Hiking and trekking can be daunting to say the least. You look at the path ahead of you and wonder if you’ll ever make it. Something I always remind myself is that you just need to take one more step, and if you tell yourself that enough times, you’ll arrive whereever you’re going! But, when I’m really struggling, I like to know a few good hiking quotes to keep me moving. Some of these hiking quotes are motivational. Some are thought provoking. And some are just plain funny because who couldn’t use a laugh after walking for hours. Check out my favorite hiking quotes below…
“A flat trail never made a skilled hiker.” – Unknown
“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 (Brazilian Author)
“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” – Mary Davis (Irish Social Entrepreneur)
“After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value.” – G.M. Trevelyan (British Historian)
“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling.” – Unknown
“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time spent working in the office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddam mountain.” – Jack Kerouac (American Novelist)
“Carry as little as possible, but choose that little with care.” – Earl Shaffer (American Outdoorsman)
“Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world.” – David McCullough (American Author)
“Do not look to the ground for your next step; greatness lies with those who look to the horizon” – Norwegian Proverb
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing” – Barry Finlay (Author)
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while climbing it.” – Andy Rooney (American radio and television writer)
“Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” – William Blake (English Poet)
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.” – Demetri Martin (American Comedian)
“I am at home among the trees.” J.R.R. Tolkien (English Writer)
“I love places that make you realize how tiny you and your problems are.” – Unknown
“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” – Henry David Thoreau (American Poet)
“I was amazed that what I needed to survive could be carried on my back. And, most surprising of all, that I could carry it.” – Cheryl Strayed (American Author)
“I’d rather be hiking in the rain than sitting inside at a desk on a sunny day.” – Unknown
“I’m not lost, I’m exploring.” – Jana Stanfield (Musical Artist)
“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” – Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand Mountaineer)
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” – Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)
“Keep going, because you did not come this far just to come this far.” – Unknown
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir (Scottish-American Mountaineer)
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius (Chinese Philosopher)
“Live your life by a compass not by a clock.” – Stephen Covey (American Educator)
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein (German Theoretical Physicist)
“May your time in nature lead you to yourself.” – Shikoba
“Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence.” – Hermann Buhl (Austrian Mountaineer)
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” – Gary Snyder (American Poet)
“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 (American Comedian)
“Nothing adventured. Nothing attained.” – Peter McWilliams (American Author)
“Nothing against walk-in closets, but I’d rather walk in the woods.” – Shad Harrington (Author)
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – John Muir (Scottish-American Mountaineer)
“Only one who wanders finds a new path.” – Norwegian Proverb
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot (American-British Poet)
“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 (Author)
“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” – Greg Child (Australian Author)
“The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Unknown
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu (Chinese Philosopher)
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir (Scottish-American Mountaineer)
“The summit is what drives us, but the climb itself is what matters.” – Conrad Anker (American Rock Climber)
“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.” – Louis L’Amour (American Novelist)
“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.” – Nancy Newhall (American Writer)
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills (American Singer)
“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss (American Author)
“Trekking is not a date; it’s an endurance test. If you can survive trekking with someone, you should marry them on the way home.” – Unknown
“What a glorious greeting the sun gives the mountains.” – John Muir (Scottish-American Mountaineer)
“When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.” – Banksy (Street Artist)
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” – Edward Abbey (American Author)
“You need special shoes for hiking… and a bit of a special soul as well.” – Unknown
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Michelle Della Giovanna
Writer at Full Time Explorer
I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.
beautiful quotes xo
Thank you!