You're low on scrap. Your bike is sputtering on fumes, and the sun is dipping below the Cascades, which is basically a death sentence in Oregon if you aren't near a bunk. Then you see it—the faint plume of black smoke rising above the trees. For most players, that smoke means a fight. But for Deacon St. John, those plumes represent the most valuable real estate in the apocalypse. Clearing all ambush camps in Days Gone isn't just about padding your trophy list or getting 100% completion; it’s the only way to actually see where you're going.
Honestly, the game is kind of a nightmare without them. Every time you storm a camp and find that underground bunker, you're not just getting a place to sleep. You're clearing the "fog of war" from the map, revealing NERO injectors, and—most importantly—unlocking crafting recipes that make the difference between killing a Horde and becoming Freaker chow. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t craft a Napalm Molotov or why your map looks like a blurry mess, it’s because you haven't been hunting these camps aggressively enough.
Why the map is lying to you
Most people assume the map fills in as you drive around. It doesn't. Not really. You can ride your Drifter bike from Cascade to Highway 97, and the map will still look like a blank slate until you drop into those bunkers. There are 14 of these camps in total, scattered across the six main regions. Each one follows a specific rhythm: kill everyone outside, find the hidden trapdoor, and download the map data.
But here’s the thing. The game doesn't just hand these to you on a silver platter. Some are tucked away in ravines, while others are perched on ridges that require a bit of parkour. If you're missing a few, it's probably because you haven't ventured far enough off the main asphalt roads.
The Cascade Region: Where it all begins
The first few camps are basically tutorials, but they can still catch you off guard if you're playing on Survival II.
The Radio Tower Ambush Camp is the one everyone remembers because the game forces you there during the early mission "No Starving." It’s simple. You kill a few guys, fix the tower, and realize that bunkers are a thing. But then there’s the Jefferson Rail Tunnel Ambush Camp in the northern part of the map. This one is annoying. It's crawling with Marauders, and if you aren't careful, the noise will pull in nearby Swarmers.
Pro tip: always check the periphery for snipers. Bend Studio loved putting guys in trees here. If you hear a laser sight beep, dive. Don't think, just move.
Then you've got the Horse Creek Ambush Camp. It’s situated under a massive electrical pylon. This one is actually great for early-game loot. If you’re struggling with the transition from the beginning of the game to the mid-game, this camp provides the map data for the eastern part of Cascade, which reveals a lot of the hidden Nero Research Sites.
📖 Related: Why Helldivers 2 Flesh Mobs are the Creepiest Part of the Galactic War
Belknap and the desert grind
Once you cross over into Tucker’s territory, the difficulty spikes. Belknap is wide open, dusty, and full of Ripper patrols.
Black Bear Ambush Camp is a nightmare if you go in guns blazing. It’s built into a series of rocky outcroppings. I’ve seen players get pinned down by a single guy with an LMG because there’s very little overhead cover. Use the bushes. Seriously. Deacon is basically invisible in a shrub.
The Belknap Caves Ambush Camp is another one that feels like a trap. It’s located near a massive Freaker cave (hence the name). If you trigger an alarm or start throwing grenades, don't be surprised if 50 Freakers show up to join the party. It becomes a three-way war between you, the Marauders, and the undead. Honestly? Sometimes the best strategy is to let the Freakers do the work for you. Throw a noise maker into the middle of the camp and watch the chaos from a safe distance.
Finally, there’s Bear Creek Hot Springs. This one is in the far west. It’s heavily fortified with walls and gate guards. It feels more like a fortress than a camp. Clearing this one is essential because it unlocks a huge chunk of the western Belknap map, which is usually where some of the better scavenging spots are located.
Lost Lake: Iron Mike’s backyard
By the time you reach Lost Lake, you should have a decent rifle. You’re going to need it.
Deerborn Ambush Camp is located in the far east. It’s high up, and the path is winding. The Marauders here love traps. Bear traps, tripwires—you name it. Watch your feet. There is nothing more embarrassing than sneaking up on a guard only to have a bear trap snap on your leg, alerting the entire camp.
The Berley Lake Ambush Camp is tucked away in the south, near the border of the Santiam Tunnel. It’s a bit easier to manage, but the bunker entrance is notoriously hard to find. It’s usually hidden under some brush or behind a pile of crates. Look for the yellow oxygen tanks; the devs usually placed those near points of interest.
👉 See also: Marvel Rivals Sexiest Skins: Why NetEase is Winning the Aesthetic War
The grueling South: Iron Butte and beyond
Iron Butte is Ripper central. These guys are different. They don’t hide as much as the Marauders; they want to get in your face.
The Wagon Road Ambush Camp is the gateway to the Ripper territory. It’s heavily guarded, but clearing it is a massive relief because it provides the recipe for the Attractor Bomb. If you’re planning on taking down Hordes later, you need that recipe. No excuses.
Then there’s the Redwood RV Park Ambush Camp. This place is a maze of trailers and fences. It’s easy to get flanked here. I recommend using the "Residue Bolt" on your crossbow if you have it. Hit one of the guys with a heavy weapon, let him go berserk on his friends, and then mop up the survivors. It’s a "work smarter, not harder" situation.
Crater Lake and Highway 97: The endgame
This is where the game gets serious. The enemies have better armor, better guns, and they actually use tactics.
- Spruce Lake Ambush Camp: This one is inside a NERO checkpoint area. It’s a double whammy. You clear the camp, find the bunker, and then you can power up the NERO building for an injector. But be careful—there’s a massive Ripper camp nearby, and the noise carries.
- Cascade Lakes Railway: Located in the snowy mountains. The visibility is often terrible. It makes for great stealth, but it also means you might walk right into a guy with a shotgun.
- Aspen Butte Ambush Camp: This is up in the peaks. It’s one of the most vertical camps in the game. Take your time. Sniping is your friend here.
- Bare Bay Ambush Camp: This is in the swampy Highway 97 region. It’s a mess of boardwalks and water. It’s one of the last camps you’ll likely find, and it’s mandatory if you want to find all the collectibles in the marsh.
The rewards nobody talks about
Everyone knows about the map clearing. That’s the obvious stuff. But there are layers to this.
When you clear all ambush camps in Days Gone, you’re actually progressing the "World's End" and "Ambush Camp Hunter" storylines. This increases your Trust level with the nearby camps. Trust is the currency of the game. You want that Level 3 Trust at Diamond Lake so you can get the best bike upgrades? You need to clear these camps. You want the top-tier weapons from Wizard Island? Clear the camps.
More importantly, the bunkers contain Crafting Recipes. These aren't just minor buffs. We are talking about the Stamina Cocktail, the Focus Cocktail, and the high-end explosives. If you try to play the final acts of the game without these, you’re basically playing on "hard mode" without meaning to.
✨ Don't miss: Why EA Sports Cricket 07 is Still the King of the Pitch Two Decades Later
Common misconceptions
A lot of players think they’ve cleared a camp because the "encampment" icon turned gray on the map. That’s a mistake. The camp isn't "cleared" for the purpose of the questline until you find the bunker and interact with the map on the table.
I’ve seen dozens of threads online with people asking why they're stuck at 95% completion. Usually, it's because they killed all the bandits at a place like Black Bear but forgot to find the hatch. The hatches are often hidden under a piece of rug or a pile of firewood. Listen for the sound of a generator; usually, the bunker is nearby.
Also, don't worry if a camp seems "empty." Occasionally, the AI bugs out or a wandering Freaker has already done your job for you. If you arrive and everyone is already dead, just look for the bunker. You still get the credit.
How to actually survive the hunt
If you're going for all 14, don't do them all at once. It’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, treat them as pit stops. When you're traveling between main missions, look for the smoke.
Invest in the Executioner skill early. This allows you to stealth-kill heavy enemies. In the later camps at Crater Lake, there are "Breaker" style enemies and heavily armored guards that will eat your ammo for breakfast. Being able to sneak up and press a single button to eliminate them is a godsend.
Also, silencers are non-negotiable. You can buy them at camps, but you can also find them under the hoods of cars. A suppressed "Talon 7" or "BND-150" makes these camps trivial. You can sit on a ridge 200 meters away and pick off the guards one by one while they wonder why their friends' heads are exploding.
Actionable next steps for your playthrough:
- Priority One: Open your map and look for grayed-out areas with faint circles. If you see a "Cloudy" area near a road, drive there. The smoke plumes only render when you are relatively close.
- Gear Check: Before hitting the Highway 97 camps, ensure you have the Saddlebag upgrade for your bike. You will run out of ammo clearing these later camps, and having a stash on your bike is the only way to stay in the fight.
- The Bunker Hunt: If you can't find the hatch, look for the campfire. Most bunkers are within 20 feet of the main cooking or sleeping area of the camp.
- Recipe Check: Check your crafting wheel. If you are missing the Axe-back or any of the advanced bolts, look at your progress screen. It will tell you exactly which region has the camp you've missed.
Days Gone is a game about preparation. The world is designed to kill you, but these 14 bunkers are the only places where the world actually works in your favor. Get in there, find the hatches, and stop flying blind.