A5 hiking journal inserts with a trail log and a 52-hike challenge

This A5 hiking journal is a set of inserts for A5 or Half Letter ring binders and discbound planners. Its 20 undated pages, arranged in facing pairs, cover a log for each trail, a planner for each trip, a packing list for day hikes and a challenge of 52 hikes. Along with an A5 PDF and a Half Letter PDF you get two print-and-cut versions, which place two pages side by side on one sheet of A4 or US Letter, so ordinary paper works fine. It is an instant download, and nothing is posted.

Use miles or kilometers, start in any season and print a fresh trail log before each hike.

How the A5 hiking journal helps before and after every trail

Before you leave, the planning spread records your route, where to park, any permits, places to refill water, sunrise and the time you will turn back, plus the details you leave with someone at home. The packing spread runs through the ten essentials, what to wear, food and a final round of checks.

Once you are back, the log spread stores the distance, the climb, the time it took, the kind of route, how hard it was, the weather, the best parts and any animals you saw. The notes spread adds 15 lines and a dotted space for drawing the view or a leaf you found. Over the year you shade in 52 numbered mountains, total up each month in a stats table and tick off the parks you explore.

Who this trail journal is for

• Day hikers looking for a compact log that slips into an A5 6-ring binder, a half letter binder or a junior discbound planner
• Anyone working through a 52-hike challenge or chasing a yearly mileage goal
• Weekend walkers and park fans who like to look back on the paths, the scenery and the animals from each trip
• Hikers who prefer to map out routes, refill points and turnaround times with a pen before setting off

Design, sizes and printing

• Clean white pages, soft blush pink accents and very little ink needed
• Roomy margins all around, so a home printer will not clip anything
• Portrait pages sized A5 (148 x 210 mm) or Half Letter (5.5 x 8.5 in), with extra print-and-cut versions for standard A4 or US Letter paper
• No dates, so begin in whichever season you like, and use miles or kilometers
• Mirrored margins: odd pages have a 14 mm binding edge on the left, even pages have it on the right, and the outer edge is 8 mm
• Lines spaced no closer than 6.5 mm and type never below 8.5 pt, so the small page stays comfortable to use
• The print-and-cut sheets show a dashed line down the middle and small cut ticks, so one straight cut gives you two pages
• Slip it into a binder, clip it to a clipboard or ask a print shop for spiral binding
• Without A5 or half letter paper, print the print-and-cut version on A4 or US Letter at 100% in landscape and cut once along the dashes. Before each hike, print the log and packing spreads again

Inside the A5 hiking journal: 20 pages

1. 1Cover that lists every spread, with space for your name and the date you begin
2. 2Hiking goals: six lines of things you would love to do this season, targets in numbers (how many hikes, how far, how much climbing, new trails, summits and parks), skills you hope to build and the reasons you hike
3. 3Trail bucket list: 13 lines, each with a done box, the trail, its location and its length, plus 4 numbered dream trips
4. 4Trail log, left side: the date, the trail and the park or area, where you started and finished, how long it took, distance, total climb, the highest point, the type of route, how hard it was, weather and temperature, your companions and the state of the trail
5. 5Trail log, right side: the best moments, animals and plants you noticed, a score out of 5, whether you would go back (yes, maybe or no) and notes for the next visit
6. 6Trail notes: circles to show your mood (calm, happy, proud, tired, free, strong) and 15 lines for writing, with a gentle prompt to get you started
7. 7Sketch and wonders: a big dotted area for drawing, a checklist of little wonders and one sound you heard
8. 8Trip planner, left side: the route (the trail, where it starts, where it ends, how far, how much climbing, the time it should take and the type of route), how to get there and where to park, permits and fees, and places to bail out, with notes
9. 9Trip planner, right side: timing (sunrise, the latest start, when to turn around, when you expect to finish, sunset and the forecast), a 7 line list of places to get water, what you leave with someone at home (their name and phone, your car and plate, where you parked, when you will be back and who to call if you are late) and emergency notes
10. 10Day hike gear checklist, left side: the ten essentials and 9 lines for clothing
11. 11Day hike gear checklist, right side: food and water, comfort items and extras, final checks before you leave and space to add your own
12. 1252-hike challenge, mountains 1 to 26, with the date you started and your target date, and two lines on every mountain for the trail and the date
13. 1352-hike challenge, mountains 27 to 52, with the date you finished and the reward you promised yourself
14. 14Yearly hiking stats: a table with one row per month for the number of hikes, distance, climbing and hours, and a total for the whole year
15. 15My hiking year: your longest outing, the highest summit, the most climbing in a day, the best month, the hike of the year, your proudest moment, trails you discovered and what you hope to do next year
16. 16Parks visited, left side: a checklist of 16 lines with the park, its state or region and the date, places still on your wish list and the park you love most so far
17. 17Parks visited, right side: another 21 lines
18. 18 and 19Quick hike log: room for two hikes on each page, noting the trail, the date, how far, how long, how hard, a score out of 5 and 6 lines of notes
19. 20Dot grid page for notes, with a line for the date

What you download

• A5 Hiking Journal, A5 PDF, 148 x 210 mm (20 pages)
• A5 Hiking Journal, Half Letter PDF, 5.5 x 8.5 in (20 pages)
• Print and cut A4 PDF, two A5 pages per landscape A4 sheet (10 sheets)
• Print and cut US Letter PDF, two half letter pages per landscape Letter sheet (10 sheets)
• Read Me First, a PDF guide to printing, cutting and punching holes, with a page finder

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Good to know before you buy

• These are PDFs you print at home. They are not a hyperlinked digital planner, although most note taking apps let you import the file and handwrite on it.
• This is a digital product, so nothing arrives by mail.
• Printed colors can differ a little from what your screen shows.
• Licensed for your own personal use. Sharing, reselling or passing the files on is not allowed.
• Since the files are digital they are not returnable. If one will not open or prints wrongly, email us and we will sort it out quickly.
• Ring spacing is different from brand to brand, so no punch marks are printed. Punch the wide inner margin yourself with an A5 6-hole punch, a junior punch or a disc punch.
• The parks visited pages are blank for you to fill in, and they are not connected to or endorsed by any park service.
• The packing list and trip planner are general reminders only, not safety or navigation advice. Check up to date trail conditions, the weather and park rules every time before you go.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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