Episode & Travel Guide: Season One

A look at the 22 episodes from Supernatural’s first season with each episode’s locale identified and mapped out along a travel itinerary. Fictional places are detoured to real destinations and explanations are given for each substitution. A one-page itinerary summary, the Roadtrip Itinerary Quick Reference Guide is also available.

Guide Information & Usage: The travel itinerary is listed after each episode’s general information. Destinations are in the same order of their occurance (or mention) in the episode. Destination coordinates are in degrees and are linked to either Google Maps or MultiMap maps. All distances are in miles and are based on Google Maps online routing calculations. Google route maps can be viewed by clicking on the total miles amount. Explanations of detours are below the itinerary. Lastly, a running total of overall distance traveled is shown at the bottom of each episode block, after any trip notes and detour information.

Other kinds of episode information, such as guest stars and cast and crew, can be found at the IMDb IMDb Logo and TV.com links provided.

Disclaimer: The routing used in this guide does not take into account neighborhood conditions or crime statistics. If you are planning to visit any of the places shown, please check with the local tourism office to make sure that the area is safe for travelers.

Episode & Roadtrip Information Guide For Season One

1.01  Pilot

Original Airdate (WB): Sep 13, 2005

Written By Eric Kripke. Directed By David Nutter.

IMDb Logo TV.com logo

Quote: When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me a .45! -Sam.

Jericho road signThe starting point of this journey is Stanford, California where Sam Winchester attends college. From there, Sam travels with his brother, Dean to Jericho, California to find their Dad and to solve the mystery of a road haunted by a "woman in white". Upon their return, Sam discovers his girlfriend killed in the same supernatural manner that his mother was 22 years earlier. Grief stricken, he leaves school and joins his older brother on a quest to locate their father and find and destroy the thing responsible.

Travel Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Stanford Univ., California 37.4N -122.2E† 0
Jericho*, California (fictional) - -
Detour: Piru*, CA 34.41N -118.8E 337
Total Miles (round-trip from Stanford to Piru): 674
*Detour: (Jericho to Piru, CA)

There is no “Jericho” city or town in California. I initially picked "Jericho Valley", in Lower Lake, CA, for Jericho's detour. However, after listening to Eric Kripke's season one DVD commentary and learning that the pilot was filmed in Los Angeles and on location in Lake Piru, I changed the detour to Piru, California, where the bridge scenes were actually filmed.

Motel/Lodgings: anonymous motel, room 10photo
Travel Note/Trivia:
The streets in this episode are named after real roads in Eric Kripke’s hometown of Toledo, Ohio.
Places of Interest:
The Winchester Mystery House is located 19 miles southeast of Stanford in San Jose, CA. This creepy house was built in the late 19th century by the widow of rifle magnate, William Winchester, and is now a popular tourist attraction.
†=click to see map position.

Episode jump: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

1.02  Wendigo

Original Airdate (WB): Sep 20, 2005

Written By Paul Scheuring. Directed By Brett Ratner.

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Quote: Dad’s given us a job to do and I intend to do it. -Dean.

Lost Creek signJohn Winchester's map coordinates sends his sons to the forests of Lost Creek, Colorado. A trek into the woods takes them to Black Water Ridge where they rescue hikers who were attacked by a predatory creature called a Wendigo.

Travel Itinerary
Destination   Coordinates Dist.
Detour/ Interim destin: Barringer Meteor Crater*, Flagstaff, AZ 35.03N -111.02E 782
Interim destin: Grand Junction, Colorado 39.12N -108.54E 463
Setting: Ranger Station, Lost Creek, CO** - -
Detour:Ranger District Station, Fairplay**, CO 39.22N -106E 203
Lost Creek Wilderness, Rock Creek/ Ben Tyler Trailhead, Jefferson, CO 39.37N -105.68E 28
Black Water Ridge**, Lost Creek Wilderness 35N -111E* -
Detour: Platte River Mountain Range, Lost Creek Wilderness (on foot, not added to total) 11
Total Miles (from Stanford, CA to Jefferson, CO - near Lost Creek): 1476
*Route Detour: John’s coordinates, 35-111, point to the Barringer meteor crater in Arizona, not to Black Water Ridge, Colorado. This is a subtle tribute to the X-files and not an actual destination. Because it is along one possible route, I decided to make it an interim stop on Dean’s drive to Colorado. The map coordinates above are linked to FlashEarth.com where there is a nice satellite/aerial image of this site that lets you zoom in right over the crater.
**Detour: The brothers stopped at a ranger station and stayed at a motel in “Lost Creek”, Colorado. This town is fictional. The former mining town of Fairplay, Colorado seems a good substitute because of the presence of a ranger station and it’s proximity to the Lost Creek Wilderness.
**Hike Detour: There is no “Black Water Ridge” in the Lost Creek wilderness area. A good substitute is the Platte River mountain range accessible via the Ben Tyler trail in Jefferson, Colorado.
Motel/Lodgings: [anonymous motel]
Travel Note/Trivia: Creepily, the total miles between Meteor Crater, AZ and the ranger station in Fairplay, CO with Grand Junction, CO as an interim point is exactly 666 miles according to Google Maps routing.
Cumulative Miles: 1739

1.03 Dead In The Water

Original Airdate (WB): Sep 27, 2005

Written By Sera Gamble & Raelle Tucker. Directed by Kim Manners. IMDb LogoTV.com logo

Quote: Must be hard with your sense of direction. Never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line. -Andrea to Dean.

Lake Manitoc signThis leg of the journey finds the brothers in Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin where a vengeful spirit from the local lake is attacking the family of the men who were responsible for it's drowning years ago. Sam and Dean rescue a mother and child from a watery death.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Lake Manitoc*, Wisconsin - -
Detour: Manitowish Waters, WI 46.13N -89.83E 1255
Total Miles (from Lost Creek to Manitowish Waters): 1255
*Detour: There is no town called “Lake Manitoc” in Wisconsin. Manitowish Waters, a small town surrounded by several lakes and with a dam (Rest Lake dam) that the DNR rates as hazardous and wants to remove, seems an appropriate substitute. Aptly, the name “Manitowish” is derived from the Chippewa term for “evil spirit”.
Motel/Lodgings: Lakefront Motelphoto
Trip Note:
The town of Winchester, WI is located about 12 miles north of Manitowish Waters.
Cumulative Miles: 2994

Episode jump: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

1.04 Phantom Traveler

Original Airdate (WB): Oct 4, 2005

Written By Richard Hatem. Directed by Robert Singer.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: I know what an EMF meter is. But why does that one look like a busted up Walkman? -Sam.

Nazareth Road signA call from a friend of their dad's leads the brothers to Kittanning, Pennsylvania and nearby airports where flights are being crashed by demonic influence. Sam performs an exorcism in mid flight to prevent an airline disaster while Dean overcomes his fear of flying to help him.

Itinerary
Destination  Coordinates Dist.
Kittanning, Pennsylvania 40.82N -79.52E 851
Setting: Airport, Pittsburgh*, PA 40.49N -80.26E 59
Nazareth**, Pennsylvania (round-trip) 40.75N -75.32E 626
Setting: Airport, Indianapolis, IN (round-trip) 39.73N -86.27E 714
Total Miles (from Manitowish Waters, WI- Lake Manitoc detour): 2250
*Detour: The airport that is the primary setting for this episode is not actually named (and I couldn't read Jerry’s ID badge). Pittsburgh International airport seems the most likely candidate because it is close to Kittanning, PA, where Jerry Panowski lives, and it is over 5 hours by car from Indianapolis airport (mentioned by Sam).
**Route Fact Check: Nazareth, PA is stated as being “about 60 miles west” of the airport by Jerry to Dean. It is actually located more than 300 miles east of Pittsburgh airport.
Motel/Lodgings: [anonymous motel]
Cumulative Miles: 5244

1.05 Bloody Mary

Original Airdate (WB): Oct 11, 2005

Written By Eric Kripke. Directed by Peter Ellis.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: Look, you’re my brother and I’d die for you, but there is some things I need to keep to myself. -Sam

Toledo obituaryAn unusual death brings the brothers to Toledo, Ohio where they find the ghost of “Bloody Mary” killing guilty people when she is called 3 times in front of a mirror. Sam uses his remorse about Jessica’s death to lure Bloody Mary and Dean destroys the spirit by forcing it to face itself in front of a mirror.

Itinerary
Destination  Coordinates Dist.
Toledo, Ohio 41.67N -83.57E 228
Fort Wayne, Indiana (round-trip) 41.08N -85.13E 223
Total Miles (from Pittsburgh Int’l Airport, PA): 451
Motel/Lodgings: Anonymous motelphoto
Trip Note:
Toledo, Ohio is the hometown of Supernatural's creator, Eric Kripke.
Cumulative Miles: 5695

Episode jump: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

1.06 Skin

Original Airdate (WB): Oct 18, 2005

Written By John Shiban. Directed by Robert D. McNeill.IMDb Logo

Quote: Argh, the thought of him driving my car. It’s killing me. -Dean.   Let it go. -Sam.

St. Louis landmarkAn email from Sam’s college friend sends Sam and Dean to St. Louis, Missouri to investigate a murder that was seemingly done by someone who was in two places at once. A bloody trail leads them into the sewers where they encounter a shapeshifter who duplicates Dean and attacks a woman, causing Dean to be accused of the crime. The shifter is shot dead by Dean as it tried to kill Sam.

Itinerary
Destination  Coordinates Dist.
St. Louis, Missouri 38.65N -90.21E 506
Total Miles (from Toledo, Ohio): 506
Motel/Lodgings: [none shown]
Places of Interest:
  • The Gateway Arch, shown in in the above image, is a 630 ft. stainless steel monument that was built to commemorate St. Louis' historic role as the gateway to the West.
  • The Lemp Mansion, once named by Life Magazine as one of the 10 most haunted places in America, is a restaurant and inn offering regular haunted tours.
Cumulative Miles: 6201

1.07 Hookman

Original Airdate (WB): Oct 25, 2005

Written By John Shiban. Directed by David Jackson.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: I told you. You don’t have to be a college graduate to be a genius. -Dean.

Iowa license platesA fraternity brother’s unusual death brings the brothers to Ankeny, Iowa where they find a preacher’s daughter being haunted by the murderous spirit of the "hookman". Sam protects both the preacher and his daughter while Dean burns the silver from its original hook hand to vanquish the spirit.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Setting: Fraternity, Eastern Iowa U.*, Ankeny, IA - -
Detour: Iowa State U., Ames, IA 42.02N -93.64E 387
Ankeny, Iowa 41.73N -93.6E 27
Setting: St. Barnabas Church**, Ankeny, IA - -
Detour: St. Barnabas Church, Montrose, IA 40.53N -91.42E 197
Total Miles (from St. Louis, MO): 611
*Detour: There is no Eastern Iowa Univ. in Ankeny, Iowa. There are only a baptist college and a community college in Ankeny, neither of which has a residential fraternity on campus. Iowa State Univ. in nearby Ames, IA, is a better location for the fraternity.
**Detour: St. Barnabas is not in “Calumet Co.” nor in Ankeny, IA. This historic church and cemetery is about 200 miles south of Ankeny in Montrose, IA.
Route Fact Check: This episode displayed several locale signs which were fictional. There is no “9 mile road” in or around Ankeny and there is no “Calumet county” in Iowa. Ankeny, Iowa is in Polk county.
Motel/Lodgings: Fraternity house ΓΤ (Gamma-Tau)photo
Cumulative Miles: 6,812

Episode jump: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

1.08 Bugs

Original Airdate (WB): Nov 8, 2005

Written By Rachel Nave & Bill Coakley. Directed by Kim Manners.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: Dad never treated you like that. You were perfect. He was all over my case -Sam.

Salpulpa Cafe signThe brothers next stop is Oasis Plains, Oklahoma where a housing development is being built on cursed land and the burial site of a massacred Indian tribe. Unable to convince the developer to leave, the brothers risk their lives to protect a family from swarms of insects.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Oasis Plains*, Oklahoma - .
Detour: Sand Springs, Oklahoma 36.14N -96.1E 493
Setting: College, poss. Oklahoma State U. in Stillwater, Oklahoma 36.12N -97.07E 63
Sapulpa, Oklahoma (round-trip) 36.01N -96.11E 87
Total Miles (from St. Barnabas in Montrose, IA): 643
*Detour: There is no "Oasis Plains" in Oklahoma. The city of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, which borders the Osage indian reservation, makes an aptly named substitute.
Motel/Lodgings: Squatted in empty housephoto
Trip Note:
The town of Winchester, Oklahoma is about 34 miles south of Sand Springs.
Cumulative Miles: 7,455

1.09 Home

Original Airdate (WB): Nov 15, 2005

Written By Eric Kripke. Directed by Ken Girotti.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I am going to whack you with a spoon. -Missouri Mosley (to Dean).

Lawrence road signSam has a nightmare about something evil going on in their old home. He convinces a reluctant Dean to drive to Lawrence, Kansas where they find that the family living in their old home is being plagued by a poltergist. The brothers team up with a psychic named Missouri to get rid of it. When things go wrong, the ghost of their deceased mother materializes to protect Sam.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Lawrence, Kansas 38.96N -95.25E 225
Total Miles (from Sand Springs, OK- Oasis Plains detour): 225
Motel/Lodgings: Sleep Easy Motelphoto
Trip Notes:
  • Just west of Lawrence is Stull Cemetery which is reputed to be one of the 7 portals to hell.
  • The small town of Winchester, KS is located 25 miles north of Lawrence.
Cumulative Miles: 7,679

Episode jump: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

1.10 Asylum

Original Airdate: Nov 22, 2005

Written By Richard Hatem.  Directed by Guy Norman Bee.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: See, that attitude right there. That is why I always get the extra cookie. -Dean.

Rockford websiteA new set of coordinates from their dad sends the brothers to Rockford, Illinois to investigate a haunted sanitarium. Sam falls victim to the ghost of a mad psychiatrist who fills him with uncontrolled rage. Sam attacks Dean and Dean is forced to knock his brother out, then salt and burn the psychiatrist’s bones to save him.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Rockford, Illinois 42.28N -89.05E 514
Total Miles (from Lawrence, Kansas): 514
Motel/Lodgings: Anonymous motelphoto
Travel Notes/Trivia:
  • Unlike the other coordinates that John sent to Dean, his coordinates to Rockford, Illinois (42,-89) were accurate to the degree.photo
  • There is no "Roosevelt Asylum" in Rockford, Illinois. The best alternative would have been the historic Rockford Sanitarium which housed thousands of patients since the 1800's, but it is now the Univ. of Illinois, College of Medicine at Rockford.
Cumulative Miles: 8,193

1.11 Scarecrow

Original Airdate (WB): Jan 10, 2006

Written By John Shiban. Directed By Kim Manners.IMDb LogoTV.com Logo

Quote: I don’t understand the blind faith you have in the man. -Sam (to Dean about their dad).

Burkitsville signA dispute about their Dad causes Sam to abandon his brother to go hitchhiking to California. Dean drives solo to the town of Burkitsville, Indiana where he foils an attempt to sacrifice a young couple to a "scarecrow" god. When Dean gets nabbed and used as bait, Sam comes to his rescue and the brothers reunite and resume their roadtrip together.

Itinerary
Destination Coordinates Dist.
Interim Dest.: Scottsburg, IN & Salem, IN 38.68N -85.78E 373
Burkitsville*, Indiana - .
Detour: Henryville, Indiana 38.54N -85.77E 20
Total Miles (from Rockford, IL): 393
*Detour: There is no "Burkitsville", Indiana. Since Burkittsville, Maryland, home of the "Blair witch", was founded by Henry Burkitt, it seems fitting that Henryville, Indiana should be the alternate destination for Burkitsville.
Motel/Lodgings: Anonymous motelphoto
Cumulative Miles: 8,587

End First Half

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