Into The Wild

Stampede Trail & The Bus

With the release of the movie “Into the Wild” , there has been a renewed interest in the Stampede Trail and traveling to “the Bus.” EarthSong Lodge is about the last spot along the Stampede Trail before the four miles of dirt road begin, and after that, the old mining trail. Most of our guests are familiar with the story of young Christopher McChandliss, and his fatal adventure out the Stampede Trail. As residents of the Stampede Trail since 1983, there are few people more knowledgeable about the route and logistics for a hike to the Bus than us at EarthSong, and we are more than happy to offer navigational assistance to any backcountry adventurer.

The movie, and to a lesser extent, the book, take some great liberties with actual events. Fans would be interested, and some disappointed, to learn that McCandliss did not accidentally poison himself with local flora, but only died from slowly starving to death. While the movie and book depart from reality at some points, the difficulty in crossing the Teklanika River cannot be understated. Hikers going out in the summer months should be willing to turn back if the river is hard to cross…anything less may end up with a fatality. We usually recommend hikers go out in the early summer months of May and early June, or the fall months of September. Weather is better, mosquitoes less annoying, and the river is crossed with greater success. The hike usually takes about two days to the Bus on the Sushana River, and two days back to the pullout at 8 Mile Lake (where the road ends).