You packed your snacks and your sense of wanderlust. Now you need some hiking movies that feels like fresh air in your living room. This guide to hiking movies is friendly, hand picked, and sorted by mood. You will find trail documentaries, true story dramas, feel good comedies, and a few mountain films that stoke the same spirit even if they involve more scrambling than strolling.
Quick tip: availability changes often, so search your favorite streaming app by title. Pair your pick with a cozy blanket and something chocolate. That is the move.
Feel good and inspiring hiking movies
Wild
Rebuilding a life on the Pacific Crest Trail. Big landscapes. Bigger emotions. It captures the messy parts of starting over and the steady medicine of miles.
The Way
A grieving father walks the Camino de Santiago and finds community one albergue at a time. Gentle pace. Lovely towns. Heart forward.
Tracks
Solo trek across the Australian desert with a dog and four camels. Quiet grit. Expansive horizons. The kind of film that leaves you breathing slower.
Edie
An older woman sets out to climb a Scottish peak after a lifetime of putting herself last. Soft spoken and deeply motivating. Proof that adventure has no age limit.
Mile… Mile and a Half
A creative crew hikes the John Muir Trail and turns blisters into art. Joyful energy. Great for a group watch when you want smiles and Sierra scenery.
Thru-hike documentaries for trail nerds
Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago
Six people. One route. A thousand tiny reasons for walking. A loving look at the Camino’s culture and daily rhythm.
Tell It On The Mountain
Life on the Pacific Crest Trail from border to border. Real dirt, real laughter, and the real grind of a long walk.
The Long Start To The Journey
A filmmaker learns the Appalachian Trail the slow and honest way. Nostalgic and intimate. You will want to start a gear list before the credits roll.
Southbounders
An indie narrative set on the AT. Less glossy, more human. Perfect when you want a story that feels like a journal come to life.
Survival and wilderness thrillers
127 Hours
A solo canyoneering misadventure that becomes a study in willpower. Not a hike in the park, but the desert landscapes and internal monologue stick with you.
Backcountry
A couple gets off route in bear country. Tense and cautionary. Watch with the lights on and your navigation skills in mind.
Artic or The Revenant
Not hiking-specific, yet they speak to endurance, route finding, and how small we are under a large sky. Great for snowy nights.
Leave No Trace
A quiet father and daughter story that asks what home means when you live under the trees. Less survival, more heart and ethics.
Funny or family friendly picks
A Walk In The Woods
Two old friends attempt the Appalachian Trail and get humbled by terrain and time. Light, buddy-comedy vibes with real trail truths.
Hunt For The Wilderpeople
New Zealand bush adventures with a rebellious kid and a reluctant guardian. Quirky. Sweet. Full of mossy, green frames that soothe the soul.
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
A daydreamer finally takes real steps into the world. More travel than hiking, yet it nails the feeling of choosing courage and going outside.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
A warm river-and-trail odyssey about friendship and chosen family. Not a hiking film per se, but it carries the same open-road heart.
Mountain films that hikers love
Sometimes you want big walls and bigger feelings. The spirit overlaps even if the footwear is different.
Free Solo
A portrait of focus and fear management that will make your palms sweat. Also a love letter to the granite of Yosemite.
The Dawn Wall
Persistence, problem solving, and friendship on a route that looks impossible until it is not. You will never look at a small ledge the same way again.
Meru
Three climbers try a Himalayan objective that has turned away many. The backstory and the mountain both loom large.
The Alpinist
Quiet, poetic, and electric. A peek into a life driven by purity of movement in wild places.
Touching The Void
Survival against odds on a Peruvian giant. Tense reenactments, stark storytelling, and the kind of resilience that makes you sit very still.
Mountain
A meditative visual essay with sweeping cinematography and reflective narration. Put it on when you want to stare at the world’s spines and breathe.
International long walk energy
Into The Wild
A polarizing choice, yet the lure of wandering and the beauty of Alaska are undeniable. Watch thoughtfully. Then call a friend for dinner.
The Camino Voyage
A handmade boat and a long coastal journey with music and friendship. Different path, same pilgrim spirit.
A Walk To Beautiful or Sherpa
Not hikes, yet they show how mountains shape communities in profound ways. Good reminders of whose homelands our adventures pass through.
What to watch based on your mood
You need courage to start something new
Wild. Tracks. The Way. Edie.
You want trail culture and gear talk
Mile… Mile and a Half. Tell It On The Mountain. Walking the Camino.
You need a laugh with your landscapes
A Walk In The Woods. Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Walter Mitty.
You want edge and intensity
127 Hours. Touching The Void. The Alpinist. The Dawn Wall.
You are planning a long walk
Southbounders. The Long Start To The Journey. Walking the Camino.
Make it a cozy movie night
Set the scene like a trailhead with better cushions.
- Pile blankets and dim the lights
- Make a snack mix with salted nuts, dried cherries, and dark chocolate
- Keep a notebook nearby for routes or quotes you want to remember
- Add a simple stretch break halfway through if your film runs long
Fuel for real life hikes pairs well with movie night planning. If your watch party turns into a weekend plan, train smart here: How to train for hiking. For comfort on your first prep hike, dial in your feet with How to choose hiking socks and bring confidence on steeper trails with Using trekking poles.
People also ask – quick answers
Are there uplifting hiking movies for a group night
Yes. Try Mile… Mile and a Half, The Way, Tracks, or Hunt For The Wilderpeople. They are easy to enjoy and spark good conversation.
What is the most realistic thru-hike film
For documentary accuracy, start with Walking the Camino, Tell It On The Mountain, and The Long Start To The Journey. For a narrative that captures the spirit, Wild is a strong pick.
What should I watch before hiking the Camino de Santiago
The Way for story and soul. Walking the Camino for logistics and daily rhythm. Watch both and you will be ready to shop for a scallop shell.
I like climbing films. Which one feels most human
The Dawn Wall balances big objective with friendship and process. The Alpinist is intimate and thoughtful.
Are there kid friendly options
Hunt For The Wilderpeople is great for older kids who enjoy quirky humor. For younger audiences, curate a nature documentary episode or pick gentle scenes from Mountain.
Wrap up
Pick a movie that matches your mood and your week. Something brave when you need a nudge. Something gentle when you need calm. Take notes. Save a few titles for later. Then let the credits roll you toward your next real trail, even if it is a short loop at the local park. If your film night sends you shopping for gear, start with comfort basics and take a look at socks and poles in the guides above. Your couch adventure might just become a Saturday plan.