Heading to the mountains and looking for some inspiration? This is a large collection of mountain quotes meant to motivate your next climb.
There is no better feeling than reaching the summit after a difficult climb. But sometimes we need a little help when the trails get rough.
We have organized this long list of mountain quotes into manageable sections in case you wanted to search for a particular topic.
Search for specific topics below:
- Inspirational mountain quotes
- Quotes about mountains
- Mountain climbing quotes
- Short mountain quotes
- Quotes about mountain biking
- Smoky mountain quotes and puns
Now, let’s begin the climb to find the best mountain quotes!
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Inspirational Mountain Quotes
1). “We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us.” – John Muir
2). “So this was what a mountain was like, the same as a person: the more you know, the less you fear.” – Wu Ming-Yi

3). “May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.” – Harley King
4). “The higher you climb on the mountain, the harder the wind blows.” – Sam Cummings

5). “Adventure isn’t hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life.” – John Amatt
6). “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac
7). “You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” ― Dr. Seuss
8). “The beauty and charm of the wilderness are his for the asking, for the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of the present travel.” – President Theodore Roosevelt

9). “You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.” – Tom Hiddleston
10). “When faced with a large project, remember you move a mountain one stone at a time.” – Catherine Pulsifer
Quotes About Mountains
11). “The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think. Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.” – Paulo Coelho

12). “I like geography best because your mountains & rivers know the secret; Pay no attention to borders.” – Brian Andreas
13). “Mountains teach that not everything in this world can be rationally explained.” – Aleksander Lwow
14). “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than what we could learn from books.” – John Lubbock
15). “Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” – Anatoli Boukreev

16). “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” – Sir Ranulph Fiennes
17). “Once Everest was determined to be the highest summit on earth, it was only a matter of time before people decided that Everest needed to be climbed.” – Jon Krakauer
18). “Life sucks a lot less when you add mountain air, a campfire and some peace and quiet.” – Brooke Hampton
19). “When a man is a traveler, the world is his house and the sky is his roof, where he hangs his hat is his home, and all the people are his family.” – Drew Bundini Brown

20). “The choices we make lead up to actual experiences. It is one thing to decide to climb a mountain. It is quite another to be on top of it.” – Herbert A. Simon
21). “It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” – Robert W. Service
Mountain Climbing Quotes
22). “Those who travel to mountain-tops are half in love with themselves, and half in love with oblivion.” – Robert Macfarlane

23). “Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” – Greg Child
24). “In the mountains there are only two grades, you can either do it, or you can’t.” – Rusty Baille
25). “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” – John Muir
26). “Never measure the height of a mountain until you reach the top. Then you will see how low it was.” – Dag Hammarskjöld

27). “You climb to reach the summit, but once there, discover that all roads lead down.” – Stanislaw Lem
28). “I’ve realized that at the top of the mountain, there’s another mountain.” – Andrew Garfield
29). “Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” – Andy Rooney
30). “Everybody wants to reach the peak, but there is no growth on the top of a mountain. It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life’s next peak.” – Andy Andrews

31). “It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.” – The three rules of mountaineering
32). “Let’s not mince words: Everest doesn’t attract a whole lot of well-balanced folks. The self-selection process tends to weed out the cautious and the sensible in favor of those who are single-minded and incredibly driven. Which is a big reason the mountain is so dangerous.” – Jon Krakauer
Short Mountain Quotes
33). “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” – John Muir
34). “Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay

35). “The best view comes after the hardest climb.” – Anonymous
36). “You are not in the mountains. The mountains are in you.” – John Muir
37). “You must go on adventures to find out where you truly belong.” – Sue Fitzmaurice
38). “It is never the fall that kills, it’s the sudden stop at the end.” – Mountain Guide’s Handbook

39). “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot
40). “Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains.” – Jeffrey Rasley
41). “Your faith can move mountains and your doubt can create them.” – Swami Vivekananda

42). “Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence.” – Hermann Buhl
43). “The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort.” – Paulo Coelho
44). “How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!” – John Muir

45). “Each fresh peak ascended teaches something.” – Sir Martin Convay
46). “The Earth has music for those who listen.” – William Shakespeare
47). “There is always an adventure waiting in the woods.” – Katelyn S. Bolds

48). “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” – Sir Edmund Hillary
Quotes About Mountain Biking
49). “Life’s too short not to go big.” – Josh Bender
50). “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

51). “To me it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever. As long as I’m riding a bike I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” – Mark Cavendish
52). “One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you achieve something without a struggle it’s not going to be satisfying.” – Greg LeMond
53). “The slower you go the more likely it is you’ll crash.” – Juli Furtado

54). “When you ride hard on a mountain bike, sometimes you fall, otherwise you’re not riding hard.” – George Bush
55). “Ride as much or as little or as long or as short as you feel, but ride!” – Eddy Merckx
56). “A bad day on the mountain bike always beats a good day in the office.” – Mike Brcic

57). “Never ignore your instinct and you can always push harder. I get inspired when I think about people who have pushed their bodies to the limit.” – Rachel Atherton
58). “Any day I’m out on a bike is a good one.” – Martyn Ashton
59). “Crashing is part of cycling as crying is part of love.” – Johan Museeuw
60). “It really is all about believing in yourself. 80% mental, 20% physical.” – Victoria Pendleton

Smoky Mountain Quotes and Puns
61). “The Smoky Mountains are a rare jewel…Why not have a place where you can still see the stars? There is value to keeping things primitive.” – James Dawson
62). “If you drive to, say, Shenandoah National Park, or the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll get some appreciation for the scale and beauty of the outdoors. When you walk into it, then you see it in a completely different way. You discover it in a much slower, more majestic sort of way.” – Bill Bynum
63). “There are too many trees in the Smoky Mountains that I haven’t seen yet.” – Anonymous
64). “The Smokies are my home.” – Dolly Parton
65). “Over the Smoky Mountains and through the woods.”

66). “There is no point playing hide and seek with the mountains because they always peak.”
67). “The Smoky Mountains are all the range.”
68). “I’ve lost my terrain of thought looking at this view.”
Mountain Quote FAQ’s
Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions regarding mountain quotes and why we are so drawn to the challenge of climbing the summits.
Someone who loves mountains is called an Orophile. This is someone who loves climbing or loves the view of mountains.
We love mountains because they have a positive effect on us both mentally and physically. When we are in the mountains, we take the time to be in the moment and enjoy the natural beauty of the world.
Yes, mountains make people happy. When we enjoy time outdoors in the mountains, we often feel less stress and anxiety because our mind comes to rest. Climbing a mountain also evokes a feeling of achievement and success which helps to improve our mood.
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We hope this guide to the best mountain quotes helps with inspiring your next climb!
Please let us know if you have any questions about mountain quotes or any upcoming trip in the comments below.
Happy Climbing,
Mark and Kristen
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