Where was Call of the Wild filmed? Explore the stunning locations behind all major adaptations of the Jack London classic.
Jack London’s 1903 novel The Call of the Wild has inspired a surprisingly varied collection of film and TV adaptations, and filmmakers have found some very different ways to recreate its frozen North.
From Yellowstone and Truckee to Mount Baker, Finnish Lapland, British Columbia, and Quebec, the productions rarely filmed in the actual Yukon. Instead, they went looking for landscapes that could pass for the wilderness on screen.
The 1923 film stars Jack Mulhall, with Clark Gable leading the 1935 version. Charlton Heston starred in 1972, John Beck in 1976, Rick Schroder in 1993, Rutger Hauer in 1997, Shane Meier in the 2000 TV series, and Harrison Ford in the digitally-created 2020 version.
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🐾 Where Was Call of the Wild Filmed?
So, where was Call of the Wild filmed? Grab your imaginary sled – we’re going location hunting.
🏔️ The Call of the Wild (1923) Filming Locations
The first feature adaptation headed straight into some of America‘s most dramatic western landscapes. The story follows Buck from his comfortable home into the brutal Klondike, where he is forced into life as a sled dog.
Directed by Fred Jackman and produced by Hal Roach, the silent Call of the Wild 1923 stars Jack Mulhall as John Thornton, with Walter Long as Hagin and Sidney D’Albrook as Charles.
The production spent around five months travelling thousands of miles, with location work at Yellowstone National Park and Truckee, California.
What was filmed here:
- Yellowstone National Park, USA: Real western wilderness.
- Truckee, California, USA: Winter landscapes resembling Alaska.
- Colorado, USA: Additional location work.
What to see & do here:
Explore some seriously scenic mountain country.
- Yellowstone National Park: Geysers, wildlife, volcanic landscapes.
- Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming: Terraces and historic Fort Yellowstone.
- Old Faithful, Wyoming: Watch Yellowstone‘s most famous geyser erupt.
- Donner Memorial State Park, California: Sierra history, trails, Donner Lake.
- Truckee, California: Historic downtown and old railway town.
- Donner Pass, California: Sierra’s most spectacular mountain corridors.
❄️ Call of the Wild (1935) Filming Locations
Call of the Wild 1935 went all-in on real winter landscapes, even when the weather fought back. Directed by William A. Wellman, the film stars Clark Gable as Jack Thornton, Loretta Young as Claire Blake, and Jack Oakie as Shorty Hoolihan.
Filming locations included Mount Baker, Lake Chelan, Truckee, Feather River, Mammoth Lakes, Lake Tahoe, and Universal’s Western Street backlot, with additional photography in California and Nevada.
What was filmed here:
- Mount Baker, Washington, USA: Snowy wilderness & mountains.
- Mount Baker Lodge, Washington, USA: Mountain location & production base.
- Lake Chelan, Washington, USA: Frozen landscapes & wilderness photography.
- Truckee, California, USA: Additional winter sequences & frontier set.
- Feather River, California, USA: Outdoor wilderness photography.
- Mammoth Lakes, California, USA: Mountain and winter photography.
- Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA: Snowy wilderness material.
- Universal Western Street, California, USA: Studio-set frontier.
What to see & do here:
Plan a fantastic Sierra and Pacific Northwest road trip.
- Bellingham, Washington: Waterfront, historic downtown, mountain scenery.
- North Cascades National Park: Hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest.
- Leavenworth, Washington: Bavarian-style town and mountain trails.
- Donner Memorial State Park, California: Pioneer Monument, Donner Lake.
- Virginia City, Nevada: Remarkably preserved Gold Rush-era town.
- Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada: Hike, paddle, ski, mountain views.
🌲 The Call of the Wild (1972) Filming Locations
Call of the Wild 1972 found its Yukon considerably farther east in Norway, Finnish Lapland, and Spain, using Scandinavian snowfields, forests, and frozen landscapes to represent the North American wilderness.
Directed by Ken Annakin, this adaptation stars Charlton Heston as John Thornton, Michèle Mercier as Calliope Laurent, and George Eastman as Black Burton.
In Norway, the production went beyond generic scenery, building a Dawson City set beside Dælivannet in Bærum, with additional scenes filmed around Asdøltjern and Lysakerelva.
What was filmed here:
- Dælivannet, Bærum, Norway: Dawson City set & snowy wilderness.
- Asdøltjern, Vestmarka, Norway: Frozen-lake & winter landscape.
- Lysakerelva, Norway: River & wilderness photography.
- Lapland, Finland: Remote wilderness & sled-dog sequences.
- Spain: Warmer landscapes for earlier story material.
What to see & do here:
Plan a spectacular Nordic adventure, with a Spanish detour if you’re following the production south.
- Bærums Verk, Norway: Historic ironworks village & sculpture park.
- Sandvika, Norway: Fjordfront & Henie Onstad Art Center.
- Oslo, Norway: Explore museums, parks, & waterfront.
- Rovaniemi, Finland: Cross the Arctic Circle & visit Santa Claus Village.
- Saariselkä, Finland: Fell landscapes & Urho Kekkonen National Park.
- Segovia, Spain: See the Roman aqueduct & medieval old town.
- La Granja de San Ildefonso, Spain: Royal palace & historic gardens.
🏕️ The Call of the Wild (1976) Filming Locations
Directed by Jerry Jameson, the 1976 Call of the Wild TV movie stars John Beck as John Thornton, Bernard Fresson as François, and John McLiam as the Prospector.
It also has one of the messier location histories, with filming at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia, the most well documented location, while Apple TV lists the Sierra Madres and Grand Tetons as filming locations.
What was filmed here:
- Pocahontas State Park, Virginia, USA: Location for the TV adaptation.
- Sierra Madres, USA: Apple TV’s production information.
- Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA: Apple TV’s production information.
What to see & do here:
Follow the Virginia trail to see plenty beyond the filming site.
- Richmond, Virginia: Museums, historic districts, & James River.
- Petersburg, Virginia: Civil War history & historic streets.
- James River Park System, Virginia: Hike, cycle, explore the riverfront.
- Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia: Discover Civil War history.
- Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond: Dig into Virginia’s past.
🐕 Call of the Wild (1993) Filming Locations
Call of the Wild 1993 brought the story much closer to the northern landscape it was actually supposed to resemble. Directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno, the TV adaptation stars Rick Schroder as John Thornton, Gordon Tootoosis as Charlie, and Duncan Fraser as Red Fiske.
The production used British Columbia’s Cariboo country, with filming documented in Quesnel, Barkerville, and Bowron Lake Provincial Park. The landscapes offered forests, lakes, mountains, and Gold Rush history much closer to the atmosphere of the Yukon setting.
What was filmed here:
- Quesnel, BC, Canada: Yukon town & wilderness.
- Barkerville, BC: Gold Rush-era town.
- Bowron Lake Provincial Park, BC, Canada: Remote wilderness.
What to see & do here:
Combine movie history with British Columbia’s Gold Rush heritage.
- Wells, BC: Historic mining town & galleries.
- Cottonwood House Historic Site, BC: Original Cariboo Wagon Road stop.
- Britannia Mine Museum: Try your hand at gold panning.
🏔️ The Call of the Wild (1997) Filming Locations
The Canadian Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon 1997 TV movie filmed in Quebec. Directed by Peter Svatek it stars Rutger Hauer as John Thornton and is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss.
The TV movie follows Thornton and Buck through the Klondike-era wilderness and filmed exterior scenes in Quebec, using the province’s forests and winter landscapes as its Yukon substitute.
What was filmed here:
- Quebec, Canada: Exterior wilderness and Klondike sequences.
What to see & do here:
Quebec offers plenty of historic and scenic distractions.
- Old Québec, Québec City: Fortified historic district & stone streets.
- Montmorency Falls, Québec: Dramatic waterfall outside the city.
- Île d’Orléans, Québec: Drive the scenic island loop.
- Plains of Abraham, Québec City: One of the major historic landscapes.
- Charlevoix, Québec: Forests, mountains, St. Lawrence landscape.
🐺 Call of the Wild (2000) Filming Locations
The 2000 Call of the Wild TV series takes the story into a 13-episode frontier adventure, following 15-year-old Miles Challenger and Buck in the Yukon during the Gold Rush.
The series was filmed in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, using the area’s forests, landscapes, and western-style sets to recreate the Yukon.
What was filmed here:
- Maple Ridge, BC, Canada: Yukon wilderness & frontier-town.
- Bordertown set, Maple Ridge, BC: Period western-town scenes & exteriors.
What to see & do here:
- Golden Ears Provincial Park, Maple Ridge, BC: Forests & mountain scenery.
- Kanaka Creek Regional Park, Maple Ridge, BC: Forested trails beside the river.
- Alouette Lake, Maple Ridge, BC: Beaches, trails, & mountain views.
- Fort Langley, Langley, BC: Historic Hudson’s Bay Company trading post.
❓ Call of the Wild Filming FAQs
The film adaptations have plenty of location and behind-the-scenes quirks.
What is The Call of the Wild about?
Jack London’s The Call of the Wild follows Buck, a domesticated dog stolen and sold into the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. After bonding with John Thornton, Buck ultimately leaves human life behind to answer the call of the wild.
What happened to Buck in the original book?
After John Thornton‘s death, Buck fully embraces his wild instincts and joins a wolf pack, completing his transformation from domesticated dog to creature of the wilderness.
When was The Call of the Wild book published?
Jack London’s The Call of the Wild was published in 1903 and became one of his best-known novels.
Where is The Call of the Wild set?
Jack London’s novel is set primarily in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, following Buck after he is stolen from his comfortable California home and forced into life as a sled dog.
Why didn’t they film Call of the Wild in the Yukon?
The Yukon was too remote, so filmmakers used more accessible locations that could recreate its snowy wilderness. The 1935 production’s real-snow shoot at Mount Baker faced severe blizzards, illness, and poor accommodation.
How many Call of the Wild movies are there?
There have been numerous screen adaptations of The Call of the Wild, including major versions from 1923, 1935, 1972, 1976, 1993, 1997, and 2020, plus other film and television adaptations.
Which of the movies are faithful to Jack London’s book?
- 1923: Closely follows Buck’s wilderness journey.
- 1935: Major changes, romance, human-focused storyline.
- 1972: Closely follows Buck’s survival journey.
- 1976: Buck-centered adaptation with changed characters.
- 1993: Buck’s adventure with several story changes.
- 1997: Close to Buck and Thornton’s relationship.
- 2000 TV series: Expands Buck’s story into a frontier adventure.
- 2020: Family-friendly retelling with major changes.
What breed was Buck in the Call of the Wild movies?
- 1935: Saint Bernard
- 1976: Saint Bernard/German Shepherd cross
- 1993: German Shepherd
- 1997: Leonbergers
- 2000 TV series: Saint Bernard
- 2020: Fully digital creation
Who played Buck in Call of the Wild (1935)?
Buck was played by King, an 18-month-old Saint Bernard owned and trained by Hollywood dog trainer Carl Spitz. A second dog, Cappy, served as his double.
Where was Call of the Wild filmed?
The major live-action adaptations used a remarkable spread of locations, but none relied on the Yukon for their main wilderness photography.
- 1923: Yellowstone & Truckee
- 1935: Washington, California, & Nevada
- 1976: Norway, Finland, & Spain
- 1972: Virginia
- 1993: British Columbia
- 1997: Quebec
- 2000 TV series: British Columbia
- 2020: Los Angeles & Santa Clarita studios
Call of the Wild 2020 was made using practical sets and extensive visual effects.
What was unusual about the 1972 filming?
A complete Dawson City set was built beside Dælivannet in Norway, turning a Scandinavian lakeside into a convincing slice of the Klondike. Local dog teams and extras also participated in the production.
What are some movies like Call of the Wild?
- White Fang (1991): Wolfdog finds friendship in wilderness.
- Balto (1995): Sled dog races through deadly winter.
- Eight Below (2006): Sled dogs fight to survive isolation.
- Into the Wild (2007): Young man seeks wilderness freedom.
- The Grey (2011): Survivors battle Alaska‘s brutal wilderness.
- The Revenant (2015): Frontier survival turns brutally personal.
What is TheHunter: Call of the Wild game?
theHunter: Call of the Wild is an open-world hunting video game featuring expansive wilderness environments, wildlife, and realistic hunting mechanics.
📺 Where to Watch Call of the Wild
Where are the Call of the Wild films streaming? Here’s where to find many of the classic adaptations.
From Yellowstone and Mount Baker to Finnish Lapland and British Columbia, The Call of the Wild has sent filmmakers hunting for their own version of Jack London‘s frozen North for more than a century.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy of its information or recommend relying on it for important decisions. All referenced titles, names, and intellectual property belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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