Key Highlights:
- Find the Pickaxe in Sons of the Forest inside a new cave north-east of the island, just above a circular lake near the snowy mountain.
- You must have the Rebreather to reach it, then follow an underwater route and a short crawl to the large Solafite Ore vein with the Pickaxe stuck in it.
- Use the Pickaxe to mine Solafite Ore for the story and weapon upgrades, with a carry limit of 20 and a typical need of 12 for the arm door.
The Pickaxe arrived with Patch 12 of Sons of The Forest alongside the new Solafite system, and it is now essential for both progression and late-game power. The route is straightforward once you know the landmarks, but you do need the Rebreather for a long swim.
Start in the north-east. The cave entrance is a small hole among rocks north of a round lake and just north-east of the snowy mountain edge. Climb down the rope and move straight until a small waterfall appears on your left. Follow the running water right and drop to the lower level. There is an Air Tank and a backpack by the waterline.
From that stash, turn left into the deep pool and dive. Swim the narrow tunnel, pass a few skeletons, surface, then climb the rocks and crouch beneath the slab to drop into the next section. You will see breakable boards straight ahead, and a second path behind you.
That fork matters. If you want the Artifact first, smash the boards and continue down to the rope drops and Solafite structures. If you only want the Pickaxe, take the path behind you instead. You will slide down a wet chute, auto-equip the Rebreather, and surface in a cramped corridor.
Loot what you like here, then dive again. In the underwater split, keep right to find a surface pocket. If it looks like a dead end with a skeleton, face back toward the water and check left for a large stone and more broken boards with Solafite Ore behind them. Push through, make a short swim, and you will spot a bright work light and three hanging bodies ahead. The huge, gleaming Solafite Ore there holds the Pickaxe.
Grab it, then be ready for Spotty mutants patrolling the area. I usually mine on the spot until I hit the carry limit of 20, since you often need 12 for the arm door and the rest will go straight into weapon upgrades later.
To exit quickly, move right of the ore deposit, find the rope, climb up, drop into the shallow pool, turn around to follow the tunnel, take the second rope, and head toward the blue light to squeeze out to daylight.
A few quick tips that help first-time runs. Hotkey the Rebreather so you can re-equip after surfacing. Flares make the underwater split easy to read. Bring a shotgun or crafted spear for the tight corridors, and drop a tarp save near the entrance if you are playing on higher difficulty.
Once you have the Pickaxe, mine Solafite Ore whenever you pass a cave so you can feed the Solafite Upgrader later for reliable weapon upgrades.
If you want a complete overview of survival, crafting, and exploration, our Sons of the Forest master guide connects all the essential guides together.