10 Best Outdoor Documentaries On Netflix

We’d all rather go out and live the outdoors than watch someone else do it, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a little inspiration every now and then. With streaming video services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, getting a virtual stoke is just a click away. Here, in random order, are our favorites, a few of the best outdoor documentaries ever made.

Related: 10 Great Survival Movies Online

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afDYEtQmC6I]

McConkey (2013)
It’s fitting that Shane McConkey’s biopic is one of the most riveting action sports films we’ve ever seen. “McConkey” is a touching tribute to a man who left a humongous mark on the outdoor world and personified the phrase ‘seize the day.’ In fact, the film’s real triumph is that it honors the man by continuing his habit of inspiring others to go bigger.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXfq0DxS4KM]

Rising From Ashes (2012)
Chronicling the Rwandan National Cycling Team’s bid to rise up from the horrors of genocide (and reach the 2012 Olympics) under the coaching of mountain bike pioneer Tom Ritchey, this film is alternately devastating and hopeful.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiU_FXphjvA]

Into the Mind (2013)
This is one of the most beautiful films on the list, but it isn’t the usual preseason stoke film. Framed by a loose narrative that takes viewers through the stages of life as seen by a skier, the storyline and amazing cinematography and editing elevates it far above the medium of ski porn.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md-EHh2mf_w]

Beyond the Edge (2013)
Reenactments can be documentary death, but director Leanne Pooley effectively balances her staged shots with archival footage and interviews, drawing viewers into the story of what went on behind the first summit of the world’s tallest mountain.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qhnDCPPPgY]

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (2013)
More than a surfing film, “Hawaiian” explores the struggles of native Hawaiians in the face of development, and it takes a close look at one of Hawaii’s surf legends.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK3TOHLFL50]

180 Degrees South (2010)
Inspired by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s trek to Patagonia in 1968, Jeff Johnson recreates the journey. The ensuing trip, along with a face-to-face meeting with Chouinard, reveals insight on the nature of the man behind one of the largest and most environmentally conscious gear companies in the world.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H7w89aZHZo]

30 for 30: Slaying the Badger (2014)
The film depicts the rivalry between Greg LeMond, the first (and now only) American winner of the Tour De France and his greatest rival and teammate, Bernard “The Badger” Hineault. Told through interviews and archival footage, the drama rivals fiction and captures the pain of joy that’s present in every competitive sport.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bWiD0YC7s8]

Mile…Mile & A Half (2013)
In a list packed with professional athletes, this film features regular Joes who spent a month hiking California’s John Muir Trail. If the fun personalities, great cinematography, and the beauty of California’s backcountry don’t make you want to go hiking, you probably clicked on wordpress.com by accident.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZUsc1ewgUQ]

Where The Trail Ends… (2012)
Pro freeride mountain biker Darren Berrecloth and friends travel the world searching out new terrain to rival the cliffs in Virgin, Utah. And, man, do they find it. A great look at the sport’s more contemplative side.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZsuQXKkPdw]

The Endless Summer (1967)
The quintessential surf documentary shows what sports documentaries were like before GoPros. Roger Ebert called this “90 minutes of wish fulfillment.” Damn Straight.