You're standing on a cliffside in Hyrule, the wind is howling, and your sensor is going absolutely ballistic. It’s that high-pitched beep we all hear in our sleep. Somewhere beneath your boots, there’s a Bubbul Frog waiting to be smacked, but you’ve been running in circles for twenty minutes. We’ve all been there. Finding tears of the kingdom cave locations isn't just about checking boxes on a map; it's about understanding how Nintendo redesigned the very crust of Hyrule to hide things in plain sight.
Hyrule is basically Swiss cheese now. Honestly, the sheer verticality of the game means a cave entrance could be at sea level, tucked behind a waterfall, or literally inside the ceiling of a mountain peak. If you're looking for the high-value spots—the ones with the Mystic Armor materials or the elusive Hinox brothers—you have to stop looking at the ground and start looking for the tell-tale signs the developers left behind.
The Secret Language of Satori Trees
Ever notice those glowing pink cherry blossom trees? Most players treat them like pretty scenery. Big mistake. If you drop a piece of fruit—any fruit, really, though an apple is the cheapest—into the small bowl at the base of these trees, Satori appears. Suddenly, pillars of blue light erupt across the landscape.
These lights mark every single cave entrance in the immediate region.
It feels like cheating, but it's a core mechanic. The light pillars don't last forever, so you've got to be quick. Pro tip: warp to a Skyview Tower immediately after offering the fruit. Launch yourself into the air and pull out your scope. You can pin the exact tears of the kingdom cave locations from the sky, and those pins stay on your map long after the blue light fades away. It’s the single most efficient way to track down the 147 caves scattered across the world.
👉 See also: GTA Vice City Cheat Switch: How to Make the Definitive Edition Actually Fun
Why the Blupee is Your Best Friend
If you see a glowing blue rabbit, stop what you’re doing. Don't just shoot it for the handful of Rupees. Follow it. Blupees are programmed to run directly toward the nearest cave entrance. They are basically organic GPS units for subterranean loot. If a Blupee vanishes into a rock wall, don’t just assume it despawned. Hit that wall with a hammer or a bomb flower. Nine times out of ten, there’s a breakable rock vein hiding a massive tunnel system.
The Most Essential Caves You Probably Missed
Not all caves are created equal. Some are just damp holes with a single Brightbloom seed. Others are massive, multi-tiered complexes that house legendary armor pieces like the Misko’s Treasure sets.
Take the Whistling Hill Cave, located just north of the Great Plateau. It’s one of those tears of the kingdom cave locations that players often skip because it looks unassuming. But inside, you’ll find a gauntlet of Horriblins and a hidden path leading to the Rubber Armor. It’s cramped. It’s dark. It’s exactly what a cave should be.
Then there’s the Mount Lanayru Snowpeak Excavation. This one is a nightmare if you aren't prepared for the cold. You’ll need level two cold resistance just to breathe in there. But the payoff? A massive cavern system that connects multiple exits across the mountain, making it a perfect hub for farming Chillshrooms and Ore.
✨ Don't miss: Gothic Romance Outfit Dress to Impress: Why Everyone is Obsessed With This Vibe Right Now
The Guffaw Ground Cave Mystery
Deep in the North Hyrule Plain, there’s a cave that honestly feels like a prank. It’s called the Guffaw Ground Cave. Getting inside requires a bit of environmental puzzling involving a nearby stone circle. It’s one of the few caves where the entrance itself is the challenge. Inside, the layout is surprisingly linear, but the sheer volume of Brightcap mushrooms makes it a mandatory stop if you’re doing a lot of "glow" cooking for the Depths.
Navigating the Depths vs. The Surface Caves
It’s easy to confuse the two, but they are worlds apart. Surface caves are self-contained. You walk in, you kill the frog, you leave. The Depths is a mirrored map of the surface.
Here is the "Expert Secret" most people miss: The location of a shrine on the surface always corresponds to the location of a Lightroot in the Depths. But did you know that the highest peaks on the surface are the lowest pits in the Depths? This matters for cave hunting because many tears of the kingdom cave locations are actually found in the "roots" of the mountains. If you find a massive canyon in the Depths, look directly above it on the surface map. Usually, there’s a cave system there that mimics the shape of the terrain below.
Identifying "The Big Ones"
You want the big loot? Look for the caves with names like "Quarry" or "Mine."
🔗 Read more: The Problem With Roblox Bypassed Audios 2025: Why They Still Won't Go Away
- Sahasra Slope Cave: Critical for the early game because it’s tucked right under the tower. You actually have to go into the cave and use Ascend to get into the tower itself.
- Ancient Column Cave: Located in the Rayne Highlands. It’s tiny, but it hides a button that opens a secret chamber for the Tunic of Awakening.
- Lake Hylia Whirlpool Cave: You literally have to jump into a giant vortex in the middle of the lake. It feels suicidal. It isn’t. It’s awesome.
Bubbul Frogs: The Real Reason We’re Down There
Let’s be real. We aren't just cave-diving for the rocks. We want those Bubbul Gems. Koltin, the weird monster-obsessed guy, wants them even more.
Every single one of the tears of the kingdom cave locations has exactly one Bubbul Frog. Once you kill it and take the gem, a little checkmark appears over the cave icon on your map. If you don't see that checkmark, you aren't done. You’ve missed a hidden wall. Most people forget to look up. Bubbul Frogs love to hang out on the ceilings of secret alcoves hidden behind those brownish, breakable rocks that blend into the walls.
Survival Gear and Subterranean Strategy
Don't go in naked. Or do, if you’re a pro, but for the rest of us, preparation saves lives.
- The Mining Set: You get this in the Depths, but it’s invaluable for surface caves. It makes you glow. No more wasting Brightbloom seeds every five feet.
- Blunt Weapons: Stop wasting your high-damage swords on rock walls. Keep a "Cobble Crusher" or just fuse a boulder to a sturdy stick. You’re going to be doing a lot of demolition work.
- Fire Fruit: Essential for clearing out those pesky Evermeans (the walking trees) that sometimes guard cave mouths.
Caves are also the best place to find Fairies. If you crouch and move slowly near the small ponds found in the deeper tears of the kingdom cave locations, you can snag three or four Fairies at a time. This is the difference between a "Game Over" screen and surviving a Silver Lynel hit.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Ready to clear the map? Stop wandering aimlessly. Follow this workflow:
- Step 1: Warp to the Satori Mountain foothills. Find the cherry blossom tree and offer an apple.
- Step 2: Use the nearby Skyview Tower to launch into the air.
- Step 3: Open your Purah Pad scope and mark at least five blue pillars with different colored stamps.
- Step 4: Target the caves near water first. These often contain unique fish like the Hearty Bass or Glowing Cave Fish which are much harder to find in open water.
- Step 5: Always bring at least 10 bomb flowers. Some caves, like the one near the Royal Hidden Passage, require clearing literal tons of rock that will break five hammers before you reach the end.
The beauty of Hyrule’s underground is the environmental storytelling. You’ll find old journals, abandoned campsites, and the remains of ancient Zonai mining operations. It’s a lot to take in. Just remember: if the sensor is beeping and you don't see a hole, look for the Blupee. If there's no Blupee, look for the pink tree. The game wants you to find these places; it just wants you to work for it.