The caves in ARK: Survival Ascended act as a series of small trials that survivors must fight through to retrieve valuable loot and unique artifacts. Often overrun with strong and dangerous creatures, most commonly Onycs and Araneos, the caves in ARK: Survival Ascended require thoughtful preparation before entering. Onyc can be particularly pesky to deal with, as they have a chance of infecting the player with deadly Mega Rabies, which can only be cured by consuming a Lesser Antidote.

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Restricted by size, certain dinosaurs cannot enter caves unless bred into them past the natural blockade. Furthermore, due to the layout of caves, some mounts perform better than others. Still, taking a high-level dino into the cave is often the best way of clearing out the massive groups of creatures lurking within. On top of this, players may have extreme temperatures and environmental obstacles to overcome, making some caves more difficult than others. ARK: Survival Ascendedhas seen some tweaks to caves since ARK: Survival Evolved, which has slightly altered the caving experience.

10 Lower South Cave, Artifact Of The Hunter

Latitude: 85.3, Longitude: 54.2

• Rating: Easy.
• Best Mount(s): Baryonyx.

The Lower South Cave is extremely simple and most often the first cave new survivors will encounter. Nestled within a shallow canyon in the south, players have little to worry about when traversing this cave. Onyc, Araneo, Sarcosuchus, Piranha, and Arthropleura all reside within the cave in small clusters.

Taking in Hide Armor which can be repaired on the go, as well as a couple of Lesser Antidotes is recommended. Players looking to grab the Artifact of the Hunter and get out should stick to the left of the cave and be mindful of a steep drop that leads toward the artifact’s location.

9 Central Cave, Artifact Of The Clever

Latitude: 40.2, Longitude: 46.6

• Rating: Easy.
• Best Mount(s): Baryonyx, Thylacoleo.

The biggest and only danger of the Central Cave is that Megalosaurus may spawn inside it. Still, Megalosaurus is only really a threat at nighttime, so as long as players only enter the cave during the day, there’s little to worry about. Otherwise, players will only have to deal with the common cave critters such as the Onyc and Arthropleura.

Like every cave, having a couple of Lesser Antidotes to cure Mega Rabies is also helpful. The Artifact of the Clever is located at the back of the cave, meaning players must clear most of the enemy dinos to get to it. The groups of enemy dinosaurs in the Central Cave are also quite large, so a mount with high health points is necessary.

8 North East Cave, Artifact Of The Devourer

Latitude: 8.9, Longitude: 91.3

• Rating: Easy.
• Best Mount(s): Thylacoleo.

Considering that The North East Cave is located on the dangerous Carnivore Island, the cave itself is pretty straightforward with minimal risks. The biggest danger players will face when traversing the North East Cave is the large drop to the bottom, which is where the Artifact of the Devourer resides. Sometimes, Megalania may spawn within the cave, lurking on ceilings or clinging to the walls.

Megalania themselves aren’t too much of a threat, although, like the Onyc, they can inflict the player with Mega Rabies. Breeding a Thylacoleo into the North East Cave is the fastest method of obtaining the Artifact of the Devourer, as players can simply mount the Thyla and jump to the bottom of the cave. Although, doing this will attract every cave dino to the player’s location, so having a high-level Thyla with good stats is recommended.

7 Lava Cave, Artifact Of The Massive

Latitude: 74.1, Longitude: 92.2

• Rating: Medium
• Best Mount(s): Baryonyx, Thylacoleo, DireWolf.

The Lava Cave is an awkward cave with some tricky elements. Firstly, the player will need to have some way to manage their heat, as the rivers of lava within the cave make it extremely hot. Consuming Calien Soup is an effective way of dealing with the heat. Moreover, the player can simply wear a full set of Ghillie Armor. The second danger players will encounter within the Lava Cave is the lava itself. Several jumps exist within the cave, and failing these jumps will result in the player and their mount descending into inescapable lava.

Most mounts will have no problems with the small jumps, but the larger jumps can be risky. The Artifact of the Massive is situated on a small island surrounded by lava, and the safest method of retrieving it is by using a Crossbow and some Grappling Hooks. Other than the lava and the heat, the cave is relatively simple, with large groups of common cave critters dwelling within.

6 Upper South Cave, Artifact Of The Pack

Latitude: 71.3, Longitude: 57.2

• Rating: Medium
• Best Mount(s): Baryonyx.

Another cave with difficult environmental elements, the Upper South Cave is predominantly underwater. The Baryonyx is the best mount for this cave, as it is fast on both land and water and can easily stun any creatures swimming about the narrow channels.

While the Baryonyx can happily stay underwater for extended periods of time, players with low oxygen will quickly drown. Therefore, taking in and consuming Lazarus Chowder is recommended. Players that consume Lazarus Chowder will slow their rate of oxygen consumption to as little as 15%, allowing them to stay underwater for longer, and traverse the cave with ease.

5 Swamp Cave, Artifact Of The Immune

Latitude: 64.8, Longitude: 35.1

• Rating: Hard.
• Best Mount(s): Baryonyx, Megatherium.

Wearing a Gas Mask, or SCUBA gear, is mandatory for players looking to traverse the Swamp Cave due to its deadly poison gas. On top of this, the Swamp Cave is riddled with dozens of insects, including Meganeura, Araneo, Arthropleura, Titanomyrma, and Pulmonoscorpius. The extremely narrow entrance of the Swamp Cave means that the Baryonyx is among the few dinosaurs able to enter. However, successfully raising a Megatherium past the narrow entrance will make cave clearing extremely simple thanks to the sloth's efficiency at fighting insects.

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Alternatively, players can simply activate some Bug Repellent and use Grappling Hooks to traverse the cave, as the bugs will not attack them. Players using this method should be wary of getting too close to the cave critters, which can still become hostile if touched. Ensuring whatever mount being used is equipped with a high-tier saddle is vital, as the insects travel in large swarms, which can easily overwhelm the player and their mount.

4 The Caverns Of Lost Faith, Artifact Of The Brute

Latitude: 54.4, Longitude: 3.9

• Rating: Hard.
• Best Mount(s): Basilosaurus, Megalodon.

One of two underwater caves, players exploring The Caverns of Lost Faith will need specialized gear to overcome the environmental challenge of being underwater. Wearing SCUBA gear is necessary to traverse the cave as it allows the player to breathe underwater, and have better vision. Another hurdle players will need to overcome within the Cavern of Lost Faith is the many Electrophorus and Cnidaria that lurk around the cave’s tight bends, waiting to electrocute and stun the player and their mount.

The Basilosaurus is a great mount option for The Caverns of Lost Faith as they are immune to stuns. A high-level Basilo with a good health stat and decent melee can easily deal with a group of Cnidaria. Alternatively, thanks to the introduction of a cooldown on the electrocution stun in ARK: Survival Ascended, Megalodons are now also a decent option. While Megalodons are still at risk of being stunned and overwhelmed, a high-level Meg should have little issue with surviving the initial 5-second stun duration.

3 North West Cave, Artifact Of The Skylord

Latitude: 14.1, Longitude: 13.9

• Rating: Hard.
• Best Mount(s): An Otter as a Shoulder Pet.

Known by the ARK: Survival Ascended community as the crawl cave, the North West Cave provides a unique challenge for players. Faced with tiny corridors restricted in space, players will be unable to take mounts into the cave’s icy, narrow catacombs. As well as being a tight squeeze, the cave is freezing, and players will need to either layer up in Fur Armor, consume Fria Curry, or bring an Otter along as a shoulder pet to survive the temperatures.

Without a mount to rely on, players are forced to face the Onyc and Araneos themselves. Taking in a sword and shield can be an effective method of both offense and defense. Alternatively, if the player is wearing high-tier armor, a Pump-Action Shotgun should easily shred through the cave creatures. Lastly, players will need to be careful when traversing the cave, as several deadly drops instantly kill anything that falls into them.

2 The Caverns Of Lost Hope, Artifact Of The Cunning

Latitude: 45.4, Longitude: 95

• Rating: Extremely Hard.
• Best Mount(s): Basilosaurus accompanied by Megalodons.

As the second underwater cave, as well as one of the hardest caves in ARK: Survival Ascended, The Caverns of Lost Hope will test the player’s strength, preparation, and resolve at every angle. On entering the cave, players will not only be underwater but must also face dozens of deep-water creatures lurking within.

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Alpha Megalodons often spawn within the cave, buffing all creatures around them with increased defenses and damage output. While the creatures don't spawn at particularly high levels, the sheer number of Mantas, Dunkleosteus, Electrophorus, Piranhas, and Megalodons can make the cave extremely difficult to swim through. Wearing SCUBA gear and mounting a Basilosaurus with several Megalodons, all equipped with high-tier saddles, following as an attack pack is the best method for clearing this cave.

1 Snow Cave, Artifact Of The Strong

Latitude: 26, Longitude: 29

• Rating: Extremely Hard.
• Best Mount(s): Yutyrannus accompanied by Dire Wolves.

The Snow Cave, located within the icy Snow Biome, is the hardest cave in ARK: Survival Ascended by a huge margin, mostly due to the over-leveled creatures that populate it. Untameable Polar Bears, Direwolves, Yetis, and Purlovia reside within the cave, spawning at levels as high as 340 at default settings. The risk of being dismounted by Purlovia, packs of terrifyingly strong dinos, and water so cold it damages anything that enters it, players looking to retrieve the Artifact of the Strong will be pushed to their limits.

Consuming Fria Curry, wearing high-tier Fur Armor, and carrying an Otter as a shoulder mount for increased insulation are effective ways of beating the freezing temperatures of the Snow Cave. To deal with the tough cave dinos, breeding a Yutyrannus into the cave is recommended, as the Yuty’s Fear Roar will reduce the enemy dinosaurs' damage. Having a pack of high-level dire wolves to accompany the Yuty is a good strategy, as the player can whistle the pack forwards and lure out any Purlovia to avoid being dismounted, as well as buff the wolves' damage with the Yutyrannus’ Courage Roar.

Ark: Survival Ascended

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

October 26, 2023

Developer(s)

Studio Wildcard

Genre(s)

Survival , Open-World