How long is Stampede Trail?

Okay, so you wanna check out the Stampede Trail in Alaska's Denali National Park? This place is legendary!

It's about 18 miles (28km) of pure Alaskan wilderness, kicking off from the George Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3). The first four miles? Easy peasy, paved road. You can probably get up to Mile 5 in a regular car. After that, things get real. You'll need a high-clearance vehicle, preferably with four-wheel drive, to handle the rough terrain. Eventually, it turns into a hiking trail all the way to an old antimony mine along Stampede Creek.

Yeah, this is the trail where that infamous bus, Fairbanks City Transit System Bus 142, used to be. It was a relic from the '60s, abandoned after some road work. It became a destination when Christopher McCandless (aka "Into the Wild") lived in it back in '92 before, sadly, passing away from starvation. It really put this trail on the map. But, for safety and preservation, the bus has been moved to the University of Alaska Museum of the North in 2020.

So, about the drive itself? It can be tough. Even though it's mostly flat, it gets super muddy after it rains. And, watch out, you'll need to ford two rivers. Also, don't believe every map you see — Stampede Road doesn't actually reach the Toklat River, so it's not a great shortcut.

But hey, the views are amazing! On a clear day, you might even catch a glimpse of Mt. McKinley (Denali). Plus, you're likely to spot moose, foxes, caribou, and, yep, even bears. Just be prepared for mosquitoes, especially if the air's still.

This isn't some manicured tourist attraction. It was originally cut back in the '30s as a mining trail. They started to improve it in '61 for truck access to the mines, but the project was abandoned a couple of years later. And, get this: they never built any bridges, even though it crosses several rivers! So, yeah, expect a raw, unfiltered Alaskan experience.