Where are they stranded in Yellowjackets? Looking at where the wilderness could be in the hit show

If you're wondering exactly where the Yellowjackets have crash landed in the show, that's a very good question - it's a survivalists dream but the girls' nightmare, and we look at where the area could be.

When Yellowjackets crash landed (see what we did there?) onto our screens back in 2021, it became an instant smash hit and viewers immediately wanted to know if it was based on a true story. Managing to assemble a cast of some of the finest acting talent in the industry from both past and present must've been an incredible feat, and it certainly paid off - Yellowjackets is an addictive must-see that'll have you thinking about it, dreaming about it, and wanting to deep-dive into theories about it.

Crossing two timelines, the show has a bit of everything - In 1996, the New Jersey team give us 90s fashion and pop culture, and the mysteries of the eerie place they're stranded. The present delves into just how bad things got for the Yellowjackets as they fought to stay alive in the wilderness, and how they deal with their trauma - the way Jackie died would've caused the team to need serious therapy. But just where is the wilderness and how long were the girls there?

Where are they stranded in Yellowjackets?

It's difficult to find out where the Yellowjackets' plane crashed, and it's usually vaguely suggested to be 'the Canadian Wilderness,' or 'the Canadian Rockies,' which isn't particularly specific.

However, thanks to a Reddit theory, the exact location might've been pinpointed - a dedicated sleuth who clearly put hours of research into their theory, believes the girls are stranded in the Jasper National Park of Canada, where they were stuck for 19 months.

The theory takes into account the time of day the team left their homes to get their plane - 5.30-6.30am. If you're wondering why they were even flying over Canada in the first place (they shouldn't have been,) you can hear during take off a message over the plane's PA system that a storm is expected to hit and there will be a diversion over the Canadian Rockies - that puts to bed why they'd be flying over Canada.

Realising the plane was on course to crash and having dumped some fuel in an attempt to avoid a fire on landing, the theory states the pilot would've headed towards Calgary. They would likely have run out of fuel to make it to Calgary in time, and looking at flight times, which direction the sunlight is coming from (hours must've been spent on this theory,) and so much more intel, evidence points to Jasper National Park as the crash site.

The area is full of snow capped mountains as depicted in the series, unlike some of the other surrounding areas that aren't. If you need more evidence, Google Earth will tell you the Glacier Lake sits next to a mountain named Maligne Mountain in the area - could the writers have used the name of this mountain as a play on 'malign' meaning evil or malevolent and the lake the girls live next to is Glacier Lake? This could explain some of the supernatural elements in the show.

Another commenter on the Reddit thread points out an idea suggesting the girls are hallucinating and acting strangely due to manganese poisoning. The real life Manganese Mountain is also within the potential crash site range, and nearby animals in the series also appear sick and unwell alongside the strange neurological symptoms experienced by the Yellowjackets.

Have you ever noticed the river in the series is red and yellow and the girls drink straight from the lake fed by the river? Manganese runoff from the mountain could be infecting the rivers and lakes, causing the the neurological symptoms the girls experience, which really do include aggression and hallucinations.

In the video game Red Dead Redemption 2, a mine collapses and the runoff affects local streams and rivers causing people and animals in nearby towns to become unwell. If you're wondering how that's relevant, Yellowjackets Showrunner Ashley Lyle, has reportedly said this is her favourite game...

We think this theory has incredibly strong legs (check it out, it's absolutely amazing,) and the Jasper National Park really could be where the girls are in the show - let's wait and see if this is ever confirmed.