Best Places To Build In Sons Of The Forest

Summary

The Northern Beach offers early-game loot but lacks defense and long-term viability.
The Golf Course is ideal for mega-builders, offering vast space and unique resources.
The Mountain Cave provides top-tier security but limited building space and resource access.

Choosing where to build a base in Sons of the Forest is the most important decision players will make on the cannibal-infested island. It's a foundational strategic move that will define the entire playthrough. Settling down in the wrong place can mean a constant, desperate struggle for survival, while the right spot can transform a survivor from a hunted individual into a master of the island.

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By Nathan Dawber

But here’s the twist: In Sons of the Forest, no location is perfect. Every base site is a balancing act between three key factors—safety, resources, and access to points of interest (POIs). The terrain can look ideal in spring, only to turn into a mutant expressway come winter. What’s defensible one season could be a disaster the next. With that in mind, this ranking dives deep into the most strategic, player-tested, and meta-relevant build locations in Sons of the Forest.

6 The Northern Beach

A High-Risk Staging Ground For Early-Game Loot

Pros	Cons
Flat expanse Early-game items	Zero natural cover Nearby mutant-infested cave

The Northern Beach is Sons of the Forest’s classic starter strip: a vast, flat coastline that's perfect for big blueprints and easy multiplayer builds. Early-game POIs like the Rebreather and Machete are practically within sprinting distance, making this the go-to launchpad for speedrunners and loot chasers.

However, the location also comes with its own risks. With no trees for cover, enemies are visible from miles away, but those same enemies will spot bases, too. This spot shines as a short-term HQ for grabbing essential gear and learning the game’s ropes, especially for large groups. For a long-term stronghold, however, it’s a logistical and defensive headache.

5 The Golf Course

A Mega-Builder's Dream Playground

Pros	Cons
Surrounding woodlands supply Golf carts and loot crates	High cannibal traffic Poor early-game POI

For ambitious players and large multiplayer groups, the Golf Course in the island's northeast is a perfect pick. It offers vast, open building space compared to almost everyother location on the map, making it a dream for players planning elaborate multiplayer compounds.

The surrounding forests supply an abundance of logs, and the area is rich in unique resources, such as solar panels, batteries, and golf carts, which contain respawning supplies that are invaluable for establishing late-game electrical systems. However, it's important to note that securing a base on the Golf Course requires an enormous investment in walls and traps to fortify the massive perimeter.

4 The Mountain Cave

A Natural Bunker For Hardcore Survivors

Pros	Cons
Immune to seasonal hazards Single entrance	No in-cave resources Kelvin is unable to navigate inside

The Mountain Cave offers near-absolute security—rock walls on all sides, one narrow entrance, and total immunity to seasonal hazards.. Any cannibals or mutants that dare to attack are funneled in one by one, where they can be dispatched with minimal risk. It’s the closest thing to a natural, pre-made bunker on the island.

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By Alex Daniel Reid

But the cave doesn’t come without drawbacks. Building space is tight and rocky here, limiting construction to minimalist outposts rather than luxurious lodges. All resources must be ferried in from outside, one log at a time, which is a colossal grind unless players manage to construct ziplines.

3 The West Beach

A Perfectly Balanced Hub For Mid-Game Progression

Pros	Cons
Mid-game POI access	Moderate enemy traffic

The West Beach, easily identified by the orange life raft containing a Pistol just offshore, is one of the most strategically sound and balanced locations for a permanent base. While it’s an open coastline with significant enemy traffic, its key advantage is the ocean itself. By building a base on stilts over the water, players can create a fortress that is inaccessible to the island's non-swimming enemies.

This location truly shines in its resources and POI accessibility. The adjacent forests provide an inexhaustible supply of logs, and the ocean offers a bounty of fish, oysters, and a high concentration of sea turtles. It’s also perfect for expeditions to the Entertainment Bunker and the critical cave systems that house the Rope Gun and Shovel.

2 The Central Lake Island (Coffin Lake)

The Classic Island Fortress With A Winter Flaw

The Central Lake Island (Coffin/Squidward Lake) - Sons of the Forest

Pros	Cons
Fish and fresh water	Kelvin cannot swim

The large, wooded island in the middle of the northwestern lake, known as Coffin Lake or Squidward Lake, is perhaps the most intuitive "safe" location in the game. For three out of four seasons, it is an untouchable sanctuary. The deep water acts as a natural moat, making the island unreachable to most walking threats. Its position is also excellent for the early-to-mid game, placing it conveniently close to a 3D printer, the crossbow, and other key items.

However, this idyllic safety shatters with the arrival of winter. When the lake freezes, that moat becomes a mutant highway. Suddenly, an exposed field must be defended, with players having nowhere to run unless heavy defenses were prepped in advance.

1 Southeastern Peninsula (Helipad/Docks Area)

The Impenetrable Fortress For Endgame Domination

Southeastern Peninsula (Helipad/Docks Area) - Sons of the Forest

Pros	Cons
Excellent resources	Remote location

Every survivor dreams of finding that one spot where defense, resources, and building freedom all come together. The Southeastern Peninsula, opposite to the iconic helipads and dock ruins, is that place. Three sides are locked down by the deep ocean (which never freezes), while the narrow land bridge funnels every threat into a single, easily-defended chokepoint.

This area is stacked when it comes to resources. Those who decide to settle here will have access to forests for logs, respawning loot crates, tons of fish, and even a steady supply of shotgun shells for the late game. The flat, pre-built helipads make for lightning-fast construction and impressive mega-bases. For players ready to establish an unbreachable command center for the endgame, this is the ultimate choice.

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