How to find and solve the secret Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail treasure map quest

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Because every Arthur Morgan deserves four gold bars, right?

Life back in the Old West was tough, and it was expensive if you wanted to live out your best life, which means side quests such as the Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail treasure map are particularly important to maintain your cash flow, alongside the other Red Dead Redemption 2 treasure maps that can be solved. By tracking down the hidden reward at the end of the Poisonous Trail you'll be earning yourself a huge payday, as there are four gold bars in this cache worth a cool $500 each. This means you'll be scooping up a windfall of *checks calculations* $2,000 for your kitty, which is an absolute fortune. 

You can earn some serious dollar in Red Dead Redemption 2 by following the various treasure maps, and our Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail treasure map guide will let you cut straight to the chase and gather up those elusive gold bars.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Treasure Hunt

Before you can get anywhere near that glorious gold, you're going to need to find the map. It's hidden up in the northwest of Ambarino, north of Grizzlies West, on the outskirts of Cairn Lake, just southeast of Colter. 

To the northeast of Lake Cairn itself is a small log cabin, and inside there you'll find a plethora of goodies, ranging from a cigarette card to the first Poisonous Trail Treasure Map hidden in a lock box under the bed. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Treasure Map 1

That first map points to an area of Scarlett Meadows, just west of Ringneck Creek in Lemoyne, unsurprisingly called Face Rock. Inventive, right? It features a large, rocky outcrop in the shape of a human face, so it's pretty hard to miss as you're riding by. 

Head over here, and then run to the back of the hill the face is protruding from to find the second Poisonous Trail Treasure map hidden in the base of a hollow tree trunk. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Treasure Map 2

This rather usually shaped location is found over to the east of New Hanover, south of Annesburg and just southwest of Van Horn. It's a mound shaped like a serpent, hence the name Serpent Mound. 

But if you head to the hole inside the coil at the top that's filled with stones, inside what we assume is meant to be the body of the snake, you'll find the third, and thankfully final Poisonous Trail Treasure map.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Poisonous Trail Treasure Map 3

To solve the Poisonous Trail Treasure Hunt and nab those four gold bars for yourself, you'll have to delve deep into the cave network behind the waterfall at Elysian Pool. This place is to the northwest of Van Horn, not too far from the Snake Mound.

Head over to the waterfall to the north of the Elysian Pool, and go through the water to discover the cave system behind it. But, here's where things get a bit complicated, because actually you're going to find a secret sub-cave system beyond this cave system in order to find the treasure. 

Whip out your lantern, and then head through the cave (pick up a few of those rare bats on the way) until you pass through a triangular narrow corridor. 

As soon as you see what you think is a chasm to your right, go against your instinct and head straight on down until you drop down to the lowest level. 

Go down a little further along the path and you'll see a small hole to your right. Crouch through it and emerge on the other side.

When you're through, keep right and then left to move up the hill at the fork. Keep going until you reach a point where there's a large chamber and a big, big drop.

Now here's where you'll need to do a bit of acrobatics.  Turn to your left and walk along the cliff edge a ways until you see a little platform below you, to your right. You need to run along the edge and jump down here. Fun, right? Well, not really, because if you fudge the landing, you will die. 

If you make it, you'll reach a lower level, where there's another chamber. Walk through, drop to the level below where there's some shallow water. Climb up the small level and here, thankfully, this is where the treasure is hiding. Four gold bars, YAY!

Now, there's a tricky part in getting back out of this cliff, but actually it's easiest if you just turn around, walk back up the slope and then just fall into that big, black hole. You'll respawn outside, still with the gold bars clunking in your pocket. 

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Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.