Mining is not just an activity in Stardew Valley; it’s an adventure packed with rewards and risks.
Stardew Valley isn’t just a farming simulator; it’s a world brimming with adventures, one of which is mining. The Mines become accessible early in the game, offering players a chance to gather resources essential for crafting and upgrades. This guide focuses on navigating the mines, a key aspect of gameplay that allows you to collect precious ores, gems, and even battle lurking monsters.
Before you start swinging your pickaxe and weapons, let’s gear up and understand what awaits beneath. Whether you’re a seasoned miner or a first-time spelunker, mining in Stardew Valley can be daunting but rewarding.
Why Mining is Important
Mining is a fundamental aspect of Stardew Valley that serves multiple purposes. Mining provides a steady supply of resources for crafting tools, building structures, and upgrading your farm. From ores like copper, iron, and gold to gems like amethyst and topaz, the mine is a treasure trove of valuable materials that can greatly enhance your farming and crafting endeavors.
Furthermore, mining is closely tied to completing bundles at the Community Center and fulfilling certain quests. Many bundles require specific minerals or ores that can only be obtained through mining. Completing these bundles unlocks rewards and restoring the Community Center to its former glory. Mining also presents an opportunity to discover rare artifacts that can be donated to the museum or sold for a profit.
How to Get Started in Mining in Stardew Valley
The first location you’ll go to for mining in Stardew Valley is the Mines, located in the north of the Mountains, northeast of Robin’s Carpenter Shop, and west of the Adventurer’s Guild. This is blocked by rock debris and will be accessible on Spring Day 5 of Year 1 when you will receive a letter.
Understanding Mine Levels
The Mines in Stardew Valley have 120 levels, each with challenges and rewards. As you progress deeper into the mine, you’ll encounter stronger and more valuable ores, and the difficulty increases as you descend further.
Reaching lower levels requires finding the ladder that leads down. The location of the ladder is randomized on each floor, and sometimes, you may need to break rocks or defeat enemies to uncover it. Watch for crates and barrels, as they often contain useful items such as food or bombs to aid you in your mining journey.
Mining Tools, Upgrades, and Essentials
In the vast underground world of Stardew Valley, having the right mining tools is essential for success. As you delve deeper into the mines, you’ll encounter various obstacles and valuable resources that require specific tools to navigate and extract.
Pickaxe: The pickaxe is the primary tool for mining in Stardew Valley. It allows you to break rocks, gather ores, and clear paths within the mine. Starting with a basic pickaxe, you can gradually upgrade it to increase its durability and effectiveness. Upgrading your pickaxe will allow you to break rocks faster and access deeper mine levels.
Weapon: You will need to have a weapon on you to deal with the monsters. Descending deeper into the Mines and Skull Cavern is dangerous as you’ll encounter more challenging enemies.
Bombs: Bombs are valuable tools for mining as they allow you to quickly clear rocks and uncover hidden passages. They are especially useful in lower mine levels where rocks are abundant, and time is of the essence. Crafting or purchasing bombs will save you valuable energy and time, enabling you to explore the mine efficiently.
Staircases: You could also craft and bring staircases if you have a lot of stones. This would help you travel down faster through the Mines and Skull Cavern.
Best Food to Bring When Mining
| Icon | Food | Energy + Health | Buffs |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Miner’s Treat | Energy: 125, Health: 56 | Mining +3, Magnetism +32 |
 | Pepper Poppers | Energy: 130, Health: 58 | Speed +1, Farming +2 |
 | Autumn’s Bounty | Energy: 220, Health: 99 | Foraging +2, Defense +2 |
 | Roots Platter | Energy: 125, Health: 56 | Attack +3 |
 | Coffee Stackable with other food buffs | Energy: 3, Health: 1 | Speed +1 |
All Mining Locations in Stardew Valley
While players would primarily go to The Mines for mining, these are the other mining locations you can go to in Stardew Valley:
The Quarry and Quarry Mines
The Quarry is a large area with various rocks and nodes that are randomly generated. Every day, new rocks, nodes, and oak and maple tree seeds would be generated.
This area is unlocked after completing the Crafts Room bundle in the Community Center or buying “Bridge” through Joja for 25,000g. The minecart found in the Mines can also take players to the Quarry (given that the bridge is repaired), which can be unlocked by completing the Boiler Room bundles or buying “Minecarts” from Joja for 15,000g.
The Quarry Mine‘s entrance is located at the west side of the Quarry. Unlike the Mines and Skull Cavern, this only has one long floor.
Skull Cavern
The Skull Cavern is located in the northwest side of the Desert, and can only be accessed after getting the Skull Key from level 120 of the Mines. While it’s fairly similar to the Mines with needing to find ladders to descend, there is no elevator in the Skull Caverns and there are limitless floors or levels. However, you’ll have the option to return as there’s always a ladder available.
While there’s usually ladders that would take you to the next level, there are also holes known as shafts which takes the player down 3 to 15 levels below. Clicking on the hole gives a choice of jumping in or not. If you jumped down, it causes damage 3x the number of floors you skipped.
Volcano Dungeon
The Volcano Dungeon is found on north of Ginger Island through the large cave on the volcano. It’s different from the Mines and Skull Cavern as it does not feature ladders for descending or escaping quickly to earlier or lower floors. Instead, each level has a doorway that must be found to progress downward or upward. Make sure that you come prepared before diving into the Volcano Dungeon.
To enter the Volcano Dungeon’s first floor, you must cross the lava river by getting your Watering Can. You can then use it on the lava to make a path and cross to the other side. If you continue north, there would be the entrance of the first level.
All Nodes Resources from Mining in Stardew Valley
As you venture deeper into the mining locations, you’ll come across a variety of resources that can be gathered. These resources can be used for crafting, selling, or fulfilling requests from villagers. Here are the nodes and the resources you’ll come across:
| Icon | Name | Resource(s) | The Mines | Other Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Topaz Node | Topaz | Any floor | Skull Cavern Quarry |
 | Amethyst Node | Amethyst | Any floor | Skull Cavern Quarry |
 | Copper Node | Copper Ore | Any floor | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon Hill-top & Four Corners farms |
 | Gem Node | Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Jade, Ruby, or Topaz | Any floor | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon |
 | Jade Node | Jade | Floor 40+ or any floor after reaching last floor | Skull Cavern Quarry |
 | Aquamarine Node | Aquamarine | Floor 40+ or any floor after reaching last floor | Skull Cavern Quarry |
 | Emerald Node | Emerald | Floor 80+ or any floor after reaching last floor | Skull Cavern Quarry |
 | Ruby Node | Ruby | Floor 80+ or any floor after reaching last floor | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon |
 | Radioactive Node | Radioactive Ore | Any floor – Mines in “Dangerous” state | Skull Cavern (invaded) |
 | Diamond Node | Diamond | Floor 50+ | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon |
 | Gold Node | Gold Ore | Floor 80+ | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon Hill-top & Four Corners farms after Mining Skill level 7 |
 | Mystic Stone | 1-3 Iridium Ore, 1-4 Gold Ore, 25% chance of 1 Prismatic Shard | Floor 100+ | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon |
 | Iron Node | Iron Ore | Floors 40-79 | Skull Cavern Quarry Quarry Mine Volcano Dungeon Hill-top & Four Corners farms after Mining Skill level 4 |
 | Clay Node | Clay | N/A | Ginger Island – Dig Site |
 | Bone Node | Bone Fragments, chance for Fossilized Leg, Fossilized Ribs, Prehistoric Scapula, Prehistoric Tibia, Prehistoric Skull, Skeletal Hand, Prehistoric Rib, Prehistoric Vertebra, Skeletal Tail, Nautilus Fossil, Amphibian Fossil, Palm Fossil or Trilobite | N/A | Ginger Island – Dig Site |
 | Mussel Node | Mussels | N/A | Ginger Island – West of Farm |
 | Geode Node | Geode | N/A | Hill-top & Four Corners farms |
 | Magma Geode Node | Magma Geode | N/A | Hill-top & Four Corners farms |
 | Frozen Geode Node | Frozen Geode | N/A | Hill-top & Four Corners farms |
 | Coal Node | Coal | N/A | Quarry Mine Volcano Dungeon |
 | Calico Egg Node | Calico Egg | N/A | Skull Cavern (Desert Festival) |
 | Iridium Node | Iridium Ore, 3.5% chance for 1 Prismatic Shard | N/A | Skull Cavern Quarry Volcano Dungeon Hill-top & Four Corners farms at Mining Skill level 10 |
 | Omni Geode Node | Omni Geodes | N/A | Volcano Dungeon |
 | Cinder Shard Node | Cinder Shards | N/A | Volcano Dungeon |
Tips for Diving into the Mines
Here are a few tips that I believe would help you as you challenge the Mines and the other locations in Stardew Valley:
- Watch TV: Always watch the TV for the Fortune Teller as Luck is very important in mining. Avoid the Mines on Skull (“The spirits are very displeased today”) and Bat days (“The spirits are somewhat annoyed/mildly perturbed today”).
- Kill all enemies: It’s not only for safety reasons, but the ladders usually appear when killing them. If not, you can safely break rocks with your pickaxe or bomb for the ladder after.
- Five or more levels: Whenever you hit the Mines, aim to go down five levels or more if you can. Get as much resources as you can as well.
Exploring the mines is a fantastic way to enhance your Stardew Valley experience. Not only do you gather materials needed for crafting and upgrading tools, but you also engage in combat, adding an element of action to your rural life. Remember, the best miners are those who prepare well and know when to retreat.