You're riding through the Heartlands, the sun is hitting the grass just right, and suddenly some old guy with a binoculars-shaped tan line starts yelling about a "path to riches." That's how it usually starts. Finding a treasure map on Red Dead Redemption 2 isn't just a side quest; it's basically the only way to keep Arthur Morgan from being a broke outlaw for the first half of the game. Honestly, the economy in RDR2 is brutal until you realize that Rockstar hid thousands of dollars in gold bars behind cryptic sketches of rocks and dead trees.
Most people get frustrated because the sketches look like they were drawn by a caffeinated toddler. They aren't meant to be literal maps. They're landmarks. You've gotta think like a 19th-century explorer, or just have a really good memory for the shape of the Grizzlies.
Why Finding a Treasure Map on Red Dead Redemption 2 is Actually Hard
Rockstar didn't make these easy. If you're looking for the Jack Hall Gang treasure, you’re looking for specific rock formations that look like a dozen other rock formations. It’s a test of patience. Most players give up after the first map because they can't find the "stone seat" or whatever vague hint the game gives them.
The maps are hierarchical. You can't just stumble upon the gold. You have to find Map 1 to trigger Map 2, and so on. If you go to the final location without the previous maps in your satchel, the gold won't even spawn. It's a hard-coded gate. That's why people get annoyed—they follow a YouTube guide to the final spot, find an empty hole, and think their game is glitched. It's not glitched. You just didn't do the homework.
The Jack Hall Gang: Your First Real Payday
This is usually the first treasure map on Red Dead Redemption 2 that people find. You buy it from Maximo, an explorer hanging out on a cliff near Bard's Crossing. If you decline his offer or, you know, "accidentally" knock him off the cliff, you can buy it from a Fence later.
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Map 1 points you toward Caliban's Seat. It’s a massive limestone ridge south of Valentine. You’ve gotta climb up the back, walk along a very narrow ledge that Arthur loves to slip off of, and search a small crevice. From there, you're headed to O'Creagh's Run. There’s a tiny island in the middle of the lake. Seriously, it's tiny. You’ll need to swim your horse out there or find a boat, but the horse is faster. The final spot is Cotorra Springs. Look for the rock stacks (cairns) near the geysers. The gold is in the middle one. Two gold bars. That's $1,000. In 1899, that's enough to buy a literal mansion, or in Arthur's case, a whole lot of premium cigarettes and a fast horse.
The High Stakes Treasure: A Lesson in Verticality
This one is a nightmare for people with vertigo. The first map is held by a random encounter NPC—an old man looking through binoculars. He’s usually wandering around the cliffs of West Elizabeth or the New Hanover border. He's skittish. If you spook him, he’ll bolt on his horse. You have to lasso him or loot him.
The journey for the High Stakes treasure takes you to Cumberland Falls. You actually have to walk behind the waterfall. It’s classic. Then you're off to Barrow Lagoon. There’s a log bridging two stone areas. It’s slippery. Don't run. Finally, you end up at Mount Shann. This is the part that kills players. You have to navigate a path on the side of the mountain that is barely wider than Arthur’s boots. One wrong stick tilt and you're a pancake. But the reward? Three gold bars. $1,500. It makes the Jack Hall treasure look like pocket change.
The Poisonous Trail: The Most Cryptic of All
If you want the biggest payday, this is it. Four gold bars. $2,000. But the treasure map on Red Dead Redemption 2 known as the Poisonous Trail is genuinely difficult to follow. It starts at Cairn Lodge in the snowy north.
- Map 1 is under a bed in a cabin near Cairn Lake.
- Map 2 is at Face Rock in Scarlett Meadows. Look for the "eye."
- Map 3 is near an oddly shaped tree in the middle of nowhere near Van Horn.
- The final location is Elysian Pool.
You have to go behind the waterfall at Elysian Pool. Bring a lantern. It’s pitch black. There’s a massive cave system back there that honestly feels like a different game. You have to drop down into a hidden tunnel, crouch-walk through a narrow passage, and eventually find a chamber with a pile of rocks. It’s easy to get lost. If your lantern runs out of oil, you're basically dead or stuck reloading a save.
Dealing with the Landmarks of Riches
There’s a newer set of maps called the Landmarks of Riches. It wasn't in the original console launch but was added later. This one is fun because it takes you to the weirdest spots in the game. You start at the "Obelisk" on the far western edge of the map.
From there, it sends you to the "Tiny Church" north of Saint Denis. Yes, a church for ants. Then it’s off to the "Mysterious Hill Home," which looks like a Hobbit hole. Finally, you end up at Bolger Glade, the site of the old Civil War battle. The gold is hidden inside a hollowed-out tree. It’s a great tour of the map’s "Easter egg" locations, but it requires a lot of fast travel or a very patient horse.
The Le Tresor Des Morts Maps (Pre-order / Special Edition)
If you have the Special or Ultimate Edition, you get an extra hunt. This one starts in a burnt-out jail cell in Limpany. Limpany is that charred village near Horseshoe Overlook.
The map leads you to the Saint Denis docks and then into the graveyard. It’s a shorter hunt than the others, but the five gold bars at the end are a massive boost. If you're playing the standard edition, don't bother looking for this. It literally won't be there. It’s one of the few times Rockstar locked a treasure hunt behind a paywall, which is kinda lame, but the gold is definitely nice if you have access to it.
Why People Think Treasure Maps Are Glitched
I see this all the time on forums. "The map isn't in the chimney!" or "The rock pile is empty!"
Nine times out of ten, it’s because the player didn't look at the map in their inventory. You have to open the satchel, select the map, and Arthur has to actually look at it. This "triggers" the next stage of the quest. You can't skip steps. You also can't be in a mission or have a high bounty in the area sometimes, as the "Inspect" prompt might not appear if the game thinks you're in combat.
Also, check your horse. Sometimes people put maps in their horse cargo and forget. If you lose a map, check the Fence. They usually sell quest-essential items if you managed to lose them or kill the NPC who had them.
The Reality of Gold Bars
Selling these things is the next step. You can't just walk into a General Store and hand over a gold bar. Shopkeepers in Valentine don't have $500 in the register for a gold brick. You need a Fence.
- Seamus at Emerald Ranch: Easy to get to early on.
- The Fence in Saint Denis: Good for late-game.
- Van Horn Fence: If you're out East.
- Rhodes Fence: Tucked away in a shack.
Each gold bar nets you $500. If you complete the Poisonous Trail, High Stakes, and Jack Hall Gang hunts, you’re looking at $4,500. That is an absurd amount of money. You can buy every clothing item in the game, upgrade the camp fully, and still have enough to pay off every bounty you’ll ever get for accidentally trampling a dog in Strawberry.
Beyond the Gold: The Strange Statues Puzzle
Technically not a "map" in the traditional sense, but it functions exactly the same way. There’s a cave near Window Rock. Inside, there are statues of men with different numbers of fingers. It’s a logic puzzle.
- You have to press the buttons on the statues based on prime numbers: 2, 3, 5, 7.
- If you mess up, you can go to the back of the statue and reset it.
- Solving it opens a compartment in the center statue with—you guessed it—three gold bars.
It’s the fastest way to get $1,500 without ever having to find a physical map. You just need to know where the cave is. It’s located north of the train tracks, east of Donner Falls. Look for a small crevice in the rocks.
Pro Tips for Treasure Hunters
Don't do these all at once. It’ll burn you out. The world of RDR2 is huge, and spending six hours straight riding from one end to the other just to look at a rock is a quick way to hate a masterpiece.
Instead, weave them into your regular gameplay. If a mission takes you near the Grizzlies, take ten minutes to go check that Jack Hall location. If you’re hunting legendary animals in the swamp, swing by the Elysian Pool cave.
Also, upgrade your satchel. The "Legend of the East" satchel lets you carry basically infinite everything. It’s a grind to get, but it makes these treasure hunts much smoother because you won't have to worry about inventory space for all the other loot you find along the way.
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Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
If you're sitting at your console right now, here’s how to maximize your time.
- Check Limpany First: Even if you don't have the treasure map, the Sheriff's office in Limpany has a gold bar in a desk drawer that respawns occasionally in some versions of the game (though usually just once).
- Find Maximo: He’s on the ridge overlooking the river south of Valentine. Buy that first Jack Hall map for $10. It’s the catalyst for everything else.
- Get a Lantern: Before you head to Elysian Pool or any caves, make sure you have a lantern. You get it automatically in Chapter 2, but make sure you know how to equip it from your weapon wheel (it's in the knife slot).
- Visit a Fence: Don't carry gold bars around. If you get killed and have a high bounty, or if the game autosaves at a bad time, you want that cash safe in your pocket. Sell them immediately.
- Use the Cinematic Camera: If you have to travel from Saint Denis to the Grizzlies for a map, set a waypoint, start galloping, and hold the cinematic button. Arthur will auto-steer. Just keep an ear out for O'Driscolls trying to ambush you.
The treasure hunts are some of the most rewarding parts of the game because they force you to actually look at the environment instead of just following a red line on the mini-map. They turn you into a real scout. Grab a horse with good stamina, pack some oatcakes, and go find that gold. Arthur deserves a nice hat, and those gold bars are the only way he's getting one.