Looking for the best outdoor adventure books? I hope this post helps!
You can’t beat a good old-fashioned adventure story, right?
I mean, from epic journeys to insane survival stories, reading the best books about adventure is the next best thing to having one of your own!
They’re captivating, inspirational, and usually packed full of life lessons to boot.
Love this genre as much as I do?
Looking for some awesome adventurous books to sink your teeth into?
Well, I want to help!
Keep reading for 30 of the best outdoor adventure books that I’ve either read already or sit firmly on my reading list.
Heads up, this post contains affiliate links.
Here we go: 30 of the best outdoor books available today!
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30 of the Best Outdoor Adventure Books to Read
Let’s get into it, then!
Here are 30 books about adventure that anyone with a thirst for exploration, nature, travel, and stepping beyond the norm is sure to love.
1. Touching the Void – Joe Simpson
One of my favourite outdoor adventure books of all time, Touching the Void recounts Simpson’s ill-fated (and near-fatal) descent of a monstrous 6344m mountain in the Peruvian Andes back in 1985.
A tale so epic it’d later get made into a documentary film, it’s one of those true stories of survival that’s so incredible it defies belief.
Think: worst-case scenario at the top of a mountain, followed by insane bad luck, an awful ethical dilemma, and determination (bordering on madness) to overcome the odds and come out alive.
2. The Beckoning Silence – Joe Simpson
14 years after he wrote Touching the Void, Joe Simpson presented the world with another compelling book about his adventures in the mountains.
More of a personal reflection than a particular tale this time, he writes candidly about his changing relationship with mountaineering and considers why people climb in the first place in spite of such obvious danger.
Really well-written and thought-provoking, I’d recommend it to anyone (whether you spend time in the mountains or not!).
3. Tracks – Robyn Davidson
Having just watched “Tracks” the movie, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the award-winning book! Another epic outdoor adventure, this is Davidson’s personal account of her 1700-mile trek through the arid Australian outback in 1977.
With only 3 camels and her trusty dog, Diggity, for company, she experiences as many ups and downs along the way as you’d expect her to! Ultimately, though, this is a poetic tale of self-discovery through adventure.
I think it’d appeal to anyone who feels similarly pulled to go on a big solo journey.
4. Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
I loved Into the Wild when I read it a few years ago. If the title sounds familiar, then it’s probably because you’ve watched the 1996 Sean Penn film of the same name, which was based on Jon Krakauer’s classic book!
Anyway, it follows the true story of Christopher McCandless (AKA Alexander Supertramp), a young, talented, wildly intellectual guy who becomes disillusioned with society and decides to head off, unannounced, into the wild.
Everything from the tale itself to how Krakauer tells it is genuinely awesome, so I highly highly recommend you give it a read!
5. Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer (Amazing Book for Adventurers)
Another outdoor adventure book by Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air is his personal account of a fatal accident that occurred in 1996 on Mount Everest.
I’m yet to read this one, but it’s most definitely on my list of things to do!
By all accounts, it’s another superb book.
Well-written and captivating from the get-go, you’ll be transported to the scene of the incident as well as into Krakauer’s own mind as he battles to reconcile his role in the cataclysmic events of the day.
Looking for the best outdoor books of fiction? They don’t get much better than The Beach.
6. The Beach – Alex Garland (One of the Best Adventure Novels!)
I thought I’d take a brief step back from non-fiction adventurous books to include Alex Garland’s 1996 novel: The Beach.
Something of a must-read for any dreamer, backpacker, or adventure enthusiast, this classic story’s about a young traveller in the wild-west of 90’s Thailand who, hungry for adventure, follows a hand-drawn map to a secluded beach.
Of course, this book was also turned into the famous Leonardo DiCaprio movie of the same name! If you ask me, though, the film doesn’t quite do justice to Garland’s amazing work of fiction.
7. Wild – Cheryl Strayed (One of the Best Outdoor Books Ever!)
I could go on about Wild forever and a day. It’s awesome.
Sad…but awesome.
You may have seen the 2014 film (starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed) already, but the book is still 100% worth reading.
If you haven’t come across it before, then you’re in for a treat. Wild (subtitled, From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail) is Strayed’s personal account of her time hiking from Mexico to Canada along the PCT.
Far more than just a hiking book, though, it’s a tale of heartbreak, healing, and the redemptive power of both nature and adversity.
8. Between a Rock and a Hard Place – Aron Ralston
Have you seen the Danny Boyle movie, 127 Hours?
Well, Between a Rock and a Hard Place is the unbelievable true story on which it’s based. Yet another crazy tale of survival, Ralston details the event that almost killed him (and that cost him his right hand).
Written in 2004, it has to be one of the best outdoor adventure books of the noughties! You’ll learn about Ralston’s background, the incident that changed his life, and the harrowing process of how he lived to tell the tale.
Ultimately, it’s a story that’ll leave you with a single question:
“Could I have done that?”
9. Full Tilt – Dervla Murphy
Subtitled “Ireland to India with a Bicycle”, you can probably guess what this adventure book’s about from the cover alone! However, if the rave reviews are anything to go by, you’ll still definitely want to read it from front to back.
Using her daily diary entries for reference, Murphy retraces her incredible solo bike ride from, you guessed it, Ireland to India.
An unbelievable journey through the harshest of terrains, navigating myriad challenges of every kind along the way, you’ll follow her 1963 trip through the most beautiful and remote parts of the world.
10. To Shake the Sleeping Self – Jedediah Jenkins (Top Book on Adventure Travel)
I first came across Jedidiah Jenkins on the Rich Roll Podcast and instantly liked him! He seems like an honest, genuine, and articulate dude.
So, I decided to buy his first book, “To Shake the Sleeping Self”.
A cool title and even cooler story, it follows his long and intrepid 10,000-mile cycle ride from Oregon to Patagonia. Thoughtful and reflective, the trip itself forms more of a backdrop to a general exploration of his own identity.
Moreover, in the process of reading about Jenkins’ own soul-searching, you can’t help but hold a mirror up to yourself too.
Up next: Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson. This is another of those unmissable books about adventure that was also a best seller!
11. Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson
A nonfiction book that remained a New York Times bestseller for 4 whole years, Three Cups of Tea is definitely one to put on your reading list.
Here’s a very quick rundown of events:
Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer with no fixed abode (AKA homeless), sets out to climb K2, witnesses the state of poverty in the mountain villages through which he passes, and pledges to build a school. Over the next 10 years that one school turns into a whopping 55.
Expect an uplifting and inspiring story of both philanthropy and adventure.
12. The Way Home – Mark Boyle
Not all outdoor adventure books have to involve exotic destinations and death-defying acts of derring-do. Case and point?
The Way Home, by Mark Boyle (AKA “The Moneyless Man”)
Like all good adventure stories, it involves questioning the status quo, doing something different, and going through a process of self-discovery. However, the style of adventure’s very different.
Boyle sets out to live without modern technology.
On his smallholding in rural Ireland, he ditches his phone, the internet, electricity, and every single creature comfort we take for granted. He gets back to basics instead, living off the land, fishing for his dinner, and becoming part of a supportive community.
It’s a unique and fascinating read, penned by hand (and typed up for publishing) and begging all sorts of existential questions throughout its pages.
13. Walking the Nile – Levison Wood
Walking the Nile is another book about adventure that I haven’t read, yet, having researched the story, cannot wait to dive into it!
Basically, Levison Wood sets out to do something nobody has ever done before:
Walk the entire length of the Nile.
Passing alone and unsupported through 7 countries, Levison has to fend for himself as he makes this epic 4,250-mile journey. An inspiring read, the book reveals everything he experienced (good, bad, and ugly) in order to reach his goal.
14. The Last Season – Eric Blehm
“Randy Morgenson was legendary for finding people missing in the High Sierra…Then one day he went missing himself.”
Kudos to Blehm for writing those two lines on the front cover! They couldn’t have done a better job of making you want to flip the page and start reading this widely acclaimed piece of adventure literature.
In it, you’ll learn all about Randy Morgenson, a backcountry ranger, and his mysterious disappearance in the Sierra Nevada.
15. Found: A life In Mountain Rescue – Bree Loewen
If you want to gain a profound insight into the highs and lows of mountain rescue, then this book by Bree Loewen sounds perfect.
As a leader of Seattle Mountain Rescue, Loewen’s an ideal guide through this world few people ever get to know.
Expect a candid and captivating commentary on the dangers involved, the regular confrontation with death, and what it’s like to risk your life to save others amongst the beauty of the mountains.
Alone Against the North is one of the best adventure books to come out of Canada.
16. Alone Against the North – Adam Shoalts
Ready for another inspiring outdoor adventure story?
Read Alone Against the North, by “Canada’s real-life Indiana Jones”, Adam Shoalts.
This guy sounds like the real deal as far as explorers go. Undeterred by seemingly impassable swathes of hitherto uncharted Canadian wilderness, he sets off to explore a remote river for the first time in recorded history.
A motivating tale for anyone who feels like the age of exploration is well behind us, Alone Against the North will make you realize just how much left there is to discover.
17. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage – Alfred Lansing
Epic tales of adventure (and survival) don’t get much better than Shackleton’s ill-fated attempt to cross the Antarctic overland in 1915.
You might be familiar with the basics already:
On their way to the proverbial “start line”, Shackleton’s ship (the aptly named Endurance) gets trapped in ice. With no way out, the crew’s stuck. They drift for months as castaways, at the mercy of unrelenting elements, with supplies steadily depleting…
Alfred Lansang’s infamous book, Endurance, which is based on first-hand accounts from the surviving crew members, describes the ordeal from start to finish.
18. Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home – Heather Anderson
Anybody who loves thru-hiking (or the thought of doing one) and the idea of shirking the norm in favour of adventure, should love this memoir from Heather Anderson.
A serial hiker, she’d traversed the Triple Crowd of American thru-hikes (the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail) by age 25.
Fast forward a few years and, at a challenging juncture in life, Anderson decides to venture back onto the trail. This book is about those adventures and the many life lessons she learned on the way.
19. Alone On the Wall – Alex Honnold
I’ve been an Alex Honnold fan for years now, and his epic documentary “Free Solo” only solidified my huge respect for him!
So, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read his book: Alone on the Wall.
Another I’ll be adding to the ever-expanding list, this one’s meant to be an honest and genuine account of Honnold and his most impressive climbing achievements to date.
Read it for an insight into the mindset of elite climbers as they pit themselves against some of the gnarliest rocks in the world.
Want to learn even more about climbing? Check out these climbing documentaries.
20. Braving It – James Campbell
The last of three epic trips to Alaska, man (James Campbell) and daughter (Aidan) brave this remote wilderness in a mammoth journey of family and discovery.
Described as a “profound meditation on what it means for a child to grow up- and a parent to finally, fully let go”, Braving It seems to be an outdoor adventure book that’s as much about family relationships as it is survival, or overcoming adversity.
And with rave reviews across the net, it seems well worth reading too.
Finding the best books about adventure isn’t always easy. I hope this list simplifies the process for you!
21. Lady Long Rider – Bernice Ende
The subtitle of this book about outdoor adventure reads:
“Alone Across American on Horseback”.
So, once again, you can probably guess the basic story behind Bernice Ende’s widely-acclaimed memoir! Aged 51, she decided to travel the 2,000 miles from Montana to New Mexico on her horse.
That first journey led to more, and more, and more, to a point where she’s now logged over 29,000 miles crossing the country on horseback.
This book details her adventures.
22. Walden – Henry David Thoreau
Henry Thoreau’s classic book, Walden, might not be everybody’s idea of an adventure book.
But it ticks many of the right boxes for me!
Published way back in 1854, in it he details his 2-years of living alone in a self-built cabin at Walden Pond.
Think of it as minimalism before minimalism became a movement. Ditching the excesses of society in favour of simplicity and self-sufficiency, Thoreau comments on nature, what we really need as people, and the many perks of simplifying our lives.
23. She Explores – Gale Straub
Here’s another outdoor adventure book that I a) haven’t read and b) definitely should have! She Explores is recommended left, right, and centre when you start researching this form of literature.
A compilation of inspiring stories, Gale Straub has woven together the tales of 40 intrepid women who are out there, doing their thing, having amazing outdoor adventures on their own terms.
With top-notch photography and practical travel/outdoor tips thrown in for good measure, this book will motivate and empower anyone (especially women) to pack a bag and head on out into the wild.
24. A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson
A classic adventure story that was turned into a film (and features on my list of the best trail movies!), A Walk in the Woods is Bill Bryson’s light-hearted account of his time walking the 2,200-mile long Appalachian Trail in 1996.
He might not have finished the trek, but he did manage to write this funny and best-selling tale about the experience! Expect a humorous commentary on the unglamorous realities of thru-hiking.
25. One Man’s Wilderness – Sam Keith
In 1968, a 51-year-old man called Richard Proenneke went alone into the Alaskan wilderness to build himself a cabin and live off the land.
He stayed there for over 30 years!
In One Man’s Wilderness, Sam Keith uses Proenneke’s journals and photographs to weave together this award-winning account of the experience.
Of all the adventurous books in this post, Kon-Tiki is the only one to made into an Academy-Award-winning documentary.
26. Kon-Tiki – Thor Heyerdahl
In 1947, a Norwegian writer and explorer called Thor Heyerdahl set out to prove that the first settlers of the Polynesian Islands could have come from pre-Columbian South America.
Building a simple raft (named “Kon-Tiki”) using materials and technologies available in those times, Heyerdahl and 5 others then sailed it 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean…before crashing on a reef.
They survived.
And the epic book Heyerdahl wrote about the endeavour (which went on to become an Academy-Ward-winning documentary of the same name) became a best-seller.
27. The Wolf – Nate Blakeslee
Stellar reviews earn The Wolf its place on this list of the best outdoor adventure books. However, it’s definitely a different kind of story…
Written by Nate Blakeslee, it details the life and struggles of O-Six, a real-life Yellowstone wolf and an alpha-female who’s become something of a celebrity in that beautiful part of the world.
The book follows O-Six as she raises her pups, leads her pack, and confronts endless existential challenges from all sides.
28. Shadow Divers – Robert Kurson
A true story of two elite deep wreck divers who stumble upon a sunken German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey.
With no obvious signs as to why it sunk and consensus among experts that no submarine should be there in the first place, these two guys recruit a crack team of fellow divers to help them solve the mystery.
What follows is a long, arduous, and fateful adventure, complete with all sorts of tragic ramifications, described by Kurson in vivid and compelling detail.
29. The Perfect Storm – Sebastian Junger
From what I can gather online, no list of outdoor adventure books would be complete without Sebastian Junger’s best-seller, “The Perfect Storm”.
Described as a “creative non-fiction”, it’s based on the true story of an unprecedented, once-in-a-century storm and a fishing boat, called the Andrea Gail, whose crew was caught in the middle of it.
Stark, visceral, and gripping from the outset, Junger wrote something for the ages that’s as much a thriller as a book on adventure.
30. The Emerald Mile – Kevin Fedarko
Looking for more adventure books full of boats, storms, and the exploits of those brave souls caught up in it all? The Emerald Mile could be the one for you.
In short, it tells the tale of a crazy trio of river guides who, during one of the biggest storms ever recorded, chose to ignore the danger, defy the official rules, and take their hand-built dory (called the “Emerald Mile”) on “The Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon”.
Time to Read the Best Adventure Books!
There aren’t many books that capture my attention as readily as those about adventure.
I just love reading about impressive people who, through conscious choice or complete accident, have battled the odds and/or done remarkable things in the most beautiful, wild, and remote corners of the world!
Their stories enthral and inspire me in equal measure.
So, as you can imagine, it was a total pleasure to research and write this list of the best outdoor adventure books! Not only did I get to relive many of the stories I’ve read before, but I also discovered plenty of new titles to read at a later date.
With any luck, you guys will have found it useful too!
Keep these adventurous books in mind whenever you’re next looking for something to read and there should be something that does the job.
Got any questions on this topic? How about more ideas for this list of the best adventure books? Drop a comment below to let me know!