Hiking Movies to Watch Before Your Next Trail

The best hiking movies do more than show pretty scenery. They capture the blisters, doubts, kindness of strangers and slow change that come with walking a long way. For a short list to begin with, try Wild, A Walk in the Woods, The Way and Tracks, then add a few survival stories, a documentary and some lighter camping films for nights when you would rather laugh.

Each film below comes with a brief note on what it is about and what hikers tend to take from it. Plots are described only in outline, so there are no major spoilers.

Long-trail films based on real walks

Wild (2014)

Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed in this adaptation of Strayed's memoir about hiking a long stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail alone after a period of grief and upheaval. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, with Laura Dern as her mother, it is frank about overloaded packs, ill-fitting boots and the odd mix of loneliness and freedom on a long trail. Plenty of viewers come away wanting to test their gear properly before a trip.

A Walk in the Woods (2015)

Robert Redford and Nick Nolte play two old friends attempting the Appalachian Trail in this gentle comedy, based on Bill Bryson's book of the same name. It is the best-known feature film about the trail and a good pick for anyone curious about shelters, trail towns and taking on a big hike later in life. Expect bickering, steep climbs and plenty of dry humour.

The Way (2010)

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, the film follows a father, played by Martin Sheen, who travels to Europe after his son dies at the start of the Camino de Santiago and decides to walk the route himself. Along the way he falls in with fellow pilgrims. It paints a warm, unhurried picture of pilgrim life, from village churches to crowded albergues.

Tracks (2013)

Mia Wasikowska plays Robyn Davidson, who in the 1970s set out to cross a vast stretch of the Australian outback on foot with camels and her dog. Adam Driver plays the photographer who meets her at points along the route. It is a quiet, sun-baked film about self-reliance, water planning and the wish to be left alone.

Survival stories and cautionary tales

127 Hours (2010)

Danny Boyle's film, with James Franco as Aron Ralston, tells the true story of a canyoneer trapped by a boulder in a remote Utah slot canyon. Some scenes are hard to watch. Its most practical lesson is simple: always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back, a habit covered in the guide to planning a hiking trip.

Into the Wild (2007)

Sean Penn directed this adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book about Christopher McCandless, a young graduate who gave away his savings and drifted across the US before heading into the Alaskan wilderness. Emile Hirsch plays McCandless. The film still prompts debate about freedom, preparation and the line between adventure and risk.

Touching the Void (2003)

Part documentary, part reconstruction, Kevin Macdonald's film tells the story of climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates on Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. It is a mountaineering story rather than a hiking one, but it makes gripping viewing for anyone drawn to high places.

A documentary for big-terrain dreamers

Free Solo (2018) follows Alex Honnold's attempt to climb El Capitan in Yosemite without ropes, and it won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. It is about climbing rather than walking, yet the Yosemite landscapes and the film's focus on preparation and risk will resonate with anyone planning trips into serious terrain.

Lighter camping movies

Not every film night needs a life lesson. For camping movies with more laughs:

• The Great Outdoors (1988): John Candy and Dan Aykroyd share a lakeside holiday that goes wrong in nearly every possible way.
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012): Wes Anderson's tale of two young runaways and the scout troop searching for them on a New England island.
• RV (2006): Robin Williams leads a chaotic family road trip in a rented motorhome.
• Up (2009): Pixar's animated adventure, featuring a young Wilderness Explorer determined to earn his final badge.

Movies like Wild

If Wild is the film that hooked you, Tracks and The Way come closest in tone: a lone walker, a long route and an inner story running alongside the outer one. A Walk in the Woods is the lighter companion piece, while Into the Wild takes the same longing for open country somewhere darker.

Quick guide

From the sofa to the trail

Films compress and romanticise; real trails take weeks of steady walking and careful planning. If one of these stories has you dreaming of a long route, start with the explainer on what a thru-hike involves, and save a few campfire games for the evenings in between.