My Side of the Mountain Ending Explained

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Spoiler warning: this post explains the full ending of My Side of the Mountain. If you have not finished the book, stop here and come back later.

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Quick answer: Sam Gribley, a boy who ran away from his crowded New York City home to live alone in the Catskill Mountains in a hollow tree, becomes famous after newspapers write about the “wild boy.” At the end of his second year, his whole family arrives to live with him, and his father plans to build a house, ending Sam's solitary life in the wild.

Quick facts

– Book: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

– First published: 1959

– Type: A middle-grade adventure novel

– Tone of the ending: Bittersweet and happy

Table of Contents

What Leads Up to the Ending

Sam, twelve, leaves home with a penknife, an axe, flint and a little money. He finds the land of his great-grandfather. He burns out a hollow in a giant hemlock and makes a home. He captures and trains a peregrine falcon, Frightful.

What Happens at the End of My Side of the Mountain

Sam survives a snowy winter in his tree house, using deer hides, a fireplace of clay and food stored from summer, and he befriends a weasel, a raccoon called Jessie Coon James and his falcon Frightful. A lost English teacher, whom he nicknames Bando, finds him and becomes his friend, visiting in winter with Sam's father. A boy reporter, Matt, discovers Sam and promises to keep quiet, but newspapers begin printing stories about a wild boy living in the Catskills. Sam realizes he has been longing for people. In spring, his whole family arrives with plans to build a house, and his mother insists he cannot live alone. Sam is both disappointed and relieved.

The Ending in 4 Quick Points

Sam survives alone.
The press finds him.
His family arrives.
Sam accepts company.

What Happens to the Main Characters

Character	What happens to them
Sam Gribley	His family joins him
Frightful	Sam's falcon
Bando	Sam's friend
Sam's father	Visits and moves in

What the Ending Means

The ending shows that independence and connection can go together.

Themes the Ending Brings Together

Independence. Sam's self-reliance.

Nature. Living off the land.

Family. Family returns.

Is the Ending Happy or Sad?

Most readers describe the ending of My Side of the Mountain as bittersweet and happy. How you feel about it usually depends on what you hoped for the characters and what you expected Jean Craighead George to do with the story, so it is worth asking friends how they felt before you compare notes.

Who Will Like This Ending

Readers who enjoy endings that are bittersweet and happy will find a lot to talk about here. If you prefer every thread tied up neatly, it helps to know in advance how Jean Craighead George closes the story, which is exactly why many readers look it up. Either way, the final chapters reward a second look once you know where everything is heading, because small details from the middle of the book start to matter. If you are reading with a group, agree beforehand whether everyone has finished, so nobody has the last chapters spoiled.

Book Versus Adaptation

The 1969 film follows the main story.

Discussion Questions About the Ending

If you are reading My Side of the Mountain with a book club or a friend, these questions work well once everyone has finished:

Did the ending surprise you, or had you seen it coming from the first chapters?
What does the final scene say about independence, and do you agree with Jean Craighead George's view?
Which character made the most important choice in the last part of the book, and was it the right one?
How would the story feel if it had ended one chapter earlier or one chapter later?
Does the ending leave you hopeful about the characters, or do you worry about what comes next?
Would you describe the ending as bittersweet and happy, or would you choose a different word?

How to Read the Final Chapters Again

Compare the opening with the close. Look at how the first chapter introduces independence and how the ending answers it.
Track each final choice. The table above shows where every main character ends up, so ask which of those outcomes was earned.
Notice what Jean Craighead George leaves unsaid. Gaps in the last pages are often deliberate, and they are where most of the debate about the ending begins.
Listen for echoes. Images, phrases or settings from earlier in My Side of the Mountain often return in the final scene with a new meaning.

Questions to Ask Yourself After Finishing

Was the ending of My Side of the Mountain earned by what came before it, or did it feel sudden?
Which character's final moment affected you most, and why?
If you could change one thing about the last chapters, what would it be?
Did the ending change how you think about the opening pages?

Check price of My Side of the Mountain on Amazon

Books to Read After My Side of the Mountain

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens at the end of My Side of the Mountain?

Sam Gribley, a boy who ran away from his crowded New York City home to live alone in the Catskill Mountains in a hollow tree, becomes famous after newspapers write about the “wild boy.” At the end of his second year, his whole family arrives to live with him, and his father plans to build a house, ending Sam's solitary life in the wild.

Is the ending of My Side of the Mountain happy or sad?

Most readers call it bittersweet and happy.

What does the ending of My Side of the Mountain mean?