Where to find the GPS locators in Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest GPS locators - looking out from inside the a dinghy floating in the ocean towards the forested shore
(Image credit: Endnight Games)

Three GPS locators have been found in Sons of the Forest so far, and these gadgets can be useful if you want to keep track of a particular location so you can find it easily later. Initially, these are marked by purple pips on your own GPS that you picked up at the start of the game. If you've befriended Virginia, you can use one to keep track of her too, so it's worthwhile having one or two in your backpack for such a situation.

If you're having trouble tracking down the shovel, you need to pick up the rebreather and rope gun first. If you're ready to find the GPS locators in Sons of the Forest, however, or want to know how to use them, here's what you need to know. 

Where to find Sons of the Forest GPS locators 

Sons of the Forest GPS locators

GPS locator locations. (Image credit: Endnight Games / Mapgenie.io)

The first GPS locator I found was close to the camp where you find the winter jacket. Head to the most southerly of the marked areas on the map above and you'll come to a cliff face with a body hanging from a rope. You'll know you're in the right place because the beeping from your GPS Tracker will become much more frequent.

While facing the cliff, head to the left and find a place to climb up. Head back towards where you saw the body hanging, and find a rope tied around a rock, and supplies next to it. Pick up any of the items you need and use your axe to chop the rope holding the body. Now make your way back down the cliff and take the GPS locator from the fallen body. This is also where you'll find the battery-powered flashlight, much better than using a lighter inside caves. 

The second GPS locator is found in a dinghy floating a little off the shore on the island's west coast. It's possible to swim out there but look out for hungry sharks if you decide to make the journey. You can pull yourself up onto the inflatable raft, where you'll find a body and some other goodies. Sadly, it doesn't like you can paddle it back to the shore, so you'll need to take the plunge again to get back to dry land. This is where you'll find one of the Sons of the Forest guns, the pistol. 

The third and final GPS locator is found buried in a grave marked with a wooden cross and is at the north-most mark on the map. The cross is draped with a red cloth which you can collect but you'll need the shovel in order to get to the GPS locator as it's been buried with its owner in a shallow grave. 

The final GPS locator is buried in this grave. (Image credit: Endnight Games)

How to use GPS locators 

There are a couple of ways to use a GPS locator and, unsurprisingly, it's a good way to track something you want to come back to later. You can even change the icon that appears on the map by cycling through with a right-click of your mouse while you've got the locator "equipped" in your right hand. 

It can also be used to track people: Kelvin already has one so you can see his location on the map, and you can give one to Virginia so you can track her movements too. Of course, you'll need to befriend her first, but as soon as you have access to her backpack, you can equip her with it.

 Another way to use a GPS locator is if you want to mark a specific location. Dig a stick into the ground vertically—right click with a stick equipped in your hand—then equip a GPS locator and left-click on the stick to place it. 

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Sarah James
Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.