ARK Survival Ascended – Cave Locations

ARK Survival Ascended | The Island Caves

Salutations survivors! The world of ARK: Survival Ascended is a wonderful visual treat for the senses. The game’s landscapes are breathtaking, with dense jungles, majestic mountains, and white beaches that will leave you breathless. However! That’s not the end of the journey. Venture underground to discover exciting, resource-packed caves waiting to be explored.

Caves are a crucial aspect of ARK: Survival Ascended, offering valuable resources, artifacts, and challenges for players. These underground sanctuaries are scattered across the map, each with unique features and inhabitants. There are two types of caves on the island: progression and resource. These can be found underwater or on land, but are often hidden in plain sight. These also vary in difficulty, from standard to hard. Each type has a variety of predators guarding their treasures. In this article, we will explore the locations of all ARK caves and what their secrets are.

ARK – Caves Locations

Progression Caves

Progression caves are final dungeons that test your skills and courage. They are home to untamed predators and hide crucial artifacts for summoning bosses. The difficulty of these caves ranges from standard to hard, with creatures often exceeding level 250. The Progression Caves you can find on the island are the following:

Central Cave (X: 41.5, Y: 46.9)

The Central Cave is a standard difficulty cave that houses the Ingenious Artifact, crucial to summoning the Broodmother boss. It features an abundance of chitin and is relatively easy to traverse, especially with mounts such as the Baryonyx or Thylacoleo. The main threat within the Central Cave is the Megalosaurus, which becomes significantly more dangerous at night. To avoid this predator, players should only enter during the daytime.

In addition to the Megalosaurus, you will encounter common cave creatures such as the Onyc and Arthropleura. It is advised to carry a couple of Lesser Antidotes to cure Mega Rabies, as these creatures can infect you. The Ingenious Artifact is at the bottom of the cave, so it is necessary to eliminate most of the enemy dinos. Due to the large groups of enemy dinosaurs, it is essential to carry a mount with high health points.

Northwest Cave (X: 19.3, Y: 19.0)

The Northwest Cave is a standard difficulty cave and contains the Skylord Artifact needed to summon the Dragon boss. Known as the Creeping Cave, it features icy, narrow passages that prevent mounts from entering. Surviving against the cold requires you to have Fur Armor or Fria Curry, along with a shoulder pet Otter to help with insulation. Without mounts, you will face creatures like Onyc and Araneos on foot. A sword and shield combo works well for both attack and defense. However, a pump shotgun can quickly take out enemies if you have high-level armor. Just watch out for deadly drops that can kill you instantly.

Lower South Cave (X: 80.3, Y: 53.5)

The Lower South Cave, also called the Hunter’s Cave, is a standard difficulty cave and contains the Hunter’s Artifact. It is one of the easiest caves and is often the first cave new survivors encounter. It is located inside a shallow canyon in the south and features creatures such as Onyc, Araneo, Sarcosuchus, Piranha, and Arthropleura in small groups. Navigating this cave is easy, making it ideal for beginners.

Northeast Cave (X: 14.7, Y: 85.4)

The Northeast Cave holds the Devourer Artifact, which is used to summon the Megapithecus boss. This standard difficulty cave is on Carnivore Island, a dangerous area. Despite its location, the cave itself is simple, with minimal hazards. The main challenge is a large drop to the bottom, where the Devouring Artefact is located. At times, the Megalania can appear inside the cave and inflict Mega Rage. To navigate this cave safely and efficiently, a high-level Thylacoleo is recommended.

Upper South Cave (X: 68.2, Y: 56.2)

The Upper South Cave is home to the Artifact of the Herd, necessary for combat against the Megapithecus boss. This cave is mostly underwater, making the Baryonyx an ideal mount due to its agility on both land and water. Players with low oxygen levels should consume Lazarus Dust to prolong their breathing time underwater. The cave’s narrow passageways are full of creatures, making the Baryonyx’s stunning ability invaluable for safely passing through.

Lava Cave (X: 70.6, Y: 86.1)

The Lava Cave contains the Massive Artifact, vital for summoning the Broodmother boss. The main dangers of this cave are extreme heat and rivers of lava. To manage the heat, players must consume Calien Soup or wear a full set of Ghillie Armor. Navigating the cave requires precision jumping to avoid falling into the lava, which is fatal. The safest way to get the massive artifact is to use a crossbow and hooks. Despite the dangers of the environment, the cave is relatively manageable, with common creatures posing a minimal threat.

Swamp Cave (X: 62.7, Y: 37.3)

The Swamp Cave is a hard difficulty cave that contains the Immune Artifact, which you will need to battle the Dragon boss. Located in the swampy area of the redwood forest, the cave is filled with poisonous gas, so wearing a gas mask or scuba gear is mandatory. The cave is infested with insects such as Meganeura, Araneo, Arthropleura, Titanomyrma, and Pulmonoscorpius. The Baryonyx is one of the few mounts that can enter due to the narrow entrance. A Megatherium can facilitate the clearing of the cave due to its effectiveness in fighting insects. Alternatively, you can use Insect Repellent and Hooks to ward off insect attacks.

Snow Cave (X: 29.1, Y: 31.8)

The Snow Cave, also known as the Hard Ice Cave, is located in the snowy northern region. This cave is extremely challenging, with high-level creatures such as untamed polar bears, dire wolves, Yetis, and Purlovias. These creatures can appear in levels as high as 340. The cave’s icy environment requires players to wear high-level fur armor, consume Fria curry, and carry an otter for insulation. A Yutyrannus accompanied by a pack of high-level dire wolves is recommended to take on the tough cave dinos.

The Caverns of the Lost Faith (X: 53.7, Y: 10.4)

The Caverns of Lost Faith is a standard difficulty underwater cave containing the Brute Artifact, which is necessary to summon the Megapithecus boss. The players need to use specialized equipment to overcome the underwater environment, including SCUBA gear for breathing and visibility. The cave is full of Electrophorus and Cnidaria, which can stun the player and their mount. A Basilosaurus is the best mount for this cave, as it is immune to stuns. With a high-level Basilosaurus with good health and melee stats, a Basilosaurus can easily take on groups of Cnidaria.

The Caverns of Lost Hope (X: 45.9, Y: 88.9)

The Caverns of Lost Hope is a difficult underwater cave containing the Cunning Artifact necessary to fight the Dragon boss. This cave is one of the most challenging, filled with deep sea creatures and Alpha Megalodons that buff surrounding creatures. Players must use scuba gear and ride a Basilosaurus, accompanied by several Megalodons, all equipped with high-level mounts. The tight turns of the cave and the numerous hostile creatures will require both careful navigation and strong mounts to successfully traverse.

Resource Caves

ARK: Survival Ascended also features 12 underwater resource caves that contain a high density of rare resources such as silica pearls and crystals. You can locate these caves using the following coordinates:

• Cave 1 (X: 16.0, Y: 10.4)
• Cave 2 (X: 10.2, Y: 21.8)
• Cave 3 (X: 10.5, Y: 39.9)
• Cave 4 (X: 08.0, Y: 90.1)
• Cave 5 (X: 36.2, Y: 91.1)
• Cave 6 (X: 50.1, Y: 11.1)
• Cave 7 (X: 52.8, Y: 91.8)
• Cave 8 (X: 83.3, Y: 10.0)
• Cave 9 (X: 90.9, Y: 13.6)
• Cave 10 (X: 90.1, Y: 36.7)
• Cave 11 (X: 90.7, Y: 71.4)
• Cave 12 (X: 87.1, Y: 90.2)

Discover All ARK: SA Island Caves

The caves in ARK: Survival Ascended offer a wealth of resources, artifacts, and interesting side quests for players. By exploring these underground chambers, you will be able to collect the artifacts needed to summon bosses and gather rare resources that will help you survive. To get the most out of the game’s cave system, gather your friends on your Nitrado game server and embark on a journey to discover all the caves on the island. Happy exploration!

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