If you've spent any time roaming the snow-capped Hokkaido valleys and forested slopes of Ghost of Yotei, you've probably run into fluffy stray foxes that dart off the main path when you get close. These foxes aren't just cute environmental filler—they lead to hidden fox dens that hand out some of the most useful early and mid-game rewards in the entire title. I spent 12 hours last weekend combing every inch of the map to track down every spot, so I put together this full list of all fox den locations ghost of yotei players can hunt down without wasting hours guessing. You won't have to sort through outdated, incomplete guides or glitch through broken terrain to find any of these spots, either.
All Fox Den Locations in Ghost of Yotei: Northern Snow Peaks Region
The Northern Snow Peaks are the first area you unlock after completing the game's prologue, and the dens here are the easiest to access for new players. This set of all fox den locations ghost of yotei players can reach in the first 2 hours of gameplay is perfect for anyone who wants to get a head start on useful upgrades before tackling harder story missions. The first fox den sits 200 meters west of the starting village, right next to the frozen river that cuts through the valley. You'll see a fox sitting on a frost-covered rock near the riverbank as soon as you complete the first prologue mission, just follow it for 30 seconds to reach the den.
The second northern den is a little trickier to spot, but still very accessible. It's hidden behind the abandoned ski lodge at the base of Yotei mountain, and you'll have to climb the broken wooden staircase on the east side of the building to reach it. Make sure you don't follow the fox up the main slope of the lodge, because there's a level 8 wolf pack that spawns there that will overwhelm new players with low-level gear. These two dens unlock the first Fox's Luck charm, which reduces stamina consumption while climbing by 15%—a game-changer for exploring the steep mountain areas you'll unlock later.
Central Forest Region Fox Dens: Avoiding Common Traps
The Central Forest region unlocks after you complete the third main story mission, and it's home to 6 more fox dens, plus more enemy patrols and wildlife spawns that can catch you off guard if you're not paying attention. Never follow a fox into a foggy clearing without checking for bear spawns first—I made that mistake my first run, got one-shot by a level 12 bear before I even reached the den, and lost 20 minutes of unsaved progress. The first den in this region is right next to the giant cedar tree marked as a fast travel point, you'll hear the fox's high-pitched chitter as soon as you fast travel to the spot.
The second den is near the hot spring west of the bandit fortress, and the fox leading to it will only spawn if you clear the fortress of enemies first. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth dens are scattered along the edge of the region, near the waterfall cave, the abandoned logging camp, the old shrine, and the edge of the southern volcanic zone respectively. All the dens in this region drop rare pine resin and silk scraps, the main crafting materials for the stealth armor set that makes sneaking past enemy patrols infinitely easier. You don't have to fight any enemies to reach these last four dens, just stick to the tree line and avoid the main patrol routes.
Rewards You Unlock for Finding Every Fox Den
A lot of players skip fox dens because they think they're just throwaway collectibles with no real value, but the rewards for finding all 18 dens are easily some of the most useful in the entire game, and they scale perfectly with your progression through the story. I finished collecting all dens halfway through my first playthrough, and the rewards carried me through the hardest late-game missions with no trouble. The unlocks trigger as you hit specific collection milestones, so you don't have to wait until you find every last den to get useful perks:
- Fox Caller Tool: Lets you summon a fox to lead you to the nearest uncollected den, cutting your search time in half once you find 6 dens. It also works for finding hidden chests and shrines if you use it in unexplored areas.
- Inari's Blessing Charm: Boosts all loot found in chests and enemy drops by 25% once you find 12 dens, perfect for farming rare upgrade materials for your weapons and armor. I kept this charm on my loadout for the rest of my playthrough, and it cut my farming time for endgame upgrades by almost 40%.
- Fox Companion Skin: Unlocks a permanent fox companion that follows you on all missions, and even distracts enemies for you during stealth sections once you collect all 18 dens. It doesn't take damage during fights, so you don't have to worry about it dying mid-battle.
You also get 500 coin and 3 rare upgrade materials for every individual den you find, so even if you don't plan to collect all 18, it's worth stopping for any fox you see roaming around. The coin adds up fast, and you can use the extra materials to upgrade your starting weapons to hold you over until you unlock rarer gear later in the game.
Pro Tips to Track Down Missing Fox Dens Fast
If you're 2 or 3 dens short of the full collection and don't want to wander the whole map looking for them, there are a few tricks I picked up during my playthrough that will cut your search time down drastically. You don't need any special gear or unlocked abilities to use these tips, either, they work from the very start of the game. First, check your map for small, unmarked paw print icons—they only show up if you're within 500 meters of a den, so if you see one while fast traveling, stop and explore that area immediately. The icons are really small, so you'll have to zoom in on your map to spot them, but they're way more reliable than guessing where dens might be.
Second, listen for the high-pitched fox chitter sound effect that plays when you're within 100 meters of a den, even if you can't see the fox yet. I found 3 missing dens on my playthrough just by following the sound when I was doing side missions in areas I thought I'd already fully explored. Third, if you've completed all main story missions, talk to the old shrine maiden in the starting village, she will mark any remaining dens on your map for a small fee of 500 coin, which is totally worth it if you only have 1 or 2 left. A lot of players miss this NPC tip because they don't go back to the starting village after they unlock the first new region, so make sure you swing by every once in a while to check for new dialogue options.
Hunting for collectibles in open world games can feel like a chore sometimes, but tracking down all fox den locations ghost of yotei has some of the most satisfying, useful rewards in the entire game. You don't have to find them all in one go, either—you can pick up a few as you play through main missions, then come back for the rest once you've unlocked better movement tools like the grappling hook. I still have the fox companion enabled on my second playthrough, it's nice having a little buddy to explore the mountains with, and it even helps me find hidden chests I would have missed otherwise. If you hit a snag finding any of the spots, just slow down and keep an eye out for those tiny paw prints on your map, you'll have all 18 dens collected before you know it.