Among the wide biome variety in Red Dead Redemption 2, Ambarino stands out thanks to its scenic snowy landscapes. Few games manage to construct winter areas as fleshed out as this one. In fact, one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s biggest accomplishments is the seamless implementation of mud and snow on trails, forests, and towns. Nothing amps immersion quite like actually seeing your footprints on the ground.
Ambarino is the massive state located in the north portion of the map, and it’s divided in two parts: Grizzlies West and Grizzlies East. Since both of these areas are mostly uninhabitable due to their characteristic freezing climate, you’ll find few NPCs and settlements here. However, Ambarino is definitely worth visiting for more than a few reasons.
10 Glacier
It makes sense that Ambarino would home the game’s one and only glacier. Found in the very northernmost area on the map, this peculiar natural occurrence is definitely a sight to see.
You might find some deer or even bears prowling about, so keep your hunting rifle handy. Interestingly, if you follow the trail east of the glacier, you’ll eventually find Jenny Kirk’s grave, a former member of the gang who died before the events of the game; you can actually visit her resting place and pay your respects, which counts toward getting 100% game competition.
9 Planters Baun
This small shack is found on the shore of Barrow Lagoon. Going here can net you some supplies like coffee, gin, and bourbon, all of which are especially useful in the early-game. More importantly, if you don’t want to miss unique collectibles, make sure you grab the Felix Hawley cigarette card on the table inside the house.
A defaced grave lies at the frozen lake right in front of Planters Baun. Thanks to the cigarette card’s details, which depicts Hawley ice skating, it can be surmised that this is his resting place. The graffiti on his grave reads, “No ice in hell” — you can thank Rockstar for this ominous Easter Egg.
8 Adler Ranch
The name of this location should sound familiar, since it’s the former homestead of gang member Sadie Adler. This ranch serves as the very first shootout location in the game, after Arthur, Dutch, and Micah find the O’Driscolls raiding the property. Shortly upon dispatching them, the trio finds Sadie hiding in the cellar, paralyzed with fear.
After the residence burns down, you can return here to find a jewelry box and loot its contents to fetch a pretty price at a Fence.
7 Barrel Rider
There are many strange points of interests scattered about in the game, and some are definitely worthwhile coming across. You can find this particular one at the foot of a waterfall in central Ambarino.
Inside a shattered barrel, the dead body of a woman lies motionless, probably after an attempt to ride the waterfall. The whole scene is a likely reference to Annie Edson Tailor, who, at the age of 62, successfully survived a trip over the Niagara Falls inside a barrel. Moreover, the name of the location could also be inspired by Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, who calls himself “barrel rider” at one point in the novel.
6 Flattened Cabin
At first glance you might very well want to gloss over this dilapidated cabin, left to a pile of rubble after a tree fell on it. However, you should stop to explore its interiors. Doing so nets you valuable large jewelry and the Homing Tomahawk Pamphlet, which unlocks a significantly more powerful upgrade for your Tomahawk.
You can also find a unique melee weapon, the Hewing Hatchet, on a tree stump just outside the cabin. Pay this place a visit if you’re a big fan of axes.
5 O’Creagh’s Run
John O’Creagh is the voice actor who portrayed Uncle, the series beloved goofy old man. O’Creagh passed away during the game’s development, so this area is likely named after him as tribute. This beautiful lagoon lies in the Grizzlies East region of Ambarino, north of the Three Sisters mountains.
In the northeast area of the lake, you can find a prompt to begin hunting the Legendary Bharati Grizzly Bear, unless it finds you first. Make sure you bring the best ranged weapons to take it down.
4 Wapiti Indian Reservation
The only Native American settlement in the game is found here, and it serves as backdrop for several campaign missions involving the U.S. Army and oil magnate Leviticus Cornwall. By the end of the campaign, the Indians living here are pushed away from the reservation, so that oil can be extracted from their land. That’s a bit of historical accuracy from Rockstar.
If valuable loot is what you’re after, this area offers just that. At the base of a bridge on the south portion of the reservation, you can find a lockbox that holds the Dynamite Arrow Pamphlet, Guarma Rum, and a large jewelry bag.
3 Face In Cliff
No, this isn’t Mount Rushmore in its early days, although it’s easy to see why the Face In Cliff could be inspired on it. This particular face isn’t George Washington’s, nor Abraham Lincoln’s, but it belongs to a woman; more specifically, the lover of the man who carved the sculpture.
A corpse is found on the wooden scaffolding underlying the face. If you loot it, you can find a note explaining the backstory of this carving. Basically, the poor sculptor scared off his lady by rendering her face on the side of this cliff, so he proceeded to hang himself. That may very well be inconsequential, but do grab the Health Cure Pamphlet found here.
2 Witches Cauldron
Whatever you do, don’t freak out if you find this place while roaming at night. The Blair Witch won’t jump out of the ferns to jump scare you. For some reason, the Witches Cauldron is heavily reminiscent of a Spriggan altar from Skyrim, but no strange fantasy creatures dwell here.
It’s just a strange and creepy wooden structure that contains a cauldron with an unknown liquid substance. The good news is that you can drink said liquid to restore all your cores to the max.
1 Mysterious Hill Home
This location is the game’s strangest discoverable point of interest, and it could be a reference to Hobbit holes from Lord Of The Rings. You can see the Chelonia mark on the roof of this rudimentary construction, perhaps suggesting that this is a hangout spot for the cult’s fanatics.
In terms of valuables, the Poison Arrow Pamphlet is found here, among some barrels on the right side of the house. After beating the game, a special someone’s grave is also found near this spot.
NEXT: Red Dead Redemption 2: 10 Wild Encounters You’ll Never Forget
