Enjoying the serene sounds of nature is an auditory delight in itself.
But sometimes you want to pair the breathtaking visual stimulation with the sound of your favorite tunes. In these situations, you need a good pair of headphones and a killer hiking playlist full of all your favorite music, ready to go.
I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite hiking songs that I love listening to while I’m out on the trail. They’re divided up into genres. We’ve got pop, funk, soul, rock, country, trip hop, techno, trance, and even a few children’s songs at the end.
So, without further ado – let’s dive straight in!
Pop Hits To Get You Moving
Nothing gets your body moving like good music. And if you want to keep things upbeat, you don’t have to look much further than good ol’ pop music.
George Michael – Freedom! ‘90
Lenny Kravitz – Fly Away
All Saints – Pure Shoes
Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel
Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love
Funk & Soul Tracks For The Trail
But maybe you’d rather listen to some jazzy funk beats and smooth soul tunes. I know I could listen to this sound day and night, wherever I am. And out in nature is no different. A pretty big part of my playlist is usually made up of tunes like these ones.
Sly & The Family Stone – If You Want Me To Stay
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves The Sunshine
Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin’)
Marvin Gaye – Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
The Best Rock Anthems For Hiking
No playlist would be complete without a solid supply of tunes to rock out to. These are some of my all time favorite rock songs to listen to out on the trail.
Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side
The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses
Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing
Depeche Mode – World In My Eyes
Primal Scream – Higher Than The Sun
Take Me Home, Country Roads
You may or may not enjoy listening to country music in your everyday life. But it just hits differently when you’re out in the country.
That’s why I always make sure I’ve got a couple of great country classics like these on my hiking playlist whenever I hit the trail.
John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads
Wanda Jackson – Funnel Of Love
The Soggy Bottom Boys – I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow
Johnny Cash – I Walk The Line
Kenny Rogers & The First Edition – Just Dropped In
Trip Hop Rhythms To Chill To
If downtempo beats are more your thing, you’re going to want to stock your playlist up with lots of trip hop. I’d seriously recommend downloading several albums from each of the artists below, but here are just a few great songs to begin with.
Massive Attack – Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World
DJ Krush – Paradise Bird Theory
Tricky – Your Name
Air – All I Need
Techno Beats To Keep Your Pace Up
If you want to pick up the pace and kick your energy levels up, listening to techno is the perfect way to do it. Here are a few great tracks to lift you up and keep you going forward.
Loco Dice – Seeing Through Shadows
Claro Intelecto – Peace Of Mind (Electrosoul)
E.R.P. – Snowday
Jeff Mills – The Bells
LDS – Punk Coding [MONNOM023]
Trance Tracks For Hiking Deep In The Forest
If those techno beats weren’t fast enough for you, a little bit of trance could be just what you need. When you venture deep into the woods, these sounds can turn your surroundings into a magic forest and take your adventure to the next level.
Sensient – Galaxians (Boris Violin Edit)
Vertical – Paperwork (Oxyflux Remix)
Axial Tilt – Deep Structure
Endeavour & Nukleall (Formantz) – Bomb Voyage
Family Hiking Songs For The Kids
If you’re hiking with the whole family – including the little ones – you’ll need some kid friendly hiking tunes to sing along to on the way.
Here are a few that my niece and nephews really enjoy when we go on our family hikes.
We’re Going On A Bear Hunt
The Ants Go Marching
Five Little Ducks
Wrapping It Up
There’s music on this list to suit a wide range of tastes. But at the end of the day, it’s up to you to make your own hiking playlist with all of your favorite music in one place.
Hopefully this article was able to inspire you and get you in the groove. Now, it’s time to start gathering all of your favorite hiking songs and building that playlist.
For more inspiration, check out this article I wrote with all my favorite hiking quotes or our ultimate list of campfire songs.
More: 19 Entertaining Camping Games For Kids The Whole Family Will Enjoy