Finding the motivation to get necessary “life tasks” completed can be a challenge for most people. Vacuuming, dishes, laundry, paying bills and outdoor chores all fall into the category of necessary life tasks.  Lets put Hiking in the second category…..not a “necessary task” but a form of enjoyment we may need a little bit of motivation to actually make happen. If you are reading this, you are probably a lover of the outdoors, view hiking as “fun” but may struggle with motivating yourself to getting yourself up, out of bed and driving to a trailhead.  Hiking ten plus miles in nature while potentially experiencing rain, snow, icy conditions, extreme cold or heat, and wind may make you questions your sanity and wonder if it is really worth getting your appropriate hiking gear together and getting out there.  Lets not forget scrambling over and under rocks, forging through water and the BEST part……..peeing and pooping in the woods!  So, is it worth it????  YES.  The reward is far greater than any of the physical hardships you may experience while hiking.  Beautiful sunrises after hiking 2 hours in the dark, sunlight filtering through the trees in the early morning(the Japanese have a word for this phenomenon..”komorebi”), the noises your boots make as you walk on a snow packed trail, the smell of pine trees…I could go on an on but you get the idea.  And the mental health benefits of hiking have been brought to the forefront as of late.  The Nature Fix (by Florence Williams) addresses these mental health benefits and points out that current research shows that spending time in nature can decrease blood pressure, anxiety, depression, stress, and improve attention, memory, sleep, self-esteem and happiness. Still need motivation to get out there and “hit the trails”?  These are 10 of my favorite “go to” hiking quotes I refer to when I am in need of a serious kick in the butt to get myself packed up and headed to my favorite trailhead.

“Komorebi” on Mount Cardigan

TOP 10 INSPIRING HIKING QUOTES

The antidote to exhaustion isn’t rest.  It’s nature. –Shikoba

And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul. –John Muir

Nature is our Source. The trees are our lungs, the air is our breath, the waters are our circulation, and the earth is our body. All of us resonate with deep, all knowing wisdom, an ancient familiarity, as we reconnect with the source of life itself.. –Shikoba

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn. –John Muir

Hiking is a bit like life: The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other…again and again and again.  And if you allow yourself opportunity to be present throughout the entirety of the trek, you will witness beauty every step of the way, not just at the summit. –unknown

Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn.  Climb that goddamn mountain. –Jack Kerouac 

Saddleback Mountain

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. –John Muir

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. –Sir Edmund Hillary

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.  –Henry David Thoreau 

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going into mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity. –John Muir

I hope these quotes inspire you to pull out your hiking maps and plan your next adventure.  I’ll leave you with my absolute favorite quote from John Muir.  I admit to owning t-shirts, stickers and a journal adorned with this saying…..”The mountains are calling and I must go”.

Do you have any favorite hiking quotes?  We would love you to share them in the comments below!

Last modified: December 21, 2017