Eleven doesn’t die at the end of Stranger Things season 1; she’s blasted into the Upside Down when she destroys the Demogorgon, then escapes back into the real world and secretly lives in the woods near Hawkins until Hopper finds and hides her in his cabin.

What happens in the finale?

  • In the school, Eleven uses her powers to disintegrate the Demogorgon, and she disappears in the same burst of particles. The show makes it ambiguous whether she was destroyed or transported.
  • Later in the episode, Hopper leaves Eggos and food in a wooden box in the woods, hinting he believes Eleven is still alive and nearby.

Where did Eleven actually go?

  • Season 2 clarifies that when she “disappeared,” Eleven was sent into the Upside Down rather than killed outright.
  • She claws her way out through a weak spot in the wall of Hawkins Middle School, re‑entering the real world a short time after the battle.

How did she survive after escaping?

  • Once back in Hawkins, Eleven realizes agents are still hunting her, so she avoids the others and hides in the surrounding woods.
  • She survives for weeks by scavenging and hunting (like catching squirrels) until she discovers the stash of Eggos and food someone is leaving for her.

How does she end up with Hopper?

  • Hopper is the one secretly leaving the Eggos and food, suspecting the girl from the woods is Eleven.
  • Sometime between the season 1 finale and the start of season 2, he brings her to his cabin and hides her there under strict rules, which is why, when season 2 begins, she’s living with him in secret instead of being “missing” or dead.

TL;DR: Where did Eleven go after season 1? She was briefly in the Upside Down, escaped back into Hawkins, hid alone in the woods, and then Hopper took her in and kept her secretly at his cabin.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.