”
“My most memorable hikes can be classified as ‘Shortcuts that Backfired’.” – Edward Abbey
“Wood you believe that I’m actually on a hike right now?”
“Sometimes you just need to change your altitude“
Note: This quote says “altitude” (as in higher elevation), not “attitude” as I first read myself. The play on words here is what makes this quote “punny” (yes, I just wrote that – I love a good pun, I can’t help myself!)
“What do you call an amazing day up a mountain? A peak experience.”
“Always hike with someone in worse shape than you. The bears out there will know.“
“Hiking is the only slightly less ugly stepsister of running.” – Lindy Hughes
“Don’t confuse the hike with the destination. The hike is about the sounds, the smells, the sights. It’s a complete sensory experience… But yes, that waterfall is also pretty freaking awesome.”
Why I love this quote: It reminds us that the entire hike is worth enjoying – not just the destination. But the destination is always epic too.
Find more quotes…
If you love quotes as much as me, then take a moment and check out some of my other blogs. I have huge blogs that are lists of quotes about mountains, quotes about beaches, and of course, more quotes about hiking!