There are a lot of things to do in Red Dead Redemption 2, from Easter egg hunts, story missions, Stranger quests, to just exploring the vast open-world, but the thing you’ll always need is money. You can get small amounts of money from robbing folk or completing quests, but the best way to earn a lot of money quickly would be to do the game’s treasure hunts. Out of these, gathering the various parts of the Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Map is probably the most interesting.
The High Stakes treasure hunt takes you all over the map, the Jack Hall Gang map quest has the most locations, and the Geology For Beginners rock carvings search may not be lucrative but offers the most surprising ending, but the Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Map is the most exciting. Why? It starts with a big shootout at the end of another big quest. But where are all the map locations, and how do you find the treasure? What is the treasure of the Poisonous Trail, and what do you do with in? That’s where we come in.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Map 1
Unlike the other treasure hunts, which begin with Arthur Morgan encountering a Stranger with the first part of a treasure map, the Poisonous Trail mission begins with a completely different quest entirely. Early in Chapter 2, in the town of Valentine, you can pick up the Gunslingers quest from Theodore Levin and Jim “Boy” Calloway, which is also called “The Noblest of Men, and a Woman.” This is the same Stranger mission where you can find the Bully Easter egg, and it’s also where you get given the camera and can access the Red Dead Redemption 2 version of Photo Mode.
Probably the last gunslinger you’ll encounter, out of the initial three, is Flaco Hernandez. He’s located far to the north in Ambarino, south-east of Coulter, basically right next to where you began Red Dead Redemption 2. Specifically, he’s in a cabin just next to the frozen Cairn Lake, far to the north of Barrow Lagoon (which you may have visited for another treasure hunt). He won’t be happy to see you, however, and his men will either attack or you can threaten them to make them back down. You’ll then have to duel with Flaco.
Kill him, take a picture for the Gunslingers quest, and then head into his cabin. Flaco’s bed is in the corner. Search it, and you’ll find a lockbox underneath, which you should open. It’ll have the first treasure map inside, which features a drawing that points to the next map location. You should now get the Poisonous Trail treasure hunt side-mission too. But where is the map pointing to?
Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Map 2
The map shows a burnt-out tree on a hill, next to some rocks. Not much to go on. Surely that could be anywhere? Well, look more closely at the big rock on the top left… does that rock have a face? Yes, it absolutely does, and it’s a singular unique location called, appropriately, “Face Rock.” It’s way down south in Scarlett, in the Lemoyne region, north of Rhodes. On the map, Face Rock is just to the right of the “L” in Scarlett, so head to the area above.
This is possibly the easiest treasure map in Red Dead Redemption 2 to follow, since when you get close you’ll clearly see the massive rock with a prominent face on it from most directions. Get the face lined up with the map, so you see it on its left side, and you’re facing north-west. You should also see the three-pronged tree that’s on the treasure map too. Head to the right of this tree and down the hill a little, and there should be a more burnt-out tree here. It’ll have a hole in it. Have Arthur search this tree, and he’ll find the second Poisonous Trail treasure map. This points to the location of the third and final map.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Map 3
The second map shows what looks like a snake. No, it’s nothing to do with that giant snake elsewhere in Lemoyne, it’s actually an ancient stone snake mound over near the Van Horn Trading Post, far to the north-east of your previous location (and directly north of Saint Denis). If you take the road out of Van Horn, that goes south and then west, you should spot the mound to your left.
It’s quite large, and contains a giant snake made out of small stones embedded into the mound. You’re probably thinking that this is where the quest title “Poisonous Trail” comes from, but you’d be wrong. This hill doesn’t have a name (and “Snake Mountain” is copyrighted), but head to the top of the mound, and then to the center of the snake’s head. In the snake’s “eye” you’ll notice a hole. Search it, and you’ll find the final treasure map. We can now go after the treasure…
Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Treasure Location
Unfortunately finding the treasure itself is a bit of a pain. At least this one is far closer, as it’s just north and a bit west of the last location, at the Elysian Pool. Head to the waterfall, and in true videogame fashion, there’s a secret passage behind it. Head in and climb up, so you’re in some dark caves. Best get your lantern out. Keep going up, following the “poisonous trail” on the floor, and soon there’ll be a gap to the right. Drop down it, crouch, and there should be a small triangular hole you can crawl through.
Head right at the fork, and you should find the remains of a little campsite. Loot this and carry on, sticking right, and you’ll eventually reach a cliff over a big dark drop. Head left, and look down. You should see a ledge. Run and jump down, and you should clumsily land on this ledge. Follow this tunnel, and you should end up in a little flooded area. Climb up the ledge here, and examine the boulder. There should be four gold bars inside, which you can sell at a fence for $500 each. Congratulations, you’ve got the Poisonous Trail treasure! Now you’ve just got to get out again…
