How to get a shovel in Sons of the Forest

A shovel is one of the most helpful tools in Sons of the Forest. So, here’s a handy guide with everything you need to find one and get digging.

After a year-long early access period, Sons of the Forest v1.0 has finally been released worldwide. It’s a sequel to the very popular survival video game, The Forest, staying true to the prequel’s feel in 2014.

A shovel is quite an essential tool in most survival games and it’s no different in Sons of the Forest. Not only does it help you to dig through and extract useful items but can also come in handy to defend against certain enemies.

However, locating one is not as easy as in the other survival games. If you’re wondering how to get a shovel in Sons of the Forest, here’s everything you need to find one.

Where to find a shovel in Sons of the Forest

The shovel is located at the center of the map (west of the snow-capped mountains), hidden deep inside a cave. The cave entrance is partially submerged and be sure to keep a Rope Gun, Rebreather, a spear, and explosives to combat all the challenges along the way.

The spear will come in handy during fights against hostile NPCs inside – unless you’re playing the game at Peaceful difficulty. Once you enter the cave, use the Rope Gun to cross a cavern. From there, head down into the water through a narrow passage. The Rebreather will be useful here to stay submerged for longer and not…you know, drown.

As you move to the next portion of the cave, you’ll come across enemies, all of which are trying to cause you bodily harm. Now is the time to use your weapons and explosives to clear the way. Continue moving forward and head straight down, until you happen upon a slippery slope.

Eventually, you’ll arrive at the end of the cave, where a dead extractor with a yellow jacket will be lying down with a shovel in his hand. Blow through one of the fleshy creatures blocking the exit to find your way out of the cave.

And that’s it! Your team now has the shovel and it will be extremely helpful in crafting items and building much faster.

For more on Sons of the Forest, be sure to check our other guides below:

How many people play Sons of the Forest? | All Sons of the Forest endings explained | Can you play Sons of the Forest on Steam Deck? | How to get the shovel in Sons of the Forest | How to get the Rope Gun in Sons of the Forest | Is Sons of the Forest on Xbox Game Pass | How to use the GPS Locator | All enemies in Sons of the Forest