You’re riding through the high desert of Oregon, the sun is dipping below the jagged Cascades, and suddenly the music shifts. That frantic, screeching violin kicks in. You look over your shoulder and see a literal sea of rotting flesh pouring over a ridge. It’s terrifying. Honestly, the first time I ran into a horde in Days Gone, I just dropped the controller and accepted my fate. But once you get over the initial "oh no" factor, hunting these things becomes the most addictive part of the game.
Most people think you can just ride to every one of the days gone horde locations the second you get your bike. You can't. It's actually a bit of a headache. The game logic is weirdly specific about when these groups actually show up in the world.
If you go to a cave and it's empty, you aren't crazy. You probably just haven't triggered the right story beat yet. Or it’s 2 PM and they’re out for a stroll.
Why You Can't Find Certain Hordes
Basically, there are 40 "official" hordes that count toward your 100% completion, but they don't all exist at once. The game uses "story locks."
For example, the hordes in the Cascade and Belknap regions—the early game areas—won't fully spawn until you reach the Lost Lake camp. If you’re searching for the Grotto Caves horde early on, you might find an empty cave. It’s frustrating. You’ve got the Molotovs ready, you’ve got the plan, and there’s nobody home.
Timing is the other big killer. Hordes have a three-point routine.
- The Hibernation Spot: Usually a dark cave or a creepy old shack where they sleep during the day.
- The Feeding Ground: A pile of corpses or an old mass grave they visit at night.
- The Watering Hole: A nearby pond or river they hit up around dawn or dusk.
If you’re looking for the days gone horde locations on a map and heading to the "dot," you're usually heading to their daytime cave. If it’s night, they could be 200 yards away at a lake, and you’ll walk right into the middle of them while looking at your GPS. Not a fun way to go.
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The Cascade Region (Small but Fast)
Cascade is where you start. The hordes here are tiny, usually between 25 and 75 freakers. Don't get cocky, though. Early-game Deacon has the cardio of a chain-smoker and a bike that runs out of gas if you look at it funny.
The O’Leary Mountain Horde is literally right next to your first safehouse. It’s only about 25 freakers. It’s the perfect "starter" horde. Then you have the Death Train Horde near the Horse Lake NERO Checkpoint. They sleep inside the abandoned train cars. Pro tip: there’s a fuel truck nearby. If you time it right, you can blow half of them to kingdom come before they even realize you're there.
Belknap’s Rocky Ambush Points
Belknap is tougher. The terrain is all vertical, which is great for you if you like throwing things from high places. The Patjens Lakes Horde is a bit of a jump in difficulty at around 100 freakers.
I personally love the Lava Arch Horde. It’s tucked inside a very cool, circular rock formation. It feels like an arena fight. Most of the other Belknap spots, like Shadow Lake or Marion Forks, stay around the 50-count mark. They’re manageable once you get the SMP9.
Speaking of the SMP9, you get it for clearing just 10% of the hordes. It’s basically the best sidearm in the game. If you haven’t started horde hunting because you're scared, do it just for that gun. It changes everything.
The Lost Lake Middle Ground
Once you get to Iron Mike’s, the gloves come off. The days gone horde locations in Lost Lake are mostly medium-sized, around 75 to 150.
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The Metolius Lava Cave Horde is a bit of a trek north of the camp. It’s big. It’s dark. It’s a bad time. But the real legend in this region is the Old Sawmill Horde.
Look, we have to talk about the Sawmill. It’s the largest horde in the main game. 500 freakers. It’s part of a late-game story mission called "I'll Save Some For You," but you can actually go there whenever you want. If you’re feeling suicidal at Level 10, go for it. Most people wait until they have the Napalm Molotovs and the MG55.
There are so many explosive barrels and environmental traps at the Sawmill. It’s clearly designed as a giant playground for destruction. If you try to just "wing it" there, you're going to end up as a snack.
The Highway 97 Megahordes
The southern part of the map is where the game stops playing fair. Highway 97 has the highest density of hordes in the game. We’re talking 13 separate groups, and almost all of them are 125 freakers or more.
The Lobert Draw Ridge Horde is a nightmare. 300 freakers. It’s near a bridge, which sounds like a good choke point until you realize they can just swarm under it and flank you.
Another one people miss is the Beaver Marsh Rest Stop Horde. It’s "double locked." Not only do you need to be far enough in the story, but you also have to clear a specific Anarchist Camp nearby before they’ll even think about showing up.
How to Effectively Track Them
Honestly, the best way to find these locations without a guide is to look for the "black sand." Freakers leave tracks. If you see an area where the ground looks charred or covered in dark filth, you’re in a feeding or watering zone.
Also, look for the crows. In the 2026 version of the game (and even the original), the AI for the birds is actually a decent indicator of where large groups of enemies are gathered.
If you're trying to 100% the "Horde Killer" storyline, just finish the main campaign first. Once the credits roll, the game basically "cheats" for you and marks every remaining horde on your map. It takes the mystery out of it, sure, but it saves you hours of driving in circles around Chemult.
Gear Up or Die
You cannot take on the Highway 97 hordes with a 9mm and a dream. You need the heavy hitters.
- The IDF Pup: Best all-around primary.
- The MG55: This is the "Horde Eraser." You unlock it at 60% completion.
- Attractors: These are more important than grenades. Throw one, wait for them to pile up, then drop the Napalm.
The most common mistake is staying in one place. Days Gone isn't a cover shooter. If you stop moving for more than three seconds, you’re dead. Use your bike as a mobile ammo crate. Park it nearby, but not too close—the noise of starting it up can actually draw them toward your only escape route.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Hunt
First, check your progress in the Storylines menu. If you aren't at least 50% through the main story, don't bother hunting the southern hordes yet; they probably haven't even spawned.
Start with the O’Leary Mountain and Death Train hordes in Cascade. They’re small, they’re easy to reset if you mess up, and they get you that first 10% reward.
Once you have the SMP9, move to Belknap and clear the Lava Arch and Twin Craters. By the time you hit Lost Lake, you’ll have the confidence (and the ammo capacity) to handle the 100+ groups.
Save the Sawmill for last. Seriously. Even if you're geared up, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Clear the smaller ones to unlock the MG55 magazine upgrades first. You’ll thank yourself when you have 115 rounds in a single belt instead of 75.
Get out there, keep your engine running, and for the love of everything, watch your fuel gauge. Nothing ends a horde hunt faster than a dry tank in the middle of a Chemult street.