Books to Read Before Your Next Outdoor Adventure

From CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Conor Knighton, a behind-the-scenery look at his year traveling to each of America’s National Parks, discovering the most beautiful places and most interesting people our country has to offer.

A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

The Academy Award-winning director of Free Solo and National Geographic photographer presents the first collection of his iconic adventure photography, featuring some of the greatest moments of the most accomplished climbers and outdoor athletes in the world, and including more than 200 extraordinary photographs.

For anyone planning to spend time outside, this essential guide delivers hard-won insights and know-how garnered from Steven Rinella’s own experiences and mistakes and from his trusted crew of expert hunters, anglers, emergency-room doctors, climbers, paddlers, and wilderness guides—with the goal of making any reader feel comfortable and competent while out in the wild.

The definitive guide to the therapeutic Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness. Once you’ve discovered the healing power of trees, you can lose yourself in the beauty of your surroundings, leave everyday stress behind, and reach a place of greater calm and wellness.

Featuring 50 projects with step-by-step instructions on how to make tools, weapons, shelters, pottery, clothing, and more, Primitive Technology is the ultimate guide to the craft. Whether you’re a wilderness aficionado or just eager to spend more time outdoors, Primitive Technology has something for everyone’s inner nature lover.

This is the extraordinary story of the last true hermit, Christopher Knight, who left his home in Massachusetts, and disappeared into the woods in Maine, where he would not have a conversation with another person for the next twenty-seven years. By turns riveting and thought-provoking, The Stranger in the Woods gives us a deeply moving portrait of a man determined to live his own way.

A renowned explorer and acclaimed author shows us that walking is a natural accompaniment to creativity—and among the most radical things we can do. “Simple, profound…compelling…[a book that] packs a surprisingly motivational punch” (GQ).

A comprehensive big-game hunting guide, perfect for hunters ranging from first-time novices to seasoned experts. Steven Rinella shares his own expertise with us, and imparts strategies and tactics from many of the most experienced hunters in the United States as well. And for more advice, check out Rinella’s Volume 2: Small Game and Fowl guide.

The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Christopher McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

Feminism meets travel in this interactive resource for women who love to travel the world, near and far—from the co-founders of Unearth Women, a print and digital women’s travel magazine that’s been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and Good Morning America.

Meat Eater chronicles Steven Rinella’s lifelong relationship with nature and hunting through the lens of ten hunts, beginning when he was an aspiring mountain man at age ten and ending as a thirty-seven-year-old Brooklyn father who hunts in the remotest corners of North America. Rinella paints a loving portrait of a way of life that is part of who we are as humans and as Americans.

Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is a modern classic of travel literature.

A humorous and rousing set of literal and figurative sojourns as well as a mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors, fueled by three journeys undertaken by actor, humorist, and New York Times bestselling author Nick Offerman. With witty, heartwarming stories and a keen insight into the human problems we all confront, this is both a ramble through and celebration of the land we all love.

Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, this book celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.

A transporting book with easy-to-prepare recipes for gatherings at campgrounds and cabins alike. Feast by Firelight offers solution-oriented recipes that make cooking outdoors feel effortless and downright fun and it shows how to utilize clever cooking methods, prep food at home, and pack smart.

Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, Subpar Parks features both the greatest hits and brand-new content, all celebrating the incredible beauty and variety of America’s national parks juxtaposed with the clueless and hilarious one-star reviews posted by visitors.

The Backpacker’s Field Manual offers the most complete view of backpacking today, covering the latest developments in gear, first aid, trip planning, and backcountry skills. Every traveler knows that space in a backpack is limited, so carry the only guide you’ll ever need—this one—and take to the great outdoors with confidence.

With tales from the trail, arresting images, and helpful instructions, this wild guide reveals what calls people to camp: under all the gear, it’s as much about living off the grid as it is about the thrill of staying alive. Whether you love car camping with kids, rock climbing with friends, or roughing it solo in a lean-to, you’ll find there’s always somewhere new to explore—even if it’s just in your backyard.

A humorous and helpful illustrated field guide to avoiding interactions—both dangerous and annoying—with 50 wild animals, including survival techniques, wildlife etiquette, and other essential advice.

A provocative and powerful mosaic that ranges across a continent and across time, from twisted terrain within the San Andreas Fault zone to a South Carolina plantation, from national parks to burial grounds, from “Indian Territory” and the U.S.—Mexico Border to the U.S. capital, Trace grapples with a searing national history to reveal the often unvoiced presence of the past.

The national parks are some of the most beloved, visited, and biodiverse places on Earth. Scenic Science of the National Parks curates and breaks down the compelling and offbeat natural science highlights of each park, from volcanic activity, glaciers, and coral reefs to ancient redwood groves, herds of bison, giant bats, and beyond.

In How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It, James Rawles, founder of SurvivalBlog.com, clearly explains everything you need to know to protect yourself and your family in the event of a disaster—from radical currency devaluation, to a nuclear threat, to a hurricane.