Join the creator communityFound something that's not on the map?Tell the creators on Discord and help build the ARK: Survival Ascended map.Join Discord

The Island

World

117 Creatures
13 Resources
216 Spawn Points
239 Explorer Notes
10 Artifacts
24 Caves
38 Loot Crates
33 Loot Tables

Loading markers...

On this map

Caves: 24 locations · Artifacts: 10 locations

Named locations: Cave 1, Central Cave, Lava Cave, North East Cave, North West Cave, Snow Cave, South Cave, Swamp Cave, Tek Cave, The Caverns of Lost Faith, The Caverns of Lost Hope, Upper South Cave, Artifact of the Brute, Artifact of the Clever, Artifact of the Cunning, Artifact of the Devourer, Artifact of the Hunter, Artifact of the Immune, Artifact of the Massive, Artifact of the Pack, Artifact of the Skylord, and Artifact of the Strong

Explorer-note series

The map has 239 explorer-note locations.

Selected explorer-note series

Selected explorer-note series
Series	Mapped locations
Helena	30
Rockwell	29
Meiyin	31

Caves and artifacts

24 cave locations and 10 artifact locations are mapped.

The caves include Tek Cave, Lava Cave, The Caverns of Lost Hope and The Caverns of Lost Faith.

Resource layers

Metal, Crystal, Obsidian, Oil, Silica Pearls, Rare Flowers, and Rare Mushrooms have mapped locations.

The Island map questions

Which explorer-note series have mapped locations on The Island?

Helena (30), Rockwell (29), and Meiyin (31) have mapped note locations.

How many cave and artifact locations are mapped on The Island?

The map has 24 cave locations and 10 artifact locations. The caves include Tek Cave, Lava Cave, The Caverns of Lost Hope and The Caverns of Lost Faith.

Which resources have location layers on The Island?

Metal, Crystal, Obsidian, Oil, Silica Pearls, Rare Flowers, and Rare Mushrooms have mapped location layers.

Field guide

The Island - Detailed Guide

The Island is the original ARK map and serves as the foundation of the ARK: Survival Ascended experience. This diverse landscape offers a perfect introduction to the game's mechanics and challenges.

Geography & Regions

The Island features a variety of distinct regions, each with unique resources, creatures, and challenges:

Coastal Beaches

Safe starting areas with basic resources. Ideal for new players to establish their first base with relatively few predators. Common resources include Thatch, Wood, Stone, and Berries.

Temperate Forests

Abundant in resources with moderate danger. Home to many herbivores and some predators like Raptors and Carnos. Rich in Wood, Fiber, Berries, and Chitin.

Mountains & Highlands

Rich in metal and crystal but dangerous. Higher elevations contain valuable resources like Metal, Crystal, and Obsidian, but also dangerous predators including Argentavis, Sabers, and occasionally Rexes.

Swamplands

Dangerous but resource-rich area. Home to Sarcos, Titanoboas, and Leeches. Contains rare resources like Rare Flowers, Rare Mushrooms, and Leech Blood.

Snow Biome

Extremely cold with unique resources. Requires specialized insulation gear but offers Oil, Organic Polymer (from Kairuku), and Fur from dire wolves and mammoths.

Redwood Forest

Massive trees with unique resources. Home to Thylacoleos that can ambush from trees. Contains Rare Mushrooms, Rare Flowers, and abundant Wood.

Volcano

Dangerous but metal-rich area. The volcano and surrounding mountains contain the highest concentration of Metal, Obsidian, and Crystal on the map.

Underwater World

Vast ocean with unique resources. Contains Oil, Silica Pearls, Black Pearls (deep sea), and unique creatures like Plesiosaurs and Mosasaurs.

Unique Features

The Island has several distinctive features that make it special:

• Complete Cave System: Contains all artifact caves needed for boss fights

• Balanced Resource Distribution: All basic resources available in reasonable quantities

• Diverse Ecosystem: Nearly all core ARK creatures represented

• Artifact Caves: 10 unique caves containing artifacts needed for boss summoning

• Three Boss Arenas: Broodmother, Megapithecus, and Dragon challenges

• Tek Cave: Final endgame challenge leading to Ascension

• Hidden Underwater Caves: Secret locations with high-tier loot

Survival Tips for The Island

Specific advice for thriving on The Island:

• Start on the southern beaches for the safest early game experience

• Establish a main base in the central regions for easy access to all areas

• Build outposts near resource-rich areas like mountains for efficient gathering

• Tame an Argentavis early for metal runs to the mountains

• Explore underwater with a Baryonyx or Sarco before getting dedicated water tames

• Prepare cold-weather gear before venturing into the snow biome

• Watch for Thylacoleos when passing through the redwoods - they ambush from trees

• Use the abundant metal in the volcano region for industrial-tier equipment

Essential Resource Locations

Where to find critical resources on The Island:

Metal

Mountains, especially the volcano region and metal mountain in the north

Crystal

Higher elevations in mountain regions

Obsidian

Volcano and surrounding mountains

Oil

Underwater oil nodes or from Basilosaurus/Trilobites

Pearls

Shallow waters in the northeast and deep underwater caves

Polymer

Organic polymer from Kairuku in the snow biome or crafted from Obsidian and Cementing Paste

Cementing

Beaver dams in the rivers or crafted from Chitin and Stone

Rare

Swamp areas and underwater caves for Rare Flowers and Rare Mushrooms

Recommended Base Locations

Strategic places to establish your presence:

• Hidden Lake (70,40): Protected valley with fresh water, near metal and crystal

• Herbivore Island (85,85): Safe peninsula with no natural predator spawns

• Redwood Plateau (50,50): Central location with access to all regions

• Western Coast (15,65): Resource-rich area with flat building spaces

• Footpaw (40,80): Coastal area with access to metal and relatively safe surroundings

Explorer Notes & Lore

The Island contains numerous explorer notes that reveal the story of ARK and provide temporary XP boosts when collected. Key note series include Helena, Rockwell, and Mei-Yin's journals that begin to unravel the mysteries of the ARK.

The Island remains the definitive ARK experience, offering the perfect balance of challenge, resource availability, and progression. Whether you're a new survivor or a veteran returning to where it all began, The Island provides the complete ARK experience in one diverse package.

Switch game