As the player travels across the various regions of Great Bear Island while playing The Long Dark, they will frequently come across named locations within a region. These locations may be shelters, unique landscape features, or other points of interest (POIs).
The form and contents of any given named location can vary dramatically. Some locations are merely notable landmarks, which generally have few supplies and little to no shelter, but can still help the player navigate the area. Other locations may be caves, which fall into two categories: shallow caves without a loading screen, and larger caves, such as Misty Falls Cave in Pleasant Valley, which do provide a loading screen. Shallow caves often provide some shelter and a few supplies. However, the player should beware of predators that may already call the cave home, especially if there are bones scattered in the cave. Underprepared players can also freeze to death in shallow caves, especially during night-time blizzards. Named caves are usually safe from predators, though this isn't a hard and fast rule.
Caves with a loading screen are usually warm enough to keep even a poorly equipped player from freezing, and are safe from predators, with a notable exception in Desolation Point. Generally, the safest (or, at least, best stocked) locations are buildings, which generally have a constant indoor temperature, along with relatively abundant supplies, beds, stoves, work benches, and other amenities. Usually, the player will be safe upon entering a building, though there is one notable exception. In some cases, there may be a group of buildings clustered together, making a town/settlement: 5 examples are Thomson's Crossing in Pleasant Valley, Coastal Townsite in Coastal Highway, Milton in Mountain Town, Field 31 in Forsaken Airfield, and Langston Mine in Zone of Contamination. And, while wolves may patrol these areas, the abundance of buildings and vehicles makes it easier to escape from predators.
Because each playthrough has semi-random equipment and loot spawns, there is no guarantee which locations will have the best gear each game. However, as a general rule, locations that are off the beaten path or that are major sites on the map are likely to have the rarer loot in the game. Sometimes, supplies can be found in un-named locations, as well.
Locations sorted by region[]
Lower Great Bear[]
Main Regions[]
Transition Regions[]
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