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For rare items and cool secrets, as well as unique quests, there's always a special location for you to access in Stardew Valley. That's why between farming and gathering resources it's a good idea to actually walk around and do a little bit of exploring. You'll never know exactly what you might find.

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One special location that becomes incredibly important for rare resources is the Secret Woods area. Due to how inconspicuous its entrance is, some players might not even think of entering it or finding a way to it. Here's how you can get to the Secret Woods quickly and what you can find there.

Updated October 26, 2023 by Jacqueline Zalace: The Secret Woods in Stardew Valley can be quite elusive, especially if you are a new player. We've added some more information on how to find this location, as well as what you can find once you arrive.

Additionally, we've included information about Bear's Knowledge, which can be unlocked by completing a certain quest that takes you to the Secret Woods.

What Is The Secret Woods?

Stardew Valley Secret Woods

The Secret Woods is a small sub-location found in the northwestern parts of Cindersap Forest. The path to the Secret Woods is found north of the Wizard Rasmodiu's tower, and west of where the Traveling Cart spawns, at the very corner of the forests.

There are often enemies inside the Secret Woods, so come prepared with a weapon in order to take care of some of the slimes that regularly spawn there.

Inside the woods themselves, there's also a bottom area that you can access by walking through a secret passage in the foliage. Walk around carefully next to the edges of the southern woods to find a passage to the small alcove.

How To Unlock The Secret Woods

Stardew Valley Secret Woods Entrance From Cindersap Forest

At the start of a game, the passage will be blocked by a fallen log, which needs to be broken with the right tool.

You can't just use any axe though; you will need a Steel Axe. This is the third axe upgrade available at the Blacksmith. Below, you can check out the requirements to get the Steel Axe as well as the upgrades before it.

Axe Type

Requirements To Obtain

Axe

This is your default axe

Copper Axe

5x Copper Bars


2,000g

Steel Axe

5x Iron Bars


5,000g

It will take Clint two days to complete each upgrade. After getting a Steel Axe, you can chop the log into pieces and walk into the woods.

Foragables Found In The Secret Woods

Stardew Valley Chopping Hardwood

Below, you can check out a list of all the foragable items that you can find in the Secret Woods.

  • Wild Horseradish
  • Morel
  • Common Mushroom
  • Fiddlehead Fern
  • Red Mushroom
  • Common Mushroom
  • Chanterelle
  • Red Mushroom
  • Holly

The most important forageable item you can find there is the Fiddlehead Fern; you will have a 78 percent chance of finding it during summer.

Finding Hardwood In The Secret Woods

Character on horse in forest by tree stump with item on ground

One of the most important resources in the Secret Woods is hardwood. Hardwood is a limited resource but is needed in abundance when it comes to unlocking some major game features, including farmhouse upgrades and repairing Willy's boat to Ginger Island.

Because of this, it's good to visit the Secret Woods on a daily basis to gather up to 12 pieces of hardwood by chopping down the large stumps that spawn daily in this area.

You can also quite reliably get mahogany tree seeds when killing slimes and chopping the stumps, which allows you to start your own hardwood farm.

Artifact Spots In The Secret Woods

the player views a secret note

You can also find artifact spots and dig up secret notes in the Secret Woods. Below, you can see some of the noteworthy items that have a chance to be found in artifact spots.

  • Lost Books
  • Clay
  • Winter Root (during Winter)
  • Snow Yam (during Winter)
  • Rice Shoots (during Spring)

Secret Woods Fish Pond

Stardew Valley Secret Woods Fishing Pond

A small pond can also be found in the Secret Woods. In total, there are only three fish that can be found here; Carp, Catfish, and Woodskip. This is the only place outside the farm where you can find a Woodskip, making them quite rare.

The only other way to find a Wwoodskip is to have a forest farm type.

The Woodskip is a necessary catch since it's a required fish in the Fish Tank bundle for the Community Center. You will also have a chance to fish up a Wall Basket, which is a furniture item that can be placed inside your house.

Quests In The Secret Woods

Stardew Valley Old Master Cannoli Statue

Old Master Cannoli

Opposite the fishpond is the aging statue of an old man. This statue is Old Master Cannoli's, and he's looking for "the sweetest taste".

In order to complete his quest, you need to bring him a Sweet Gem Berry. To get one, purchase a Rare Seed from the Traveling Merchant and plant it outside during Fall or inside the greenhouse whenever you want.

Bringing him a Sweet Gem Berry will reward you with a Stardrop, which will increase your health and your energy bar. Although it might take a while to finish his quest, it's well worth the effort, considering how tough Stardrops are to come by otherwise.

Strange Note

via: YouTube

Lastly, we have the quest associated with Secret Note 23. This note will say, "If yoo can reed dis... come to seecrit wuds. Pleez bring may-pal serrup".

Basically, you will need to bring maple syrup to the Secret Woods. With syrup in your inventory, you just need to enter the area, which will trigger a cutscene. As a reward, you will get Bear's Knowledge, which increases the selling price of blackberries and salmonberries.

NEXT: Stardew Valley: Every Special Order & What Their Rewards Are