One of the best things about hiking movies has to be their quality of transporting the viewers into the places they see. Immersive, gripping, and exhilarating are just a few of the words used to describe adventure movies. Where you gasp with the protagonist, feel the rush of the wind when the leaves rustle, and hold your breath during those tense moments.
Embark on a cinematic journey through the rugged terrains and breathtaking landscapes as we explore the thrilling world of hiking movies. From epic adventures to soul-stirring tales, our blog is your guide to the best films that capture the essence of the great outdoors.
Discover stories of resilience, self-discovery, and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature. As a bonus, we also have a few honorable mentions for you to check out!
Hiker’s Must-Watch Hiking Movies
Table of Contents
1. Backcountry
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy
- IMDb Rating: 7.3
When you look at the plot of the movie, it seems tragic. But taken across beautifully, The Way is loose based on the Jack Hitt book, ‘Off The Road: A Modern Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route Into Spain.’
A heartwarming and simultaneously heartbreaking story of a father who sets out on a journey to collect the remains of his son, who had died during a pilgrimage, the story delivers what the title promises. With new friends and a new take on life, it follows one man through his sadness and the vast empty spaces that the world has.
2. Infinite Storm
- Genre: Adventure, Thriller
- IMDb Rating: 5.2
Based on a true story, the Infinite Storm is worth a watch. Although the movie received mixed reviews, what is undeniable is the excellent acting that Naomi Watts brings to the screen.
The story of an experienced climber who ascends Mount Washington, it tracks her journey back as she finds the blizzard chasing her fast. She stumbles upon a stranded guy along the descent, turning their journey into a heart-pounding race against time. Can they beat the elements and make it down before nightfall? Prepare for a gripping, talk-about-it-over-coffee thriller about humanity, resilience, and beating the odds.
3. North Face
- Genre: Adventure, Sports
- IMDb Rating: 7.4
When movies come with the stamp of being adapted from a true story, they become all the more significant, don’t they? Based on the famous attempt to climb the Eiger North Face in 1936, it follows two German climbers competing to climb this tricky terrain in the Alps.
Resigned from the army, Toni and his friend Andi sign up for a Nazi-organized mountaineering competition. Beginning their ascent to conquer the peak of the Eiger through the north face, this movie has been argued as a brilliant metaphor for Germanic anti-Semitism.
4. Edie
- Genre: Adventure, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 6.6
What sold this movie to us was a review stating, “Edie is a delightful little film for the dreamer in all of us, at whatever age.” With a sentence like that, it is hard not to love this movie.
The plot follows Edie, who is in her eighties and feels like her life is falling apart. We’re with Edie on that one. After the death of her husband, Edie embarks on a solo climb in the Scottish Highlands, trying to make meaning out of her life. A story for ages, it is as inspiring as it is heartwarming, not to mention the lush cinematography that it carries.
5. Southbounders
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Survival
- IMDb Rating: 6.8
Directed by Ben Wagner, Southbounders, released in 2005, explores the life on the Appalachian trail. The movie follows a young woman’s attempt at a “thru-hike” of this trail, spanning a stunning 2170-mile footpath.
Wandering the length of the Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Georgia, the film is shot over the course of a magical summer.
6. Everest
- Genre: Adventure, Thriller
- IMDb Rating: 7.1
Any movie detailing the hike with the tallest peak in the world is one that you need to add to your must-watch list. With a star-studded cast, this movie is a biographical survival adventure film.
Following two groups, one led by Rob Hall and the other by Scott Fischer, this movie goes through them as they encounter several challenges as they climb up Everest. With threatening weather conditions and a stunning dramatization of the ill-fated 1996 Mount Everest expeditions led by Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, this movie does its story justice.
7. The Wishing Tree
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Self-discovery
- IMDb Rating: 4.8
The story of one woman’s quest for perspective, peace, answers, and, ultimately, a way to heal from personal tragedy. And for Julia, that meant a hiking expedition. This journey of hers becomes one of self-discovery and transformation.
Running into Caleb and Ryan on her determined journey, this story embodies that hope can be discovered in the most unlikely people and places, and the place in question here is the stunning backdrop of the Northern Ontario hiking trails.
8. Wildlike
- Genre: Adventure, Thriller
- IMDb Rating: 6.6
Giving life to the saying that you never know any person’s story, this movie isn’t just a story about hiking, it is one about sadness, anger, hope, and new beginnings.
This is the story of a 14-year-old girl on the run from her new house. She is a victim of abuse and finds herself in a deep forest in Alaska. The story expands on her befriending an older man preparing for a hike through the Alaskan wilderness who helps her find a new life.
9. Happiness for Beginners
- Genre: Romance, Comedy, Adventure
- IMDb Rating: 6.1
A movie as quirky and intriguing as its title, this is the heartwarming story of 32-year-old Helen Carpenter. A year after her divorce, she lets her brother sign her up for a wilderness survival course.
A refreshing take on adventure movies, it follows a bunch of people coming together on a hike, escaping something in their lives or trying to rediscover themselves! It makes you smile and makes you go into the wild and explore nature and discover that you have to get lost to find yourself.
10. Summit Fever
- Genre: Thriller, Survival
- IMDb Rating: 5.2
Peer pressure takes a whole new dimension in this movie. A young English mountaineer is lured to the Alps by his friend to help him conquer the ‘Big Three,’ namely the Matterhorn, the Eiger, and Mont Blanc over one summer.
The movie follows them as they carry on forward, despite witnessing fatalities while ascending the first two peaks, they persevere onto the final climb, unaware of a deadly storm brewing on the other side of the mountain.
Honorable Mentions
11. Tracks
- Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 7.2
A mesmerizing true story of Robyn Davidson’s solo trek across the Australian Outback, where self-discovery unfolds with every step into the vast and challenging wilderness.
12. A Walk in the Woods
- Genre: Adventure, Biography, Comedy
- IMDb Rating: 6.3
Join Robert Redford and Nick Nolte on a hilarious and poignant journey along the Appalachian Trail, where two friends rediscover life’s meaning amid the beauty and challenges of nature.
13. Wild
- Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 7.1
Reese Witherspoon stars in this soul-stirring tale of self-redemption as Cheryl navigates the transformative Pacific Crest Trail, confronts her demons, and finds strength in solitude.
14. The Way Back
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
- IMDb Rating: 7.3
A gripping saga of survival and resilience, ‘The Way Back’ follows a group of escapees who walk over 4,000 miles, battling nature and their limitations from Siberia to India.
15. Into the Wild
- Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
- IMDb Rating: 8.1
Following the journey of Christopher McCandless as he ventures ‘Into the Wild’ seeking freedom, self-discovery, and the untamed beauty of Alaska in this emotionally charged and visually stunning film.
That’s a wrap on our top hiking movies. Stay tuned for more, and be sure to comment on which one was your favorite!
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