8 Outdoor Movies to Watch Tonight

Written by
Jessica Sanders
Get closer to nature from the comfort of your own home. These outdoor movies, which range from documentaries to blockbuster hits, touch on the subjects of family, adventure and the nature in our own backyard. Here are eight good movies to watch the next time you want to get outside but can't seem to get away.
Stand
Documentary
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Enjoy epic footage of paddleboarding, an interesting cast of characters and one major cause: to keep the Enbridge Oil Pipeline out of Canada. Norm Hann takes it upon himself to paddle along the coast of the Great Bear Wilderness, find native high school kids, and teach them how to build paddleboards so they can help "Stand Up" against the bad guys, too. Backed by PacificWild.org, Quicksilver and other well-known names in the outdoors industry, it's one of those documentaries that you talk about long after the closing credits.
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Walking the Amazon
Documentary
1 of 9
Considered the most dangerous place on the planet, the Amazon has never been hiked from start to finish by one person. That is, until 2008 when Ed Stafford and Luke Collier head out to cover 6,000 miles on foot. Dangerous animals, cracks in a relationship and jungle interactions will keep you watching straight through the closing credits.
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The Last of the Great Unknown
Documentary
1 of 9
Richard Rudow is not satisfied with experiencing the Grand Canyon from a lookout tower. He wants to explore inside, and has been doing so for many years. In this film, you follow along as he climbs through dangerously deep slots, repels down waterfalls, and takes a boat out of the canyon because there's no other way out. "You can still find places where no human has ever been," says Richard Rudow, and you're about to see them, too.
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National Parks: America's Best Idea
Mini-Series
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Though this isn't technically a movie or a documentary, this 12-part mini-series reminds us all why we love the outdoors as much as we do. Sweeping shots of untouched parts of the world, close-up images of slinking foxes and skyline time-lapses will have you hooked from the first scene.
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Into the Wild
Movie
1 of 9
When a wealthy kid decides to rid himself of all personal items and money, and head for Alaska, you can only imagine what will happen next. This introspective film is one of the most emotionally demanding movies to watch on this list, but it just might make you want to look inside yourself, too. What makes us who we are; where do we belong; what do we really need to live a life of happiness? These are all questions you might be a little closer to answering when the movie comes to a close.
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Wild Bill's Wild Run
Documentary
1 of 9
Have you ever heard of the snowmobile expedition across the world? If not, that's okay. Director Mike Sholtz has set out to tell you the funny, true story about what this group of adventurers, lead by outlaw Wild Bill Cooper, wanted to do and how it ended up going horribly wrong. Interviews with the men, and old footage from the 1970s brings this documentary together in a way that's both interesting and humorous.
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The Way
Movie
1 of 9
"You don't choose a life dad, you live one," says Tom's (Martin Sheen) estranged son, who's on his way to travel El Camino de Santiago, The Way of St. James, in Spain. When Tom finds his son has died, he makes the same pilgrimage, and meets an intriguing cast of characters along the way. This father-son tale is unlike any other and it just might inspire you to plan your next family trip.
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Low and Clear
Documentary
1 of 9
An official selection of the 2012 SXSW, this is one of the most intimate documentaries on the list. You're transported into the lives of two long lost friends as they go to Alaska for what they plan to be their final fishing trip together. The two characters are entertaining and without trying they provide humorous scenes and emotional moments that cut to the core of a relationship between two best friends. Real conversations, real days of fishing, and two true friends doing what they love make this one of the best outdoor movies to watch on a lazy Sunday.
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1 of 9
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