The Stampede Trail and the 142 Magic Bus
The Stampede Trail is a road located in the U.S. state of Alaska. A portion of it it’s paved but the remainder of the route consists of a primitive and dangerous hiking trail that follows the original path. Despite the hazards, hikers trek this difficult region and often comes with heavy backpacks for night stays.
In 1961 Yutan Construction began upgrading the trail so it would be used by trucks to transport ore from the nearby mines. The project was stopped in 1963 after 80 km of road were built. Even though it crosses several rivers, no bridges were constructed. The trail has since been used by backcountry travelers on foot, bicycle, snowmachine, and motorcycle.
The Stampede Trail leads to the famous “Magic Bus” in which Christopher McCandless lived for several months, from April until August 1992. Hauled into the wilderness by a construction company in the early 1960s as a backcountry shelter during a short-lived road project along the area’s Stampede Trail, the bus would soon be abandoned and forgotten on the far side of a boggy, river-soaked parcel of public wildland attracting mainly moose and local hunters. The life of this young man is very well told in the bestseller “Into the Wild ” by Jon Krakauer and also in the movie Sean Penn made in 2007.
Image Credit: Flickr/ Erik Halfacre
This dilapidated bus became a place of pilgrimage. Tourists come from the other side of the world to visit. However it is really not easy to get there and requires performing a long walk (40 km) through the tundra. The road is not as well maintained as it is used to be and it’s easy to get lost in the great outdoors of Alaska. Halfway to the bus there’s a major obstacle: the Teklanika River. Crossing the river is risky because of the strong currents. In the middle of the summer the river is too swollen and crossing is not allowed.
In the past few years the bus has been trashed by visitors and that’s a shame. Despite this the place remains “occupied” by McCandless. It exudes a lot of emotion and if you happen to spend a night in it there is a feeling that this abandoned bus really has a soul.
More info and location at stampedetrail.info
Update: “Alaska’s ‘Into the Wild’ bus, known as a deadly tourist lure, has been removed by air” – cnn.com
The decision to remove the bus in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources was made out of concern for public safety, the guard said in a statement. In its current location, near Healy, Alaska, the bus has drawn people into danger of the Alaska wilderness.
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Beautiful!
Tell me the helicopter agency name .
We 4 are going Aug 2019
Hi there
Two of us are going to be there from 17th to 21 of August of 2019. Would love to share a helicopter ride .
mee too!! Shared the trip?
mee too!! Shared the trip?
Before McCandless leaves for Alaska, Wayne Westerberg offers to buy him a plane ticket. McCandless refuses, however, claiming, “flying would be cheating. It would wreck the whole trip”
This kid was dumb as a post. Planning anyone? If he had a shred if common sense, he could have pulled this off. Would probably still be here.
Flying in on a Helicopter? That’s pathetic and it’s the problem with Gen X . I bet that you want free education and healthcare to boot. Get in shape, learn backpacking skills and get a life.
As a proud member of Gen X (I’m nearly 50 by the way), I’m sorry to hear that you’re so disappointed in us. Unfortunately, I have a job and a mortgage to pay, so my travel windows are narrow. During the times that I can make this trip happen for myself, the rivers are too wild to cross on foot. The locals would prefer we actually pay a local helicopter service to make the trip than pay for an emergency crew to sap AK tax dollars for a rescue. What you call pathetic, I call logical and responsible. I am in shape, have backpacking skills, enjoy a wonderful life that I’ve built for myself, support free public education, support an earned forgiveness of college loans, and support free healthcare for all (as demonstrated successfully in most advanced societies).
That said, anybody heading up in late July/early August of 2020? Let’s share a flight.
I guess if more ppl took helicopters the bus would still be there for us… Although i am sad that I cant go… for the hike as well.. Part of me still wants to go.
ok boomer
AHHH…the foolishness and arrogance of youth… May you someday realize your stupidity and the regret it will bring when you are older…
Looking to hike to bus 142 around July 20th stay couple days and hike out. Have everything needed. Anyone interested in coming with?
Yes. Tell me about your plan.
I’m planning on hitching from anchorage to Fairbanks we could meet there. Bus is about 19 miles so thinking two days to get to bus two days at bus two days back to Fairbanks? I just got a raft that will fit in coffee can super lightweight for crossing river if needed. My biggest issue is I won’t know if I can get the time off work till July 1st. Text or call when you have few minutes 2187802368. Be fun to get small group to go. 2-4 people
The Bus is gone!
So sad.
OMG. A bucket list item has been taken from me!
What is the latest on the bus?. I know that the air guard picked it up but where did they take it and what is it status now? Thanks
I tried to drive it about 8 miles west of 8 Mile Lake but turned around because of big bear prints in the sandy creek. Before I turned, a couple rode by on 4 wheelers who lived in the area and we had a nice chat.
I think it was “Bearflanks” 😀
that bus was more than just a point on a map. It was for Chris and adventure in findig himself. Taking that away was taking away the rights of anyone that wished to find the spirit of advanture, supposedly what Alaska is all about. risk of life is a decision made by someone who doesnt want to to rescuue anylonger. if your worried about loosing your life during the rescue of another person, you shouldn’t be in that situation.