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Quick answer: If you loved Wild by Cheryl Strayed, read A Walk in the Woods, Tiny Beautiful Things, Into the Wild and The Salt Path. All follow people who walk, wander or lose themselves in nature to find who they are.
Cheryl Strayed's memoir tells how she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail alone after her mother's death and her divorce. It combines grief, courage and the physical reality of the trail. The books below offer similar journeys, from funny hiking stories to serious tales of survival and healing.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Walk in the Woods | Bill Bryson | Adult | funny trail stories |
| Tiny Beautiful Things | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | more Strayed |
| Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer | Adult | wilderness cautionary tale |
| Tracks | Robyn Davidson | Adult | desert journeys |
| The Salt Path | Raynor Winn | Adult | healing walks |
| H Is for Hawk | Helen Macdonald | Adult | grief and nature |
| The Outrun | Amy Liptrot | Adult | recovery memoirs |
| Educated | Tara Westover | Adult | survival and growth |
| Into Thin Air | Jon Krakauer | Adult | mountain survival |
| Between Two Kingdoms | Suleika Jaouad | Adult | healing journeys |
| The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Adult | family memoirs |
| Walden | Henry David Thoreau | Adult | living simply |
| The Places in Between | Rory Stewart | Adult | long walks |
| Grandma Gatewood's Walk | Ben Montgomery | Adult | older adventurers |
| Desert Solitaire | Edward Abbey | Adult | wild landscapes |
1. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Bryson attempts the Appalachian Trail with an old friend. Funny, informative and perfect for armchair hikers.
Best for: funny trail stories.
2. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
A collection of advice columns Strayed wrote as Dear Sugar. Raw, kind and wise.
Best for: more Strayed.
3. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The story of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked into the Alaskan wilderness. Thoughtful and gripping.
Best for: wilderness cautionary tale.
4. Tracks by Robyn Davidson
A woman crosses the Australian desert with four camels and a dog. Beautifully written and brave.
Best for: desert journeys.
5. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
A couple who lost their home walk the South West Coast Path in England. Moving and hopeful.
Best for: healing walks.
6. H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Macdonald trains a goshawk while grieving her father. A literary memoir about nature and loss.
Best for: grief and nature.
7. The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
A woman returns to Orkney to recover from alcohol addiction. Lyrical and honest.
Best for: recovery memoirs.
8. Educated by Tara Westover
A woman raised without school earns a PhD. Gripping, painful and inspiring.
Best for: survival and growth.
9. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
A first-hand account of the 1996 Everest disaster. Fast and tense.
Best for: mountain survival.
10. Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
A young writer faces cancer and then takes a road trip across America. Honest and uplifting.
Best for: healing journeys.
11. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Walls describes her chaotic childhood with creative but unreliable parents. Vivid and moving.
Best for: family memoirs.
12. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
A classic account of living simply by a pond. Reflective and a foundation of nature writing.
Best for: living simply.
13. The Places in Between by Rory Stewart
Stewart walks across Afghanistan in 2002. Observant and adventurous.
Best for: long walks.
14. Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery
A 67-year-old woman became the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail alone in a single season. Inspiring.
Best for: older adventurers.
15. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Abbey's memoir of a season as a park ranger in Utah. Poetic and opinionated.
Best for: wild landscapes.
How to Choose
For more trail stories, start with A Walk in the Woods, The Salt Path or Grandma Gatewood's Walk. For other solo journeys, pick Tracks or The Places in Between. For grief and healing, choose H Is for Hawk, The Outrun or Between Two Kingdoms. If you like Strayed's voice, Tiny Beautiful Things is a must. These memoirs include grief, addiction and danger, so check the notes if you are sensitive to these topics. If you want a lighter journey, begin with A Walk in the Woods and keep a heavier one, such as Into Thin Air or H Is for Hawk, for another time. Reading about nature is easier to enjoy outdoors, so take one along on your next trip.
Related: 15 Books Like Into the Wild You’ll Love: Wilderness, Adventure and Self-Discovery · Wild by Cheryl Strayed Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wild a true story?
Yes, it is a memoir of Cheryl Strayed's 1995 hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Is there a movie of Wild?
Yes, a 2014 film starred Reese Witherspoon.
How long is the Pacific Crest Trail?
It is about 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada.
What is the funniest hiking memoir?
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.
Which book is best for advice?
Tiny Beautiful Things.
Is Wild suitable for teens?
It includes drug use, grief and sexual content, so it suits older teens and adults.
Did Cheryl Strayed hike the whole trail?
She hiked about 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert to the Oregon border.
What is Dear Sugar?
It was an anonymous advice column that Strayed wrote and later turned into Tiny Beautiful Things.
Which book is best if I want to plan my own hike?
A Walk in the Woods and Grandma Gatewood's Walk inspire plenty of trail dreams, and Wild itself has practical lessons about packing light.
Is it a spiritual book?
No. It is about grief, endurance and self-forgiveness, not religion.
Do I need hiking experience to enjoy Wild?
No. Strayed was a beginner herself, and the book is as much about grief and recovery as it is about the trail.