When creating Skyrim's province for the first time, developers wanted to ensure that each of the nine holds would represent a unique terrain and biome, which would bring some much-needed variety into an open-world game. Among all the holds, Hjaalmarch is definitely not the prettiest, as it sits on top of a large stretch of creepy, foggy wetlands.
Despite being hard to traverse, Hjaalmarch and its capital Morthal are more than worthy of a visit. Filled with ghosts and other creepy details and locations, it's an ideal spot for finding cool hidden locations that players wouldn't otherwise be able to find with the help of markers.
10 Black Arts Burial Ground
Just southeast of Morthal's small town, this hidden old burial ground holds a gruesome secret and something powerful within. It's guarded by a skeleton, which can be taken down pretty easily, and the necromancer who once used this place as their lair is found impaled and dead on a table.
The highlight of this place is definitely its mysterious nature, but also a unique weapon known as the Staff of Revenants, which can be looted nearby the dead necromancer. The staff allows the Dragonborn to raise a dead corpse to fight by their side for 60 seconds. Considering there's only two other (difficult) ways to get this staff, this is a steal.
9 The Conjurer's Caravan
This abandoned and bountiful caravan is located in the snowy parts of Hjaalmarch, which border the Pale. Head over to it by walking north from Mehrunes Dagon's shrine. Eventually, the player will come across a caravan by which two bandits are in the process of counting their gains.
After killing them the Dragonborn can loot a bunch of potions and two knapsacks from the caravan itself. There's also a Speech skill book, called A Dance in Fire, Book VI, in the back of the caravan. It's a great little location for some extra loot.
8 Ghost Barrow
From the Kjenstag Ruins, go northeast and this tiny old ruin will eventually come into view. Make sure to only visit at night time after 8 PM and before 4 AM, as this is the time the real inhabitant of this ruined barrow will show themselves. A ghost will actually appear, and lead the player to a group of bandits.
Once the player has defeated the enemies, they'll get their hands on a few cool items, including a Block skill book called A Dance in Fire, Book II, a silver necklace and an enchanted weapon. There's also a vein of gold ore which can be mined for smithing purposes. Various other leveled loot might appear as well, so make sure not to miss this location.
7 Summoning Stones
While not exactly noteworthy for its loot, this is an important location nonetheless for players who end up dabbling in vampirism (and sorely regretting their decisions after a while). During a quest called Rising At Dawn, the Dragonborn can be cured of their vampirism here in exchange for a black soul gem.
These stones are located deep in the heart of the marshes, northwest of Morthal's town. During the relevant quest, the NPC Falion can also be found here, but otherwise this area won't serve much of a purpose, aside from just being extremely cool-looking.
6 Swamp Pond Massacre
The swamplands located northwest of Morthal are a deadly and frightening place to traverse for the unseasoned traveler. That being said, there's all sorts of strange locations here that yield some cool loot and might even tell a story about what exactly happened prior to the Dragonborn's arrival. That's case of the swamp pond massacre.
Deep in the heart of the marshes, on the northern side of the Apprentice Stone, the remains of a few campers and their encampment can be discovered. It's hard to say what killed them, but then again, the area is filled with various creatures that will rush after the player upon their arrival. The highlight here is the book called The Exodus, which increases Restoration skill.
5 Karth River Henge
Finding a lone mage performing his dark arts isn't an uncommon thing in Skyrim, and usually is a sign that interesting loot can be found in the same location. From Meeko's Shack, head west and cross the river, and a set of stone pillars can be found with an alchemy table and a mage performing some sort of dark ritual on a dead body.
There's a bunch of alchemy ingredients found here, as well as one of the most famous books in the game, called Mannimarco, King of Worms, which is also an Alchemy skill book. It tells the tale of one of the worst threats that Tamriel has ever faced, and is definitely a must-read book for any hardcore fans.
4 Collapsed Burial Ground
Still within the swamplands of Hjaalmarch, this burial ground hidden within fog is more of a cool sight than an actual important location. Head south from the Abandoned Shack discovered during the Dark Brotherhood quest line, and these stones should appear on a separate plot of dry land.
A chest and an urn can be discovered here, but the best item is a skill book titled Sacred Witness, which increases the Sneak skill. It can be found off of the body of a Draugr that sticks out of the ground just barely.
3 Draugr Burial Mound
East of the Apprentice Stones, still deep within the swamps, another burial ground sunken into the wet soil and water can be discovered. A tree grows out of its center and most of it has become overgrown with moss and other plants, making it difficult to spot in the wild.
Prepare to fight some Mudcrabs when first coming here, but it'll all be worth it, since a skill book can be discovered here. The Locked Room is a Lockpicking skill book, ideal for any thieves and assassins in training.
2 Riverside Bandit Camp
Want to take on some more bandits and just can't get enough looting them? Rather than storming into a large fort that requires a lot of effort and resources to get through, the player can simply head on over to this small camp by the river, east of Dragon Bridge.
After the bandits are dealt with, there's a chest with some loot inside. The best loot is undoubtedly the book Warrior, which is a Block skill book and a must-read for any aspiring one-handed combatants.
1 Sabre Cat Rock
Need to slay or find a Sabre Cat? It can be surprisingly difficult to find one when in a pinch or in need of some alchemy ingredients. Luckily, there's one location that guarantees not just one but two Sabre Cats to spawn for the player. They inhabit a small alcove in the side of the mountainous hills, surrounded by three stone pillars.
This location is easy to come across when heading west of Robber's Grove. Although the beasts might be tough to kill, the loot makes it worth it. There's some gold and a satchel from previous victims, as well as a One-Handed skill book titled 2920, Vol 01 - Morning Star.