Looking for the best books about the outdoors? There are so many incredible tales of outdoor adventures and stories featuring the beauty of nature. So if you’re wanting to tag along on an epic outdoor adventure through reading, or looking for books that feature enjoyment of nature, then these are the ones to pick up!
1. The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko
When you’re looking for the best outdoor adventure books, The Emerald Mile should definitely be on your list. This book tells the story of the fastest boat ride down the entire length of the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon—an astonishing 36 hours, 38 minutes, and 29 seconds!
In order to fully understand the tale of Kenton Grua and how his legendary speed run came to be, The Emerald Mile offers a history of the Colorado River through the years. It also introduces you to all the key players who influenced life along the Colorado river, from the dam engineers to the people who fought to preserve the gems of the natural world. Additionally, you’ll learn how Grua came to be passionate about the river and will learn about his life as a river guide in the iconic fleet of dories on the Grand Canyon.
As you learn about all the factors that contributed to making such an astonishing speed run possible (including the huge flood of 1983), you’ll quickly be captivated by this record-breaking outdoor adventure. This is definitely one of the best outdoor books to pick up and enjoy!
2. The Wilderness Essays by John Muir
If you’re looking for classic outdoor books to read, then you definitely need to pick up some of legendary John Muir’s writings! His wilderness books describe his exploration of some of the most beautiful terrain in the US, and you can find a good selection of his writing in The Wilderness Essays.
This collection of several of John Muir’s best essays includes everything from The Yosemite to Travels in Alaska. As such a pivotal figure in the advocacy for preservation of the wilderness in the US, it is fascinating to read Muir’s thoughts about the places he visited in his own words. You’ll find that these essays are more observations of nature and not so much mountain adventure books (except that he’s frequently describing mountains and various natural features)…but it’s worth a read if you are interested in learning more about the man who helped preserve natural wonders like Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park!
3. Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
Another option of cool adventure books you’ll enjoy reading is Kon-Tiki, the exciting tale of six men attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean on a balsa-wood raft!
How did such an extraordinary (and insane) adventure come to be? Well, the author (Thor Heyerdahl) was intrigued by Polynesian folklore and the tales of the mythical hero Kon-Tiki…who Heyerdahl soon came to believe was originally from South America and crossed the ocean to settle the South Sea Islands. Experts in his day did not believe this could be true, because the people in South America at the time only had rafts that they said would not have been sufficient to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Setting out to prove them wrong, Heyerdahl crafted a replica balsa-wood raft and launched a journey of 4,300 nautical miles to prove that the journey was possible and could have been made by the Polynesians over 1000 years ago. Thus starts an exciting and nerve-wracking sea adventure, filled with incredible tales of unusual sea life, encounters with sharks, and more.
When first published in 1948, this was one of the best selling adventure books. It sold out in 15 days, and in less than 15 years it had been translated into at least 55 languages! As it was published in the 1940s, it is very much a product of its time in its theories and sometimes problematic views…but it is still worth reading for the actual crazy outdoor adventure portion of the book, which is the main focus of the story. And you can be sure it’s one of the best books for outdoor enthusiasts who would love the opportunity to test out their own crazy theories, just like Heyerdahl and his companions did when they set sail on this unusual voyage!
4. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
If you’re looking for the best outdoor fiction books, The Call of The Wild is one book you won’t want to overlook. This classic adventure tale is one of the best wilderness adventure books out there!
This short adventure novel is set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, and revolves around a dog named Buck. While the tale itself is fictional, the book is deeply rooted in fact and in the firsthand experiences of Jack London during his time in the far north. Featuring themes of brutality, kindness, love, folly, and the struggle for existence, this book will pull you into the spirit of the Gold Rush days at the turn of the century!
5. Selected Poems by William Wordsworth
While there are lots of good outdoor books to enjoy, if you are interested in the outdoors and nature then you will also want to consider reading some of the best poetry about nature. And William Wordsworth’s Selected Poems is one of the best places to start!
As a major poet of Romanticism, Wordsworth is a shining example of the spirit of his age through his celebration of the natural world. His discovery and articulation of nature, as well as his observation of life around him, led to beautiful poems that still connect modern-day readers to the outdoor world! Whether reading poems like Daffodils (aka “I wandered lonely as a cloud”) or poems like Lines Written in Early Spring, or any number of other poems, Wordsworth’s works contain beautiful thoughts on nature and are perfect for reading in the great outdoors.
And if you’re looking for even more beautiful books with nature adventures, you’ll also want to consider reading Dorothy Wordsworth’s journals;(which Wordsworth referenced and possibly plagiarized in writing his poetry). She shares moments of their daily life, including their now-iconic discovery of daffodils in spring!