If you’ve spent hours trekking through Ghost of Yotei’s snow-covered Hokkaido valleys, you’ve probably stumbled across at least one small, moss-lined fox den tucked between pine trees or hidden behind rock formations. Tracking down ghost of yotei all fox dens is one of the most rewarding side activities in the game, and it’s far easier to tackle if you know what to look for before you start your search. I’ve put 40+ hours into sweeping every region of the map to find every last den, so I’ve put together all the tips, location breakdowns, and rewards you need to check this collectible off your 100% completion list. You don’t have to waste hours backtracking across blizzard-prone peaks if you follow the steps laid out below. Fox dens are easy to miss if you’re speeding through the main story, but the rewards they offer are well worth the extra time spent exploring off the beaten path.
How to Find Ghost of Yotei All Fox Dens Without Wasting Time on Dead Ends
When you’re searching for ghost of yotei all fox dens, the first thing you should do is turn up your in-game audio a little bit, so you don’t miss the faint chirp cue. Listen for high-pitched fox chirps that get louder as you get closer to a den — this audio cue is directional, so you can pan your camera around to pinpoint exactly where the sound is coming from. You don’t need any special gear to pick up the sound, but if you’ve unlocked the enhanced hearing perk, it will highlight the den’s location on your minimap for 10 seconds when you hear the chirp, which cuts down search time drastically.
Next, follow small, light paw prints in fresh snow that lead off main paths and into hidden nooks. These prints only stay visible for 10 in-game minutes if there’s no snowfall, so if you spot a set, follow them immediately before they disappear. Dens never spawn in high wind blizzard zones, so if you’re caught in a storm, find a shelter to wait it out before you keep searching. You won’t find any dens during active bad weather, and paw prints will be covered instantly, so there’s no point in wasting your time looking while it’s snowing heavily.
After you collect 3 fox dens, you’ll unlock a fox whistle item that you can use to call any nearby foxes to your location. This item makes finding the rest of the dens so much easier, because any fox within 500 feet will run straight to you, and you can follow it back to its den. I recommend prioritizing finding the first 3 dens as early as possible in your playthrough, so you can use the whistle for the rest of your search.
All Fox Den Rewards You Unlock for Completing the Collection
You don’t have to collect every single den to get valuable rewards — each individual den gives you small, useful perks the second you open it. Every den grants 1 fox pelt, 500 XP, and a random rare crafting material, from cold-resistant thread to upgraded arrowheads. You can trade extra fox pelts at any village merchant for additional crafting supplies, so even if you’re not going for 100% completion, it’s worth stopping to open any dens you stumble across during your playthrough.
Once you collect all 23 dens, you’ll unlock a handful of exclusive rewards that make the entire search worth it. First, the legendary Fox Cloak, a piece of armor that gives you 100% permanent cold resistance, so you never have to stop to warm up by fires or use fire potions during blizzards. I thought this was just a cosmetic at first, but it made the final mountain climb sequence so much easier, because I didn’t have to pause every two minutes to avoid taking cold damage. You’ll also get a fox companion that follows you on all non-stealth missions, and will bark to alert you to nearby enemy camps, hidden collectibles, and crafting resources.
You’ll also unlock a secret lore cutscene that explores the local Ainu communities’ reverence for fox spirits in Hokkaido, which ties into the main story’s themes of respecting local traditions and the land. The cutscene adds a lot of depth to the game’s world, and it’s only accessible to players who collect all fox dens, so it’s a great reward for players who take the time to explore.
Region-by-Region Breakdown of Every Fox Den Location
There are 23 total fox dens scattered across 3 main regions of the Ghost of Yotei map, and your collectible tab will track how many you’ve found in each region, so you never have to guess where you’re missing dens. I recommend starting with the lower elevation regions first, since they have fewer blizzards, and you can unlock the fox whistle early to make searching the higher elevation regions easier. Here’s a full breakdown of how many dens are in each region, and what to look out for:
- Western Coastal Valleys: 7 dens – Most are tucked near fishing villages and hot springs, 2 are hidden behind frozen waterfalls that only thaw when you light nearby torch pillars. All dens in this region are at low elevation, so you won’t have to deal with cold damage or blizzards while searching here.
- Central Mountain Foothills: 11 dens – The highest concentration of dens, mostly near abandoned logging camps and small shrines, avoid searching during blizzards as paw prints get covered instantly. 3 of the dens in this region are only accessible after you climb to the top of small cliff sides, so make sure you have the climbing rope upgrade before you search here.
- Eastern Volcanic Plateaus: 5 dens – All are located near geothermal vents, so you won’t have to worry about cold drain while searching this area, 1 den is only accessible after you complete the "Broken Shrine" side quest. The dens here are easy to miss, since most players only visit this region for main story missions and don’t stick around to explore.
I found that the eastern plateau dens were the easiest to miss, because the rocky, barren terrain doesn’t look like the typical forested areas where dens spawn in the other two regions. Make sure you complete the Broken Shrine side quest as soon as it unlocks, because the den behind it gives you a rare fox charm that increases your XP gain by 10% for the rest of the game, which is a huge buff if you’re trying to unlock all skills early. If you’re stuck looking for the last den in a region, check all small shrine markers on your minimap — 90% of dens are within 100 feet of these small stone structures.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Searching for Fox Dens
I made a ton of mistakes on my first playthrough when I was searching for fox dens, and ended up having to backtrack across the entire map three times to find the last two dens I missed. Ignoring small shrine markers on your map was my biggest mistake — I thought those tiny stone structures were just random world decor, but almost every den is located right next to one, so if you see one on your minimap, you should always stop to check it out. You’ll save yourself so much backtracking later.
Searching during active blizzards is another mistake I see new players make all the time. Not only do paw prints disappear instantly during heavy snow, but the wind noise mutes the fox chirp audio cue, so you won’t hear it even if you’re 10 feet away from a den. If you get caught in a blizzard while searching, just fast travel to the nearest village and wait it out, or come back to the region later when the weather is clear. There’s no point in wasting your time looking during bad weather.
Leaving collectible hunting for endgame only is another mistake that makes the process way harder than it needs to be. The rewards you get from early dens, like the fox whistle and extra XP, make the main story so much easier, so it’s worth taking 10 minutes every time you enter a new region to sweep for nearby dens. You’ll stumble across most of them naturally if you take your time exploring between main story missions, instead of rushing through the story and coming back to collect dens later.
Using fast travel to skip across regions is another mistake that will make you miss most dens. You’ll only find dens when you’re walking or riding your horse across the map, so avoid fast travel whenever possible if you’re trying to collect all dens. I used fast travel all the time on my first playthrough, and only found 6 dens naturally before I beat the main story, which meant I had to spend 8 extra hours sweeping the entire map for the remaining 17.
Tracking down ghost of yotei all fox dens is a fun, low-stakes activity that adds a ton of value to your playthrough, whether you’re going for 100% completion or just want useful upgrades to make the main story smoother. You don’t have to follow a strict order to find every den, but using the tips above will cut your search time in half and help you avoid the frustrating backtracking I dealt with on my first playthrough. Take your time exploring the map, stop to listen for fox calls whenever you’re off the main path, and you’ll have that full fox den collection knocked out before you reach the final act of the game. The rewards are well worth the extra time spent exploring, and you’ll get to see parts of the game’s beautiful map that most players never find.