If you’re looking for a quick break from reality, try finding a local trail and exploring it solo. This can be a great way to disconnect from the real world for a moment and really appreciate the beauties that can be found outside, but like any solo adventure, it can get lonely. Spotify can be your best friend in these times. Just pop in some headphones and cue up a playlist, podcast or audiobook (or, as we like to call it, a Trail Mix) for some distraction while you’re on the trail.
While you’re free to choose the soundtrack to your own adventures, we have a few suggestions. If you’re looking for something to put you more in touch with your surroundings, these recommendations are full of stories, songs and information related to the wilderness.
Audiobooks
Some of the best stories take place in the great outdoors, so here’s a list of our favorites. Fair warning, you might find yourself spending a LOT more time outside after reading these.
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
- Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
- The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
- My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
- The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley
*You can download audiobooks via Apple Books on your iPhone
Podcasts
Looking for some tips on getting into rock climbing? How about crazy, but true testimonies of others’ adventures? Or, maybe you’re looking for some of the best outdoor destinations near you. These podcast recommendations are chocked full of all that and more.
- National Parks Traveler
- G.O. Get Outside
- Wild Ideas Worth Living – REI
- The First 40 Miles: Hiking and Backpacking Podcast
- The Dirtbag Diaries
Spotify Playlists
No matter what the vibe of your current hike may be, there’s a playlist for it. Whether you’re on a light morning walk or deep in the wilderness scaling a mountain, you should find a motivating background track in one of these playlists.
- The Great Outdoors
- National Parks
- Morning Hike
- Nature Stroll
*All podcasts & playlists can be downloaded in the Spotify app