If you’re looking for a book to accompany you on your outdoor adventures into the wilderness this summer, here’s some of the best in fiction and non-fiction adventure reading that’s about people surviving and conquering the wilderness and the great outdoors.
This list of the Best Outdoor Adventure & Wilderness Survival Books is divided up into fiction and non-fiction books.
I think the first book I ever discovered in this genre was John Krakauer’s Into the Wild. My childhood best friend, Iris, was assigned to read the book for school or something. I picked it up off her desk to see what it was about, was totally captivated by the story and ended up reading the whole thing. Fun fact: the graduation scene from the movie version of it was filmed at my college graduation ceremony!
Anyway, hopefully something on this list will inspire and enthrall you. Just remember to stay safe out there, and happy reading!
Have you read any of these titles, or is there something you were expecting to see here that’s missing? Feel free to drop a comment below!
Fiction Outdoor Adventure Books
What It's About: See the Full Summary and Review of The River Publication Date: March 5, 2019
What It's About: Publication Date: September 14, 1998
What It's About: Migrations is about a woman who goes to the ends of the earth in search of herself and to track what just might be the last migration of Arctic terns, birds that travel from pole to pole every year.
It’s also about love, adventure, climate change, and what happens when a person simultaneously runs away from her past and runs straight towards it. Migrations gets richer with every scene as you learn more about Franny Stone—why she boards a boat full of fishermen, why birds call to her, how she fell in love with her husband, and how death stalks her at every turn.
From Antarctica to a prison in Ireland, Australia to Galway, Franny traverses the world and with every turn of the page, you learn more about why she’s always on the move. The novel’s pacing is phenomenal—and the candor, veracity, and clarity with which it’s written make it feel like a memoir.
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
What It's About: The uplifting true tale of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey of salvation across the windswept South West coastline.
With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky.
Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey. The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Non-Fiction Outdoor Adventure Books
What It's About: Publication Date: March 16, 2020
What It's About: Publication Date: May 1, 2001
