Quick Links
Stardew Valleyallows players to take control of a farm and settle down in Pelican Town andbuild relationships with the villagers. As players settle down in the countryside and begin exploring the Valley and its beautiful surroundings, they’ll uncover many secrets and hidden areas carefully designed by developer ConcernedApe.
Situated southwest of Pelican Town is theCindersap Forest,a lush and vibrant forest where you can gather wood or collect seasonal forageables, likeSpring Onions. While plenty of villagers like Marnie and the Wizard reside there, it also serves as a great place to gathervaluable resources like Hardwood. In addition, Cindersap Forest also holds a few delightful secrets for those who explore it thoroughly. Keep reading to learn about the mysteries of the Cindersap Forest and all of its hidden areas.
Updated June 02, 2025, by Usama Ali:Cindersap Forest is a resource-rich and secret-filled part of the Valley that you’ll visit frequently throughout your farming journey. Stardew Valley’s Update 1.6 introduced a bunch of content, including a new farm map, new festivals, and an exciting new secret area in the Cindersap Forest. We’ve updated this guide with all the details of how you can unlock this hidden area and everything it holds.
The Secret Woods
Hiddendeep in the northwestern corner of Cindersap Forestis an outdoor area called TheSecret Woods. Here, you can collect mushrooms and other seasonable forageables, kill Slimes and grab Mahogany seeds, or even go fishing in thepond in the southwest area. The Secret Woods also contains anOld Master Cannolistatue. If you give the statue a Sweet Gem Berry, you’ll be rewarded with aStar Drop.
The Secret Woods is home to6 Large Stumpsthat can be harvested daily, yielding a total of 12 Hardwood pieces. These respawn every day and are anefficient way to farmHardwood. Four of these stumps can be found in the upper region of the woods, whereas the other two are located in asecondary hidden area.To get to these stumps, you’ll have to walk through the trees slightly southeast of the upper set of three stumps.
Unfortunately, you cannot enter the Secret Woods till youclear the Large Log at the entrance using a Steel or better-quality Axe.Once removed, this log will never reappear, ensuring you can freely access the Secret Woods as you please.
You can also obtain a Wall Basket, a uniquefurnitureitem, by fishing in the Secret Woods Pond. This item is not available in the Furniture Catalogue.
A Secret Fishing Spot
Cindersap Forest is the best location to go fishing inStardew Valleyas it is the only map with different bodies of water. you’re able to find several types of fish swimming in theriverpassing through the forest, thelarge pondin the northwest corner, and thewaterfallsaround the Abandoned House.
Apart from these, the Cindersap Forest has a secret fishing spot where you’re able to obtain anIridium Krobus statue.This spot is located at thesouthernmost point of Cindersap Forest, near the entrance toThe Sewers.
To reach the ocean from this spot and cast your fishing line, you need a minimum of Fishing Level 15. While this seems impossible, you just need to play smart. Achieving level 15 is possible if you reach fishing level 10 and consume foods that give temporary Fishing buffs, like Seafoam Pudding. Once you reach level 15, you’ll be able to fish at this secret spot instantly.
A Hidden Pot Of Gold
While it’s not a regular occurrence, you may find aPot Of Goldoverflowing with gold coins hidden deep within the Cindersap Forest – with just a bit of luck. Once a year,on Spring 17, a Pot of Gold appearsat the end of the rainbow near the waterfall around the Abandoned House.The Abandoned House can be found in the south region of the Cindersap Forest.
By interacting with the Pot of Gold, you will receive aLeprechaun Hat and Gold coins. You can do this repeatedly, with the amount of gold increasing every year you play the game.In Year 1, you’ll receive 200 gold coins, which will increase every year by 25 coins.
The Mysterious Trash Bear
If you’ve been playingStardew Valleyforat least three years, you can find the Trash Bear, a rather unique character, in Cindersap Forest.
On non-rainy days from Year 3 onwards, theTrash Bearwill appear in thesouth area of the Cindersap Forest, next to the patch of Spring Onions, near the entrance to the Sewers.Interacting with him will display a dialogue bubble requesting a specific item. The requested items can beseasonal forageables, fish, or even cooked dishes.
Once you give the Trash Bear the desired item, clicking on him again will show another request. Afterfulfilling four of his requests,a cutscene will trigger in which the Trash Bear will play pan-pipes, fly up on an umbrella made of leaves, and clean up trash in unreachable areas. He replaces all the trash with different trees and bushes. The Trash Bear would even fly toPelican Townand clean up the trash in Pam’s front yard.
Even though there is no time limit to fulfilling the Trash Bear’s requests, a seasonal request will change once the relative season is over.
The Mastery Cave
The Mastery Cave is a special, hidden area in the Cindersap Forest thatunlocks once you’ve trulymastered all five core skills: Farming, Mining, Foraging, Fishing, and Combat, reaching level 10 in each. The cave is located in the southern part of the forest, just south of Leah’s cottage. You’ll see a wooden door built into the cliffside with a sign on it. If you haven’t hit level 10 in all skills, the sign will tell you how many more masteries you need before you can enter.
Once you’re inside the cave, you’ll finda letter from Grandpa.He has left you a note with some lore about the cave and its purpose. There are five pillars inside the Mastery Cave. Each pillar represents one of the five skills. After reaching level 10 in all skills, a green “Mastery Bar” will appear at the bottom of your skills tab in the menu.
As you continue to perform activities related to each skill, this bar will fill up. Once it’s full, you earn aMastery Point inStardew Valley.The first Mastery Point requires 10,000 experience, and the amount needed increases for each subsequent point.you’re able to then spend these points at the pillars in the Mastery Cave to claim the unique rewards for each skill.
