Podcasts can be entertaining, informative, and educational. They are free to listen to, and portable. I like to listen to them on the drive to the trailhead. And they can provide a great mental escape when you’re stuck inside.
We asked members of the SoCal Hikers group on Facebook to share their favorite outdoorsy podcasts, and here’s what they recommended.
If you’re new to podcasts, you can play them through your mobile phone, tablet or computer. The most popular apps for listening to podcasts are Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
Our Favorite Outdoorsy Podcasts
The Backpacking Experience – recommended by Jason Huckeba
The Backpacking Experience unpacks the experiences we have in the backcountry with interviews from fellow hikers, education and trip reports. We’re here to share our passion for backpacking and create a platform for others to share the experiences they have had on the trail. We’ll talk with business owners about the gear that helps facilitate these experiences and provide education about backcountry travel through real experience on the trail. The Backpacking Experience is hosted by Utah native Devin Ashby.
She Explores – recommended by Jaime Lee Purinton
Stories of women who are inspired by time spent outside take the shape of interviews, in-the-field recordings, and listener submissions. These make up a tapestry of episodes covering themes such as solo hiking and camping; entrepreneurship; aging; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); conservation; motherhood; chronic illness; and feminism as they intersect with outdoor experiences. Hosted by Gale Straub.
Trail Correspondents – recommended by Jazmín Ortega
Trail Correspondents is a teleportation machine to the trail- in audio form.
Every other week, a select handful of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the American Discovery Trail, give us a glimpse into the world of long distance backpacking. Through their eyes and vocal cords, we learn all about the highs, lows, and nitty gritty details that go into a half-year, cross-country trek. Trail Correspondents is the next best thing to being on trail yourself.
Almost There Adventure Podcast – recommended by Chris Smead and Cecilia Moore Zavestoski
The Almost There Adventure Podcast is celebration of outdoor activities both local and epic. Discussing the big topics and sharing conversations adventurers, artists, activists and legends in the outdoor community.
Hosted by Jason Fitzpatrick, Saveria Tilden and Jeff Hester (full disclosure: that’s me).
Wild Ideas Worth Living – recommended by Jennifer Ortegon
High-impact interviews for those who love adventure and the outdoors. Host and journalist Shelby Stanger interviews world-class explorers, athletes, authors, scientists, health experts, and entrepreneurs about how they’ve taken their own wild ideas and made them a reality, so you can too. Some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures. Take a listen to start living more wildly today.
SheVentures – recommended by Kristen Fuller
Sheventures is about women who pivot careers, take risks, and get s**t done.Each interview-style episode will feature an inspirational, no holds barred story of the trials, pivots, and reality of being a trailblazing woman.
Get ready to listen, be inspired, and take action.
Backpacker Radio – recommended by Marcela Isabel
From the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest and everything in between. Backpacker Radio is a show all about the wonderful world that is thru-hiking and long distance backpacking.
Co-hosts, Zach “Badger” Davis and Juliana “Chaunce” Chauncey muse on the backpacking life and the latest from the trail every other week. Topics include but are not limited to news, trail culture, interviews, gear, advice, and all you can eat buffets.
Trust the Trail – recommended by Joshua Cutsinger
Scott & Ariane have been guiding outdoor hiking treks for years. Follow their funny yet educational stories and experiences as they share “everything outdoors”. From backpacking the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail. You never know who they will meet along the way. If you embrace Mother Nature, this show is for you. Trust The Trail will inspire you to connect with the outdoors in a whole new way.
Ten Junk Miles – recommended by Liam Dumenjich
A lighthearted conversation by runners about their lives as runners and the issues that are interesting or important to them and guests of the show. TJM is meant to be a companion to you as you run. Think of us as your running partners on days when you just need some friends to get you out on an easy run. The show is composed of 10 segments, one for each mile, and every 10 minutes or so we move on to the next topic, to keep things interesting. Among the hosts’ experience are ten 100-mile finishes, dozens of half and full marathons, plenty of 50-milers, and some speedy 5ks and a BQ (and a handful of DNFs).
The Firn Line – recommended by Adam Lejak
The Firnline does an awesome job of exploring a variety of perspectives related to climbing, adventure & creativity. These are discussions that traverse from interesting adventure trip stories to deeper life experiences, all from a guy with a lot of both.
Guests include some big names you’ve heard of and some you haven’t.
The Trail Show – recommended by Jeff Hester
Less gear, more beer!
This show focuses typically on long trails, going deep on a different trail in each episode. Informal and irreverent, and often quite long (some episodes are more than three hours long).
Backpacking & Blisters – recommended by Jeff Hester
A podcast for newbies to grizzled veterans of the trail. Each week a new themed episode is released addressing a range of camping, hiking, and backpacking topics.
What outdoor-themed podcasts do you listen to?
What should we add to our playlist? Let us know in the comments below.
The Fastest Known Podcast, which is about FKTs and features some of really great long distance runners/ hikers. The Sharper End, which is mostly stories of mountaineering and climbing accidents and what could’ve been done to prevent them… informative and a good reminder that being outside isn’t without risk.
How can Dirtbag Diaries not be on this list? It is so good I hoard episodes so I have multiples to listen to at once.
Dirtbag Diaries is a good one, and it’s in my personal rotation.
I’m not big on podcasts, as I don’t particularly enjoy listening to people talk, but I may have to investigate “almost there” and “wild ideas”. They sound really interesting. I’m a very active person with a very active dog, and we do not enjoy sitting around all day. I’ve been trying to come up with some ideas. Are there any recordings where people discuss life lessons they learned while on the trails – deeper meaning along the hike so to speak?
Some of them do delve into that through the stories shared. The podcast I co-host (Almost There) we talk to a wide range of adventurous folk and their stories often reflect lessons learned along the trail, but there are a number of others that also do that.
Awesome list Jeff! Next time you compile a list like this, please consider my podcast “Adventure Bound.” I interview all sorts of outdoorsy people and have them share their experiences in National Parks, on the trail or from an extreme adventures, so our listeners can be inspired to do the same 🙂
You totally missed Trail Tails by Kyle hates hiking. Probably the best hiking podcast, if not he’s definitely in the top 3 easily.
Youtube, and now an actual podcast on the big 3 tech outlets