To get the Shovel in Sons of the Forest, you must first acquire the Zipline Rope Gun and the Rebreather, then navigate a specific cave system located on the west side of the map, just before the snowy mountains. The Shovel is found near the end of this cave, next to a deceased worker.
Essential Prerequisites
Before embarking on the quest for the Shovel, two critical pieces of equipment are necessary: the Zipline Rope Gun and the Rebreather. Without these items, progression through the Shovel Cave is impossible due to obstacles requiring vertical traversal and extensive underwater sections. The Zipline Rope Gun allows players to cross large gaps via pre-existing ziplines within the cave. The Rebreather is indispensable for surviving the lengthy flooded passages that lead to the deeper parts of the cave where the Shovel is located. Ensure you have both of these items in your inventory, along with sufficient medical supplies, food, drink, a decent weapon, and armor, as the cave is populated by various enemies, including cannibals and mutants.
Locating the Shovel Cave
The Shovel Cave is situated on the western side of the island map, positioned just before the snowy mountain region. Its entrance is distinct, marked by three impaled workers outside. Before entering, approach the central impaled worker to collect a Slingshot. The cave entrance itself is boarded up, requiring players to break through these boards to gain access. Consulting your interactive map or in-game GPS will help pinpoint the exact location on the west side of the map. This area is a key landmark in the early-to-mid game progression, and its distinct external features make it relatively easy to identify once you are in the general vicinity.
Navigating the Shovel Cave
Upon entering the Shovel Cave, you’ll immediately encounter a sheer drop leading to a small body of water containing skeletons. Drop down to collect resources, including an Air Tank, then climb back up. Look upwards to spot a rope with hanging cloth; collect the cloth, then use your Zipline Rope Gun to cross to the next section. After dropping down, head right to gather resources like Tape, Energy Drinks, and Meds. Proceed to the water on the left and dive down to find an underwater tunnel. Follow this tunnel as far as you can, swimming through it until you emerge into a new cave section. Be prepared for mutants to attack as you exit the water.
Continue along the path, collecting items such as a Wetsuit, another Air Tank, and 9mm Ammo found near rocks on the right. You will encounter more cannibals before reaching a slope that you will automatically slide down. This slide leads to a room with water. Turn right and head towards a lit area filled with cases containing resources. Collect these, then follow the path to a room with worker bodies illuminated by a small light, where more mutants and resources await. After gathering what you need, proceed to the second light at the back of the room and through tunnels. You’ll enter a larger room with a light at the back and a glowing red laptop in the middle, flanked by two bodies. Interact with the laptop to add Maintenance Bunker A to your map, then collect the Flashlight Attachment from the body next to it. Continue towards the light, where you’ll find a case with supplies. Turn left at the end of this room into a new path, collecting Dollar Notes along the way. Dive into a smaller body of water, swim straight, and emerge where more mutants will be waiting. Follow this path; as the tunnel widens, go right towards a distant light. This final room is dangerous, but you can sprint directly to the light. The Shovel is held by a deceased worker’s body at this location. Once you acquire the Shovel, a large mutant will break through a previously traversed tunnel. You can use explosives to deal with it, then follow this new path, which contains mutant babies, to exit the cave system into a different part of the forest.
Shovel Utility and Progression
The Shovel is a crucial progression item in Sons of the Forest, enabling players to excavate buried objects and access previously hidden locations. Its primary function is digging up specific areas of ground, revealing buried structures, graves, and other points of interest. This includes uncovering the entrances to several maintenance bunkers, which are essential for game progression.
| Location Type | Key Items/Access Unlocked