The Forest is a unique take on the survival formula where the setting itself triggers a curiosity within the player, considering the mission to find your lost son, the cannibalistic mutant population that roams the land, and the underlying mystery of the island itself. There is much to figure out and thrive for in this game.
One of the most interesting and crucial features of the Forest are the caves that are scattered throughout. Most of the unique objects and scenes about the overall story are in these caves, and many key items like maps, compasses, katana, etc., are all found in these dark domains.
In this article, we will go into much detail related to all the caves in The Forest so read along.
Cave Entrances
All of the caves are accessible through three different ways with the exception of Hell Cave.
- Walking entrance: These are small crevices between rocks that the player has to squeeze through to enter the cave.
- Climbing entrance: These are small openings in the ground covered by rocks all around with a climbing rope that can be used to slide down to the cave.
- Underwater entrance: These are entrances to caves under bodies of water like lakes and the sea. These require a Rebreather to swim underwater to access.
Caves Considerations
Caves are the perfect location to get your hands on supplies. Supplies like cash, coins, flares, sticks, ropes, sodas, dynamite, etc. Most of these supplies will respawn when you enter the cave, minus some key items, so the caves can be used to replenish your supplies regularly. The caves are totally dark with a few light sources scattered around like skull lamps hence they require you to carry a light source such as a lighter, flashlight, or a tool wrapped in cloth and burned like an upgraded stick.
Some of the caves have abandoned orange tents that can be used as save points. You can also build disposable leaf shelters in cases of emergencies. Unless it is broad daylight outside, touching the water in caves will usually result in the “cold and wet” status condition. Many of the forest’s most disturbing scenes to be uncovered are within the caves.
Cave List And The Order You Should Explore Caves In The Forest
There are a total of 16 caves in The Forest scattered around the map. Many of the caves are part of a larger underground system and interconnected through underwater or breakable wall passages. Below we have listed all the caves in the game and have numbered them according to the order you should approach them.
- Cave 1 – Dead Cave
- Cave 2 – Hanging Cave
- Cave 3 – Wet Cave
- Cave 4 – Baby Cave
- Cave 5 – Submerged Cave
- Cave 6 – Lawyer Cave
- Cave 7 – Chasm Cave
- Cave 8 – Sinkhole Cave
- Cave 9 – Ledge Cave
- Cave 10 – Waterfall
- Cave HC – Hell Cave
- Cave Science – Sahara Cave
- Artifact Cave
- Shipwreck Cave
- Kanji Cave
- Coaster Cave
Cave Locations
Cave numbers and names are listed below the map. Many of the caves have multiple entrance/exit points which are seen on the map with their respective number and/or name. The different types of entrances are also mentioned with special icons as seen on the map too. Many caves are also connected to each other which will be discussed in the individual cave detail section below.
- 1 = Dead Cave
- 2 = Hanging Cave
- 3 = Wet Cave
- 4 = Baby Cave
- 5 = Submerged Cave
- 6 = Lawyer Cave
- 7 = Chasm Cave
- 8 = Sinkhole Cave
- 9 = Ledge Cave
- 10 = Waterfall
- Hell Cave
- Cave Science – Sahara Cave
- Artifact Cave
- Shipwreck Cave
- Kanji Cave
- Coaster Cave
All Cave Maps, Items Found, Enemies To Fight
Each cave has an intricate design and some even lead to other caves. Caves also house many important items crucial to surviving this hellish land along with items that flesh out the underlying story/lore of the game. Caves also have nasty enemies you can fight or sneak past. All this information is presented below in each cave section.
Cave 1 – Dead Cave
Cave 1 has 3 entrances: one near the southeast rim of the sinkhole, and two surrounding a small Cannibal Village south of the sinkhole. Inside Cave 1 is a wall that can be blown up with explosives to open a path leading to Cave 9. Additionally, the northern part of Cave 1 blends into Cave 3, which is accessible via a rope up that will lead to the first submerged area of Cave 3.
Go left after entering entrance 1 to avoid fighting the Armsy, this will lead directly to the katana with no enemies on the way.
Entrances
Walking Entrance
Climbing Entrance
Key Items
Other Items
Katana Section
| Circuit Board Meds Soda Cloth Flare Fuel Can Cash Wrist Watch | Food Tray Laptop Soda Crate Cloth Cases |
Enemies
- Armsy
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
Cave 2 – Hanging Cave
Cave 2 has a climbing entrance inside the Main Cannibal Village. There is a second entrance to the north near a smaller Cannibal Village on the side of a lake. The first time the player loses health completely and loses consciousness, they will wake up in this cave tied by their feet to the ceiling, with their Plane axe within arm’s reach on the ground nearby.
Entrances
Walking Entrance
Climbing Entrance 1
Climbing Entrance 2
Key Items
Other Items
| Booze Cash Coins Hairspray Rope Skull Snack Stick Throwable Rock | Cloth Case Cloth Crate Outfit Suitcases | Autopsy Report Timmy Drawing 5 |
Hidden Stash Room
| Circuit Board Dynamite Electrical Tape Meds (Pills) Modern Arrow Modern Axe Soda | Circuit Board Crate Outfit | Autopsy Report Lost Children of the Peninsula Paintbrush Red Paint |
Enemies
Cave 3 – Wet Cave
Cave 3 has two entrances: one on the river bottom at the west side of the Fertile Lands and one near the dirty white tents across from two cannibal structures nearby.
Much of the cave is underwater, similar to Cave 5. The rebreather and climbing axe are necessary to fully explore Cave 3. It is separated from Cave 1 by a rope. Climbing the rope will grant access to the water areas, which are separated by a climbing wall that can be jumped down but not back up.
Entrances
Walking Entrance
Using this entrance is preferred, as the chainsaw can be retrieved without having to obtain the climbing axe or rebreather. Because of this, as well as the lack of creepy mutants, it is a good early cave to visit, along with the Dead Cave and Hanging Cave.
Diving Entrance
Key items
Other items
| Air Canister Booze Circuit Board Cloth Coins Fuel Can Meds Rope Skull Stick Throwable Rock Wrist watch | Soda Crate Suitcases | Siblings Missing Newspaper |
Enemies
- Mutant Babies
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
- Armsy
Cave 4 – Baby Cave
Cave 4 has an entrance to the west of the Lakeside Village, (northeast of the yacht). It contains one Virginia and several Mutant babies. It’s part of Cave 2 – Hanging Cave but listed separately in the survival guide’s to-do list as “keep exploring the hanging cave“.
Entrance
Climbing Entrance
Key Items
Other Items
| Circuit Board Fuel Can Meds Rope Throwable Rock | Laptop Soda Crate Suitcases |
Enemies
- Virginia
- Mutant Babies
Cave 5 – Submerged Cave
Cave 5 has two entrances on the southwest of the peninsula, as well as an underwater entrance beneath Geese Lake. However, entering the underwater entrance without the Rebreather will likely lead to death. The player cannot hold their breath long enough to get there even when sprint-swimming.
Cave 5 is divided into two sections by a giant Stone Door. It is also worth noting most of Cave 5 is underwater. There are 2 more cannibals in the rope area not depicted on the map. All 3 are asleep and can be killed easily with ranged weapons.
Entrances
Walking Entrance
Climbing Entrance
Diving Entrance
Key Items
The following items can be found in first part of Cave 5 (Southern entrance):
- Rebreather
- Flashlight
- Toy Left Leg
The following items can be found on the other side of the Stone Door (Geese lake entrance):
- Rusty Axe
- Photo Cache 3
Other Items
Enemies
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
Cave 6 – Lawyer Cave
Cave 6 stretches under the west coast of the peninsula. It is split into two halves by an underwater passage and connects to Cave 10-Waterfall. It is one of the most dangerous, having multiple mutants, over a dozen cannibals, and many babies. Both halves contain several passengers. To fully explore the cave, the player will need the rebreather and two explosives.
The eastern half has one climbing entrance on the north side of Geese Lake, dropping into a small room full of beheaded lawyers and their briefcases, from which the cave draws its name. It initially houses 1 Virginia and multiple regular cannibals. To the north, it continues into cave 10-waterfall through a pair of destructible rock walls. To the south, a long flooded passage leads to Cave 5 – Submerged Cave.
The western half has 2 squeeze-in entrances, one north-northwest of Geese Lake and one on the side of a hill near the Shipping Containers. Its passages house both types of Pale Cannibals and multiple babies, with an additional Blue Armsy in the mass grave pit guarding the keycard.
Entrances
Walking Entrance 1
Walking Entrance 2
Climbing Entrance
Key Items
- Camcorder
- Camcorder Tape 1
- Camcorder Tape 2
- Keycard
Other Items
| Air Canister Booze Cash Coins Flare Fuel Can Meds Skull Snack Stick Throwable Rock Wrist Watch | Flare Crate Laptop Modern Arrow crate Suitcases Bathrobe Outfit | Fortune |
Enemies
- Blue Armsy
- Virginia
- Mutant Babies
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
Cave 7 – Chasm Cave
The accessible entrance to Cave 7 (squeeze-in) can be found after crossing the northern-most land bridge connecting the peninsula to the mountains. It is the most difficult cave in terms of length, complexity, navigation, and number/types of enemies present.
The cave contains a minimum of 6 creepy mutants, including Armsies, Virginias, and Mutant Babies, some of which are of the blue variety. It also contains approximately 23 regular cannibals and several babies. To fully explore the cave, the player will need the climbing axe, the rebreather, and some sort of explosives. This cave should not be attempted without being fully supplied and stocked, due to its difficulty and length.
This cave also opens up into the side of the sinkhole via a set of stone doors. This is the “intended” path for players to reach the bottom of the sinkhole, as it may be more reliable and safe to pass through Cave 7, rather than employing alternative methods (e.g., sliding/climbing down the sinkhole walls or building a staircase).
It has passengers 5, 7, 10, 21, 23, 34, and 42.
Entrances
Walking Entrance
Sinkhole Exit
Key items
- Modern Bow
- Tennis Racket
- Flashlight
- Old Gun Ammo
- Pedometer
- Photo Cache 4
- Photo Cache 5
- Camcorder Tape 4
- Toy Right Arm
- Toy Right Leg
Other items
Modern Bow section
| Air Canister Booze Meds Modern Arrow Modern Bow Old Gun Ammo Skull | Circuit Board Crate Flare crate Modern Arrow crate Tennis Outfit |
Enemies
- Blue Armsy
- Armsy
- Blue Virginia
- Virginia
- Mutant Babies
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
Cave 8 – Sinkhole Cave
Cave 8 is a part of Cave 7, but is still its own dedicated cave system. It’s officially called the ‘Sinkhole Cave’ although due to Cave 7 & 8 being mostly merged, and considered as one under the name ‘Cave 7’, Cave 7′s sinkhole exit (actually part of Cave 8) is often called by the same name.
Cave 9 – Ledge Cave
There are two main entrances to Cave 9, as well as two other entrances both placed on the same ledge in the Sinkhole. In the most southern part, there is a wall that can be blown up to grant access to Cave 1 – Dead Cave. Multiple walls in Cave 9 can only be scaled with the Climbing Axe, which is found near the center. The player should take care not to fall into the deep pit in the center of the cave while attempting to cross around the ledges.
Entrances
Climbing Entrance 1
Climbing Entrance 2
(Climbing Axe Required)
Key Items
- Climbing Axe
- Photo Cache 2
- Camcorder Tape 3
Other Items
| Circuit Board Coins Fuel Can Meds Rope Skull Snack Stick | Flare Crate Outfit Suitcase Soda Crate |
Enemies
- Mutant Babies
- Pale Cannibals
- Pale Skinny Cannibals
Cave 10 – Waterfall Cave
The entrance to Cave 10 can be found to the west of the sinkhole. It’s unusually deep and requires two ropes to climb down before you reach the bottom. There’s one primary area, half filled with water, at the bottom of the waterfall. A caver camp can be found at this level, with orange save tents, flare chests, and all manner of supplies. Climbing down another rope will lead you to a room with a small central pond with a boat, as well as one Cowman and a single cannibal.
Near the end of the cave, two wooden walls can be shattered with an axe, leading to two passengers of the flight. Blasting through a set of rock walls, the player can access Cave 6 – Lawyer Cave.
Entrance
Climbing Entrance
Items
| Rope Skull Snack Throwable Rock | Explosives Crate Flare Crate Flare suitcase Laptop | Beneath The Limestone Bible Page One Artifact Sketch Red Paint |
Enemies
- Pale Cannibal
- Cowman
Cave HC – Hell Cave
The Hell Cave is located at the bottom of the sinkhole. This can only be accessed by swimming through the small hole in the water (rebreather required). After a long swim, the player will resurface in a very large chamber. Certain sections of the walls will resemble actual construction, with the same obsidian-like material as the Stone Doors. The player will encounter several cannibals. Though there is a climbing wall, it can be avoided by simply jumping up the rocks nearby and leaping across.
Further in the cave, the player will find a long corridor. After traveling down a long hallway that has been constructed, the player will encounter a large mechanical door. The door leads into the Sahara research lab.
Key items
- Camcorder Tape 5
Other items
| Bone Skull Stick | Explosives Crate Soda Crate | Polaroid Keycard 1 Timmy Drawing 8 Timmy Drawing 9 |
Enemies
- Blue Armsy
- Blue Virginia
- Cowman
- Masked Cannibals
- Pale Cannibals
Cave Science – Sahara Cave
(Spoilers ahead)
Cave Science – Sahara Cave is a temporary place-holder name for the cave located between the research lab and the elevator to the observatory. It is only accessible via the research lab, with a walk-in entrance. It features dozens of mummified corpses, perhaps those of Sahara employees who have fallen to the death obelisk. It requires the rebreather to swim through, and there are no enemies. It has one set of sacrifice doors.
The caves appear to serve as a home to many of the cannibals and are where they bring the majority of corpses they collect. Dozens of passengers can be seen hanging from the ceilings, and relatively fresh body parts can be seen hanging or scattered on the ground in some places. Mutant babies can commonly be found in these caves, suggesting that they serve as the breeding ground for the mutants. Following this line of thought, it can be assumed that the spider mutant serves as the brood mother, seeing as how she appears to have functioning (albeit horrendously deformed) genitalia and is rarely seen outside of the cave system. The caves also house a variety of mummified corpses that appear in the more unique areas. How the mummies connect to the cannibals is unknown, as they were left alone after death rather than being eaten, suggesting their presence may pre-date the formation of the cannibal society.
Items
- Rock
- Yellow Flare Crate
Artifact Cave
The Artifact cave is only accessible if the player chooses to shut down The Power Obelisk. After shutting down the device, the elevator to the Artifact cave will be opened. After going down to the cave system, the player can’t return to the Observatory.
Entrance
The walk-in entrance is close to the Cockpit, far into the Mountain Area.
Key Items
Other Items
| Booze Meds Skull Snack | Explosives Crate Flare crate Modern Arrow crate |
Shipwreck Cave
The Shipwreck Cave or cave 11 is found in the very southwest corner of the map slightly further from the anchor symbol and west of the yacht. It can be entered by swimming into the wreck of an old ship and swimming down into a cave entrance found in a hole in the ship’s hull. The cave itself is very small and has no enemy mutants that spawn naturally. In the center of the wall on the far end of the cave, there is a drawing of what seems to be the ship before it was destroyed. It is recommended to carry a rebreather when exploring the cave.
Entrance
Items
- Crossbow
- Crossbow bolts
- Schematic 1
Kanji Cave
The Kanji Cave or cave 12 is a submerged cave that can be found near where the shipping containers are and has a single swimming entrance. The Kanji Cave contains no enemies.
The easiest way to find it is to stand at the entrance of the yellow sea can, with the sea can behind you, and use the compass to face perfectly North West (the middle line between North and West). Head directly northwest, following the sea floor until you come up on a pile of rocks. The cave entrance is in this pile of rocks. You can also find the entrance with a raft by looking for a floating plank on the surface of the water.
Entrance
Items
- Crossbow bolts
- Schematic 2
- Schematic 3
Coaster Cave
The Coaster Cave or cave 13 is a small submerged cave off the southeast coast of the Peninsula, near three small islands. It has one swim entrance, which requires ~50% of a full air canister in the rebreather to get in and out of the cave. The entrance is also marked with a floating piece of wood, similar to other submerged caves. Once inside the entrance, there is a deep cylindrical room which leads to a middle room serving as an air pocket, with another deep cylindrical space going to the final room with the Log Track schematic on a podium, with a wooden model behind it. The Coaster Cave contains no enemies.
Entrance
Items
- Crossbow bolts
- Schematic 4
- Oldsuit Outfit
This has been a detailed article that discusses all the caves present in The Forest. From the order that these caves should be completed to the items you might find in them and even the various entrances that you can use to enter or exit these caves. These caves hide the most important aspect of the game from survival tools to items that further flesh out the story of what’s happening on this mysterious island.