The famous bus from Into The Wild that hiker Chris McCandless lived and died in has been removed from the Alaskan wilderness. However, the location of the bus is still marked on google maps.
The abandoned bus sat on the Stampede Trail in Alaska for decades. It was known as the ‘Fairbanks Bus 142’ and the ‘Magic Bus’ and was finally airlifted out by helicopter on Thursday afternoon.
In 1992 the bus was inhabited by legendary itinerant hiker Chris McCandless who tragically died in the vehicle from either starvation or poisoning.
The bus became famous when author Jon Krakauer told the story in the 1996 book Into The Wild.
The bus garnered even more fame when Sean Penn made a movie about McCandless’ exploits in 2007, also called Into The Wild. The site became something of a pilgrimage site for hardy hikers.
The authorities have not yet disclosed what the bus’s final destination will be, but it is understood that it is in a state of severe disrepair and may be destroyed.
Alaska’s Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige stated that officials realized that the vehicle had a hold in the popular imagination, but it had just become too dangerous.
They said: “This is an abandoned and deteriorating vehicle that was requiring dangerous and costly rescue efforts. More importantly, it was costing some visitors their lives.”
So, sadly, it had to go.
You can still see Chris McCandless’ bus on Google maps
However, if you want to check out the bus’s original location on the Stampede Trail, you can still do so on Google maps.
It was just outside Denali National Park to the southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska.
In the 1990s, Chris McCandles left his home in Washington DC and hiked west, traveling right across North America. In 1992 he reached the Stampede Trail, where he found the abandoned bus.
Reportedly after living there off the land for some time, he attempted to return to civilization. Unable to cross the swollen Teklanika River, he returned to the bus, where he died approximately a month later.
Numerous hikers have had to be rescued trying to reach the bus
Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker has reportedly breathed a sigh of relief as numerous people have needed rescue in the last three decades as they’ve attempted to recreate Chris McCandless’ journey.
Some hikers have even died trying to reach it.
Earlier this year, the host of Animal Rescue Alaska, Jeff Corwin, sat down for an interview with Monsters and Critics. He discussed his greatest adventures regarding wildlife and wilderness on America’s last great frontier.
You can catch the interview right here.
Fans of the Alaskan wilderness were also treated to a new show called Life Below Zero on National Geographic this year, which followed the brave residents of an isolated village on the Alaska coast.
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