McCandless is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Al McCandless (born 1927), U.S. CongressmanBilly McCandless (1894–1955), former Northern Irish professional footballerBruce McCandless (1911–1968), rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and Medal of Honor recipientBruce McCandless II (born 1937), astronaut who made the first untethered spacewalkByron McCandless (1881–1967), vexillologist and commodore in the U.S. NavyChristopher McCandless (1968–1992), American hiker and itinerant traveler who starved to death in Alaska, and the subject of the multiple non-fiction books and documentaries, beginning with Into the Wild (1996)Lincoln Loy McCandless (1859–1940), American cattle rancher, industrialist and politician from HawaiiPaul McCandless (born 1947), American jazz woodwind player and composerRay B. McCandless (1889–1931), American college sports coachStanley McCandless (1897–1967), widely considered to be the first theatrical lighting educatorWilliam McCandless (1834–1884), Union Army officer in the American Civil War and later member of the Pennsylvania State SenateWilson McCandless (1810-1882), United States Federal Judge from Pittsburgh, PA