Sons of the Forest best base locations

What makes a good base location

• Fresh water nearby for drinking and farming.
• Flat ground so you build instead of levelling terrain.
• Natural defence — a peninsula, island or hill that limits how enemies can reach you.
• Resources close by: trees, rocks and fishing.
• Progression access — not too far from the caves and bunkers you'll revisit.

The 6 best base locations

1. 1

   The Crown

   Best all-round / defence

   A short peninsula ringed by a small creek. The slopes are climbable for you but block cannibals and mutants from every direction except the front, so enemies funnel into one defendable approach. Fresh water on your doorstep and flat-enough ground make it the go-to safe base for most players.

2. 2

   The Golf Course

   Best for large builds

   A big, completely flat clearing with almost no terrain to fight — ideal if you want to build wide, tall and symmetrical without levelling the ground first. More exposed than a peninsula, so pair it with walls, but nothing beats it for a mega-base or a co-op town.

3. 3

   Hill by the endgame bunker (northeast)

   Best for late game

   An elevated spot near the final bunker in the northeast. The nearest cannibal camps sit across a stream to the south, so raiders have to cross water and climb to reach you — giving plenty of warning. Handy for endgame progression once you have the pickaxe.

4. 4

   An inland lake island

   Best natural moat

   Any small island on one of the interior lakes turns the water into a permanent moat — most enemies won't swim to you, and you have unlimited fresh water for drinking and farming. Bring the rope gun and rebreather for supply runs and you have one of the safest setups in the game.

5. 5

   Near a 3D-printer bunker

   Best for progression

   Basing close to a bunker with a 3D printer keeps early essentials — printed resin, masks and armour — a short trip away, and the bunker doubles as a fallback shelter. Convenient rather than scenic, but it speeds up the first hours enormously.

6. 6

   A river-mouth beach flat

   Best early base

   A flat stretch of coast beside a river mouth gives you fresh water, easy fishing, driftwood and open sightlines, and it's usually central to the early caves (the rebreather cave sits on the northern coast). A great first base you can upgrade before committing to a fortress.

Landmark not sure where to look? Open the interactive map to scout each spot, and plan your progression with the cave-order walkthrough.

Best base locations FAQ