The Last of Us 2 journal entry locations are one of the easier collectibles to find than most of the other collectibles. They’re usually on something that is designed to draw your eye anyway. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some hidden ones. There are 20 total and finding them all will help you unlock the Archivist trophy, which also requires that you find all the artifacts. Here’s how to find all the TLOU2 journal entries so you can get on your way to unlocking that Archivist trophy. There are spoilers ahead so be careful!
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Jackson | Patrol
The first journal entry in the game is in the Jackson mission in the Patrol sub-chapter. After stopping with Dina in one of the patrol areas, you’ll both head into a building and you’ll have to squeeze through a small area like in the above picture.
Talk to Dina and then wait a sec. The journal entry will pop up near where you two were leaning over the railing.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Jackson | Patrol
The next journal entry is a little later on. After getting off your horses and taking shelter from the storm inside of bookstore, break the window to get into the room with the white door to continue, as you see in the above picture. Go into the next door and Ellie will grab Eugene’s Firefly pendant that is hanging on the nearby corkboard.
Go forward a little bit to where the beds are and you’ll see the giraffe on the right side right after entering the room.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Jackson | Packing Up
The next few journal entries are in the house section of the Jackson chapter. The first one is tricky because it is not marked like the other journal entries in the game. Go into the kitchen of the house. It is the owl cup. Just examine it and you’re set.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Jackson | Packing Up
The next journal entry is just upstairs. Climb up those stairs and go into the first room, which is pointed out in the above picture.
You’ll see the guitar on the table.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | The Gate
The first journal entry in Seattle is hard to miss. It’s the big mural on the first gate you come across. You have to get off the horse here anyway to climb up so go toward the front of the gate first before you head up.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | Downtown
The next journal is on one of the guard towers in the open area. You can get there a few different ways like through the top floor outdoor catwalks in the music shop or via a ladder near where the journal location is. The above map is right on the aforementioned catwalk.
Just open up the nearby drawer and you should be able to sketch the skyline.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | Downtown
The next journal entry in the open area is in the synagogue that has been transformed into a ration distribution center. You have to go here for the gas can. Once you get what you came for, you have to swing on a rope to get out. When you do that, go to the door on the right as highlighted in the above picture.
Once you go into that door, go behind the desk and open the drawer and read the note. That is the journal entry, weirdly enough.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | The Tunnels
This one is easy but easily missable. You’ll eventually come across a Shambler (the ugly ones with the pustules on their bodies) in the underground tunnels. Kill it and then go look at its corpse when the entire fight is over. Be sure not to move ahead.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | The Birthday Gift
After some impromptu swimming lessons, you’ll both come out of the woods and come across a big T-Rex statue and museum. Before going into the museum, go over to the little information plate near the dinosaur to get the journal entry prompt.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 1 | The Birthday Gift
After going through the dinosaur part of the museum, you’ll get to the space part of the museum. The circular benches right near the model spaceships and rockets should have the journal prompt on it as you walk by. Do it right when you see it when you walk in.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 2 | Hillcrest
After climbing over the truck and getting to another area, you’ll come across another bunch of shops. A mini-cutscene will play and show you the above vista.
From there, go right to the Ruston Coffee shop and look at the banner by the front door.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 2 | Finding Strings
This one is right at the start of the chapter. Immediately upon gaining control of younger Ellie, look to your right at the vista and walk over to it for the journal prompt
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 2 | The Seraphites
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 2 | The Seraphites
You’ll automatically get this one. Once you scale one of the buildings using the rolling dumpster, you’ll be greeted to the above vista of the hospital. Ellie will then automatically draw it in her journal.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 2 | The Seraphites
This journal entry is in the area where you first meet the Seraphites and get shot by an arrow to teach you about the mechanic of pulling arrows out of your body. Kill all of them and make your way forward. Once you get out of the grassy area with a lot of plants, the game will funnel you to the street and then into a hotel. Don’t go into the hotel. Instead, examine one of the bodies by the bus stop. It’ll have the journal entry button by it.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 3 | Road to the Aquarium
When you team up with Jesse, you’ll eventually make your way into a library. Drop down and you’ll see a kid’s section on the right side of the room. Go to it and examine the big mushroom to get the journal prompt.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 3 | The Flooded City
Once you get the boat in this chapter, you’ll eventually get to the area in the above picture where you need to get out and get the door open. Don’t do that just yet.
Instead, go to the left of the room and go up the stairs in the above picture.
Then just look out the window at the top of the stairs for this journal entry.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Seattle Day 3 | Infiltration
The final journal in the chapter is a fair bit into the aquarium. After the run in with the dog, go left through the open door (the one in the above picture).
Now go left again into the break room with the sleeping bags.
There is a duffel bag at the other end of the room near the fridge. Examine it and the journal entry is yours.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Santa Barbara | Pushing Inland
You’ll eventually drop into a house with a ton of Infected (a few Shamblers and Stalkers) in it. Take care of them and then find the window you can jump through to get out. Jump through it and then crawl through the broken parts of the wall. When you come out, you’ll be greeted to the vista in the above picture.
Go forward a bit more toward the busted up police car and you’ll see a “L3 Look-At” prompt come up. Press it and she will look to the horizon and draw in her journal. It’s not a typical journal prompt but it counts.
The Last of Us 2 Journal Entry Locations | Santa Barbara | The Resort
Shortly after getting the silenced SMG, you’ll come across a few enemies around a train station. Take care of them and move on. There is also a second group of enemies just up the way. You’ll see the area in the above screen shot with the market and the van.
Go to the van after the fight has finished and jot down the final journal entry. Your Archivist trophy won’t pop until you also get all of the artifacts, too, but this is a step.