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Quick answer: If you loved Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, try Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey and The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.
Into the Wild tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a bright young college graduate who gave away his savings, left his family and hitchhiked to Alaska in 1992, where his body was found in an abandoned bus four months later. Jon Krakauer retraces McCandless’s journey, interviews those who met him and compares his story to those of other adventurers. The book asks why some people leave the world behind, and whether his death was heroic or foolish. The picks below share its wilderness, risk, questions about meaning and the pull of the open road. They suit adult and older teen readers.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Into the Wild
Readers love Into the Wild because it refuses to give an easy answer. Krakauer admits his own identification with McCandless, who left home at a similar age, and treats him with both sympathy and a clear eye for his mistakes. The book is full of the people McCandless met on his travels, from a retired Army man to a farm worker, and shows how deeply he affected them. The descriptions of the American West and Alaska are beautiful, and the question of what he was searching for lingers. Sean Penn’s 2007 film made it even more popular.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Into the Wild: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into Thin Air | Jon Krakauer | Adventure nonfiction | More Krakauer |
| Wild | Cheryl Strayed | Memoir | Hiking to heal |
| A Walk in the Woods | Bill Bryson | Travel memoir | Humor and trails |
| Touching the Void | Joe Simpson | Adventure nonfiction | Survival against the odds |
| Desert Solitaire | Edward Abbey | Nature writing | The classic desert memoir |
| The Salt Path | Raynor Winn | Memoir | Healing and homelessness |
| Deep Survival | Laurence Gonzales | Nonfiction | Why some people survive |
| Born to Run | Christopher McDougall | Adventure nonfiction | Running and adventure |
| Walden | Henry David Thoreau | Classic | The original wilderness retreat |
| Alone on the Wall | Alex Honnold | Memoir | Risk and focus |
| Annapurna | Maurice Herzog | Adventure classic | Early mountaineering |
| Tracks | Robyn Davidson | Memoir | Solo women and the wild |
| Endurance | Alfred Lansing | Adventure history | Survival at its extreme |
| The Perfect Storm | Sebastian Junger | Adventure nonfiction | The sea and its dangers |
| The Lost City of Z | David Grann | Adventure history | Obsession and exploration |
1. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Krakauer was a journalist on the 1996 Everest expedition when a storm killed eight climbers. He tells what happened and wrestles with his own survivor’s guilt. It’s a landmark of adventure writing.
2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
After her mother’s death and her divorce, Strayed hikes over a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone with little experience. It’s honest, funny and moving. Content note: grief and drug use.
3. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Bryson and an out-of-shape friend set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. It’s a very funny account that also explains the history and ecology of the trail.
4. Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
Simpson breaks his leg on a Peruvian mountain, and his climbing partner makes a terrible choice. It’s a gripping account of survival.
5. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Abbey’s reflections on a season as a park ranger in Arches National Park in Utah. It’s passionate, funny and a landmark of American nature writing.
6. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
After losing their home and receiving a terminal diagnosis, a couple walks the South West Coast Path in England. It’s moving and hopeful.
7. Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales
Gonzales explores how people survive accidents and disasters, and what the survivors share. It’s a thoughtful, practical look at risk and psychology.
8. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
A journalist travels to Mexico’s Copper Canyons to find a hidden tribe of ultra-runners, the Tarahumara. It’s funny, passionate and persuasive.
9. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau’s reflections on two years spent living simply in a cabin by Walden Pond. It’s thoughtful, sometimes cranky and a foundation of American nature writing.
10. Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
The climber who free-soloed El Capitan describes his life, his fears and what drives him. It’s candid and has a lot of mountain detail.
11. Annapurna by Maurice Herzog
The story of the first successful climb of an 8,000-meter peak in 1950, and the terrible price the climbers paid. It’s a classic of mountain writing.
12. Tracks by Robyn Davidson
Davidson walked 1,700 miles across the Australian desert with four camels and a dog in 1977. It’s a beautiful book about solitude and determination.
13. Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition, in which his ship was crushed by ice and his men survived for months. It’s one of the greatest survival stories.
14. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
The story of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat lost in a powerful storm in 1991. It’s tense and carefully researched.
15. The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Grann follows the search for a lost city in the Amazon by British explorer Percy Fawcett, who vanished in 1925. It’s gripping and thoughtful.
How to Pick Your Next Adventure Read After Into the Wild
- Want more Krakauer? Into Thin Air.
- Want a hiking memoir? Wild and A Walk in the Woods.
- Want survival stories? Touching the Void and Endurance.
- Want nature writing? Desert Solitaire and Walden.
- Want something healing? The Salt Path.
- Want a shorter read? Tracks and Touching the Void.
The Debate About Chris McCandless
Readers have argued for decades about McCandless. Some see him as an idealist seeking truth, others as an unprepared young man whose decisions cost him his life. Krakauer lays out the evidence, including the possibility that he ate poisonous seeds, and leaves readers to judge. If you want to explore further, try Krakauer’s article in Outside magazine, which first told the story, and Carine McCandless’s memoir, The Wild Truth, which gives a family perspective. Whatever you decide, the book is more about questions than answers.
Safe Ways to Explore the Outdoors
Wilderness stories can make you want to get outside, which is a good thing. Start with short, well-prepared trips: a day hike with a map, enough water and a friend. Learn basic navigation, first aid and weather awareness, and tell someone where you’re going. Many national parks, outdoor clubs and community colleges offer beginner courses. Remember that the best adventurers, from Krakauer’s mountaineers to Strayed on the Pacific Crest Trail, trained and prepared, and that preparation is what keeps adventures survivable.
Adventure Writing for Armchair Travelers
Not every reader wants to hike, but most enjoy a good adventure book. These stories offer vicarious thrills, from the hush of an Alaskan wilderness to the thin air of Everest. Books like Touching the Void and The Perfect Storm show what it’s like to face real danger, and memoirs like Wild and The Salt Path show how long walks can heal. Read them by a fire with a hot drink, and let the descriptions carry you. Many readers say the best adventure books leave them with a new respect for nature.
Books on the Meaning of Wandering
Into the Wild is part of a long tradition of writing about leaving society. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, written in 1854, describes his two years in a cabin at Walden Pond. Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire celebrates his seasons as a park ranger in Utah. More recent books, such as Wild and The Salt Path, show people who walk to heal from loss. Together they ask what we need to live a meaningful life, and whether solitude helps or harms. They’re good books to discuss with friends who have different ideas.
A Three-Book Reading Plan
If you want to build a reading list around Into the Wild, start with it, then read Into Thin Air to compare Krakauer’s approach to a different kind of risk. Follow that with Wild, for a memoir in which a young person walks into the wilderness and survives. Finally, try The Salt Path for a gentler, older perspective on walking as healing. Together these four books cover the range of why people head outdoors: curiosity, grief, adventure and necessity. Each shows how preparation, luck and companionship change the outcome.
Questions to Discuss After Reading
Into the Wild makes a lively book club pick. Did you admire McCandless or find him reckless? How do the people he met describe him? What role did his family play? How does Krakauer’s own climbing story shape the book? And what does the book suggest about the difference between freedom and recklessness? Different members tend to answer very differently, which is what makes the conversation interesting. Pair the book with an outdoor activity afterward, such as a short hike, to bring the stories to life.
Related: books like Killers of the Flower Moon and Into the Wild summary and key takeaways.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like Into the Wild?
Into Thin Air is by the same author and the closest in style. Wild and A Walk in the Woods are the most popular memoirs about hiking.
Is Into the Wild a true story?
Yes. It’s the true story of Christopher McCandless, who died in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992.
Was Chris McCandless foolish or brave?
Readers disagree. Krakauer presents both sides and leaves the question open.
Is Into the Wild appropriate for teens?
It’s widely read in high school. It discusses death, risk-taking and family conflict, but nothing graphic.
What are good outdoor books for beginners?
A Walk in the Woods is funny and easy, and Wild is a very accessible memoir.