Grand Theft Auto 5 has long been one of the shining examples of what an open-world game should be like. If you haven't played it, you definitely have something to look forward to when you do pick the game up. Plenty of games have secrets and Easter Eggs contained within them, but open-world games just have so many more locations with which to hide these things. If finding a secret in a game is typically like finding a needle in a haystack, finding a secret in an open-world game is like finding a needle in a needle-stack.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is no exception to this trend. This massive game is stuffed to the brim with hidden references, secret locations, and Easter Eggs. You can't go five blocks in Los Santos without walking by an area that could potentially hold a secret location. And with GTA Online and mods available, the secrets are even more rampant. It's practically impossible to know where all of these hidden things are, even if you are a huge fan. Read on if you want to find out some of these locations for yourself!
Updated May 6th, 2021 by Issy van der Velde: GTA 5 is a game so nice this article had to be updated twice. With a huge fan base constantly combing through the game, there are always more secret places in GTA 5 to uncover. It's time to double-dip and discover even more GTA 5 secrets.
30 Trevor's Warehouse
Thanks to the creativity of mods, GTA players can explore previously unincluded locations, such as Trevor's secret warehouse. This building is full of equipment that Trevor can use during his more illegal activities. This mod is a simple addition that adds a brand-new location to the already full world of the game. As a matter of fact, there are many mods that exist for the Grand Theft Auto community that any fan should give a whirl before trying out another game.
29 The Bachelor Mansion
In Vinewood Hills, there exists a gorgeous mansion that many believe to be a replica of the mansion made famous by the reality show The Bachelor. Though the interior of this building is inaccessible, curious players can peer at the outer decks of the gigantic edifice. Its layout closely mimics the layout of the actual mansion used in the television series, with a few minor differences. Fans of the show and GTA players can appreciate the building from afar.
28 The Golden Tree
Braddock Pass hides a curiously golden tree. However, during the daytime, the tree appears to look like any other normal tree in the area. It's only at night that the tree shines. The most ardent of Grand Theft Auto 5 players have yet to discover the true meaning of this tree, or even if it has any. However, its secret location is a definite must-see for any curious bystander. Whether it is a glitch or a clever Easter egg, the tree is a golden treasure for eyes to behold.
27 Inside The Water Dam
The Land Act Dam is an unmistakable landmark and not very secret place in GTA 5. Its vast expanse is noticeable from a long distance. However, only players eager to explore every inch of the map will have thoroughly explored the building nearby. The dam building hides nifty secret areas within. Even the area directly beneath the dam can make for a great sight. A Spaceship Part is located underwater near the dam's central walkway on the north side. It's a great location anybody could appreciate.
26 The Thelma And Louise Cliff
For those who haven't seen the cult classic film Thelma & Louise, here's a spoiler warning. In the movie, two women on the run from the law decide to drive off a cliff rather than submit to the police. Grand Theft Auto 5 decided to include this scene in their game.
How to find: Between 7 pm and 8 pm, if you fly by helicopter (or some other flying vehicle) to a mountain by Raton Canyon in the Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness, you can see the women's final flight from the police.
25 The Howitzer Motel Room Of Craziness
Jack Howitzer is a colorful actor who has made appearances in several grand Theft Auto games. He's like a mainstay for the series now, so of course developers included a hidden location dedicated to him in GTA 5. Players can go to the Motor Motel and access Jack's motel room. Players can world-glitch their way underneath the map in order to land themselves within Jack's room. It's not the easiest of locations to find, but it is possible.
24 The Prologue's Frozen Alien
In the very prologue to GTA 5, the game developers hid a secret location with an awesome surprise.
How to find: While driving along, when you come to the railroad, do not drive over it like the game tells you to. Instead, make a right and go under the bridge you would have crossed. Frozen in the ice beneath the bridge, you will find the series' signature alien trapped beneath the hardened surface of the water.
23 No Video Game For Old Men
GTA 5 gives a tip of the hat to the film No Country for Old Men in this hidden location at the base of Mount Chiliad. On the west side of the mountain, players will find a deal gone wrong, with lifeless bodies and abandoned cars splayed around the area. There are better places to find cars in GTA 5, however.
Just like in the film, one man is still alive, and he warns the player not to take a nearby silver briefcase filled with money. If you ignore the warnings and take the cash anyway, you'll be chased down the highway - definitely one of the cooler GTA 5 secrets.
22 The Elusive Taco Van
Nothing is more infuriating than being unable to get your hands on some delicious tacos. Grand Theft Auto 5 puts a delightful new spin on this dilemma with their frequently mobile Taco Van. This van appears in different spots throughout the game, such as near Trevor's trailer or at the graveyard at Pacific Bluffs, so if you sight this behemoth of a Taco Van, be sure to try to take it for a ride at least once.
21 A Face On The Rocks
On the north side of Mt. Chiliad, a small drawing on the mountain's surface can barely be discerned. If you get even closer to it, you can make out the smiling features of a male face stamped on the mountainside. No one knows who this person is, or if someone does, they're not telling us who it is.
How to find: If you want to see this face, look near the cable car station that's on the north side of Chiliad. It might take a bit of searching, but no doubt you'll come across this mysterious visage.
20 An Island Off The Coast
Mods have brought a whole new layer of secrecy and mystery to the world of Grand Theft Auto 5. The creativity of others has brought to the game secret areas like islands. If you manage to get your hands on a boat and depart from Los Santos' shores, you will find collections of remote islands with hidden surprises like bunkers and stuff. Keep in mind that you might have to go so far from land that you see nothing but ocean around you.
19 Tongva Hills Cave
The Tongva Valley in GTA 5 holds many natural wonders. As players explore the area, right smack dab in the middle of the Valley, they can come across a cave. This is the Tongva Hills Cave. It provides shelter players might need, and it also contains a part of a spaceship. Exploring the Tongva Valley thoroughly should help you find this GTA 5 secret cave.
18 The Underwater Tank
If you manage to get your hands on a submersible, you can explore the underwater spaces that Grand Theft Auto 5 has provided. In one area, just east of the Humane Labs, if you're exploring beneath the waves, you can find the wreckage of a ton of military equipment. One of these pieces is what appears to be a Panzer tank.
17 The Uber Secret Mine
This list of GTA 5 hidden locations would have been totally lame without a secret mine on it. It's located in the Great Chaparral section of the map, which, if you've played the game, you know to be mainly empty of any structures of civilization. While searching this spot, you can find an abandoned mine shaft entrance. There are a few surprises behind the door, which you can access with some well-timed glitching or high explosives.
16 Returning To Humane Labs
GTA Online gave players the chance to perform heists in the city of Los Santos. One of these heists takes place in Humane Labs and Research. After completing this mission, innovative players can finagle their way back into the Labs to explore the building. Watch out if you attempt this. As soon as you enter Humane Labs, you are immediately given a four-star wanted rating. Not really a secret location, but still a fun one to return to.
15 The Epsilon Building
The Epsilon Building in Los Santos is a large mansion. Its roof has some cone-shaped tops, and some enterprising players have found that these cones make for perfect hiding places. The back of the Epsilon Building has ladders to get you up higher, but in order to get into the cones, you have to glitch your way inside them. However, once you're inside the cones, you have the perfect cover and the perfect vantage point.
14 The Lost "Lost" Hatch
Fans of the television show Lost will be thrilled to learn that there's a little secret location in GTA 5 that only fans of the show will get. Off the east coast, if you have a submersible that can get you deep enough, there's a circular hatch set into the sea floor. This is a replication of The Hatch in the jungle on the island in Lost. Unfortunately, players can't get too close to this hatch. You are so far underwater near the hatch that the pressure can even crush your submersible.
13 Giant Snowman
There is nothing like seeing a snowman in existence when the weather appears to be more on the hot side than on the chilly side. In La Mesa, there's a Fridgit warehouse that contains an Easter Egg snowman. If you make your way into the warehouse, you'll find yourself confronted with several sets of blue doors. One of these doors is slightly ajar, and if you peek inside the room, you can see a snowman inside staring at you. Definitely one of the creepier secret places in GTA 5.
12 The Real Tennis Coach House
In Grand Theft Auto 5, Michael, one of the main characters of the story, discovers that his wife Amanda has been having amorous connections with her tennis coach. In anger, Michael chases the tennis coach all the way to where Michael believes he lives. He then destroys the house. This turns out horribly when he realizes that the house he destroyed belongs to the head of a cartel. Not many people realize that the tennis coach's real house is nearby, as evidenced by the tennis balls and tennis rackets lying around the property.
11 Coveted Cove
Just looking at Coveted Cove makes you covet it. It is the perfect little getaway place, complete with a private cave. This hidden area is near the south side of the San Chianski Mountain Range.
There are obviously no roads leading to the Cove, but that doesn't mean you can't trek around the area looking for it. Or, of course, you could try chancing a land vehicle over the bumpy terrain. If you make it to Coveted Cove, you'll be able to find some goodies in the cave, including a Grenade Launcher.