Keeping a journal of your hike is a great way to capture different moments you experienced during the day. You will find that the longer you are on the trail, your memories will blur together. Over time, you will forget what you saw first, the names of people you met, or what campsite you were at where you got the worst sleep. Journaling will give you an opportunity to capture those details and relive them at a later time and share more accurately what you experienced.

What Type of Journal Should You Use?

I brought along a thin booklet that barely added any weight. It had enough pages for the trip and was not intended to capture every hike I have been on. I used a mechanical pencil since I didn’t want to pack a sharpener if I broke the lead. I needed to make sure I still had daylight to write otherwise I needed to bring out my headlamp.

While my preference is to hand write in a journal, others might use a notepad app on their phone and write out their thoughts. The only issue with this method would be if you wanted to conserve your phone battery.

I don’t use any templated journal designed for capturing hike details. I use a simple lined notebook and write my thoughts as they come to me.

When to Journal

At the end of the day, I would sit at our campsite (most often inside the tent) and write out a summary from the day. I found that writing at the end of the day kept the memories fresh in my mind and was a way to unwind after a long day of hiking. Even then, I was often asking my husband for the name of a pass we climbed or how many miles we had hiked before reaching a particular milestone.

My husband doesn’t keep a journal when he is hiking but my mother-in-law recently gifted him a notebook to capture his hikes. He has since gone back through his photos and printed pictures from his hikes and pasted them into the journal to keep. He will be updating the journal with his future adventures.

What to Write About in Your Journal

Sometimes it is difficult to think about what you might journal about. You might think there is nothing to write about besides counting trees. There is plenty to capture in a journal. You just need to reflect on your day and replay images or conversations in your mind.

Describe the Trail

Writing about what the trail was like that day is an easy topic. You can describe elevation gains and descents, if there were switchbacks, and even the condition of the trail. Note river crossings and how easy they were. Write about the meadows you walked through or challenging obstacles.

Make Note of Who You Meet

You don’t need to ask everyone for their names, but capturing if there were other people on the trail is an interesting fact to capture. On longer trails, days could pass before you encounter another person. Note down if they stayed at the same campground as you, any information they passed along, or anything that stood out to you. And if you happen to meet a Trail Angel, you will want to remember them.

Document What You See

When on the trail, there is much to journal about. You can write about the animals you saw, moss or mushrooms, or spectacular views. I found myself writing about outhouses and their condition. Some had toilet paper. Others were wrapped in chicken wire. Writing about what you saw is probably the easiest topic to write about in a journal. A challenge would be to write down the smaller details that you could easily forget about later.

Journal About What Excited You

Was there a particular goal you had set for yourself on this day? Did you put in extra miles? Maybe there was a view that you found to be the most amazing out of all of the sights you had seen. Along the trail, there could be small touches, such as a bridge over a creek, that make your day. Write about those things.

Write About Your Feelings

Not everyone is comfortable writing about their feelings, but who said you need to share your journal entries? If you’re blogging, you can write it in a post and keep it private. If writing in a book, don’t give it to others to read. Writing out your emotions can help you work through the challenges you’re facing. It might be writing about something happening on or off the trail. Getting outdoors and away from other distractions can truly be helpful. Capturing your reflections in your journal is another opportunity to understand what you’re processing.

You don’t only need to write about your feelings. How you “feel” can also be about your senses. Are you in any physical discomfort? Do you have blisters or sore muscles? Temperatures fluctuate on the trail and you can go from feeling hot to cold in a matter of hours. You can always journal about the amount of sleep you got because the frogs were croaking all night long.

Capture Trail Facts

Not everyone is into capturing their feelings. You might be the sort of person who prefers to gather the facts. Journaling could consist of noting the exact location of water sources and how they are flowing. You might also capture the condition of campsites, including if there are bear lockers available, firepits, or the number of tent pads. This information would be valuable to pass on to other hikers and for you should you want to camp on the same trail in the future.

What Worked and Didn’t Work Well

It is always great to write down the lessons you observed along the way. You might want to write a quick review on a piece of gear you brought with you. It could be you started too late in the day for the number of miles you wanted to do. Maybe you used an alternate that brought you to an unexpected viewpoint. Take a moment to think about your day and what you would want to do again or what you would want to change.

Journaling Should Be Fun

I’ll leave you with this final thought on journaling, which is that you should find it enjoyable. There may be days when you are exhausted from hiking and not feel like picking up a pen to write. That’s okay. If you feel that you hate journaling and you’re only doing it because you packed a notebook, then don’t do it. We’ve all packed things with us that we never ended up using. If you start journaling and discover it is taking away from your experience, it isn’t the trail activity for you. Take out your camera and take pictures to capture those moments another way. Find a way to remember your hike in the way that works best for you.