Abandoned camps are small tent structures from the Wilderness Bound drop (26.3) found in 18 Overworld biomes. Common chests always hold a map to another camp, and a rare hidden copper chest holds one of 7 structure explorer maps.
- Camps spawn in 18 forest, taiga, jungle and grassy biomes.
- Every common chest has one camp map.
- Secret oxidized copper chests hold rarer explorer maps.
- Secret chests can have diamonds, potions and iron gear.
- Explorer maps are now unique items and cannot be zoomed.
01What is an abandoned camp?
An abandoned camp is a small structure added in the Wilderness Bound drop (Java 26.3, September 15, 2026). It is a white wool tent with an unlit campfire out front.
Inside and around it you can find chests, barrels, straw beds and cushions. Some camps are overgrown with leaves and cobwebs. Some have a tree or a little crop farm.
Each biome has its own look. A pale garden camp uses pale oak fences, for example.
02Where do abandoned camps spawn?
Camps spawn on the surface in 18 Overworld biomes:
| Type | Biomes |
|---|---|
| Forests | Forest, Birch Forest, Old Growth Birch Forest, Flower Forest, Windswept Forest, Dappled Forest, Pale Garden |
| Taigas | Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Old Growth Spruce Taiga, Old Growth Pine Taiga |
| Jungles and swamp | Sparse Jungle, Bamboo Jungle, Swamp |
| Open land | Meadow, Cherry Grove, Savanna, Wooded Badlands |
The world is split into a grid of 37 by 37 chunk regions, with one try per region. If the spot is a valid biome, a camp appears. For the same seed, camps generate in the same places on Java and Bedrock.
As always, they only appear in chunks generated in 26.3 or later.
Each biome has 10 tent designs, and the campsite out front is picked from 49 options. That is 8,820 possible camp layouts, so no two runs feel quite the same.
Spotting tips:
- Look for white wool in the trees. The tent stands out against green and orange leaves.
- Look for gravel and dirt path patches in the grass.
- Check for a lone campfire. It is unlit, so it will not smoke.
03What loot is in abandoned camps?
Camps have three kinds of containers:
- Barrels: 4 to 8 common items like wheat, bread, coal, bones, string, leather, straw beds, white cushions, candles and cobwebs. Plus one of a bundle, fishing rod or wooden axe.
- Common chests: supplies like gunpowder, arrows, leads, a saddle, compass, flint and steel and empty maps. Plus 2 gear rolls such as copper armor, a copper sword, axe or spear, a bow, shears, a bucket or a spyglass. Plus one camp map.
- Secret chests: rare oxidized copper chests, often hidden under blocks. Covered below.
04What is in the secret chest?
Sometimes a camp has an oxidized copper chest, usually buried or tucked under other blocks. Dig around the tent and campfire.
Each secret chest holds:
- 2 picks from: diamond, Potion of Leaping, Swiftness, Healing or Night Vision
- 4 to 6 picks from: iron ingots, copper ingots, gold ingots and empty maps
- Sometimes one iron item: axe, boots, spear or leggings
- Always one structure explorer map
That works out to about a 36% chance of at least one diamond per secret chest.
Not every camp has a secret chest, and they are hidden on purpose. Break the dirt, gravel and path blocks under and around the tent, one layer down.
Cut cobwebs with shears instead of a sword. Shears break them fast and drop the cobweb itself, which is handy for spooky builds.
05What explorer maps can you get?
| Map | Where you get it |
|---|---|
| Camp maps: Bamboo, Birch Forest, Cherry Grove, Dappled Forest, Flower Forest, Pale Garden, Swamp, Windswept Forest | One in every common camp chest |
| Buried Ancient City Map | Secret chest |
| Buried Trial Chambers Map | Secret chest, or cartographer |
| Buried Mineshaft Map | Secret chest |
| Desert Pyramid Map | Secret chest |
| Jungle Pyramid Map | Secret chest |
| Warm Ocean Ruins Map | Secret chest |
| Woodland Mansion Map | Secret chest, or cartographer |
The Ancient City, Mineshaft, Desert Pyramid and Warm Ocean Ruins maps are brand new in 26.3.
Other 26.3 map changes:
- Old names changed. "Woodland Explorer Map" is now Woodland Mansion Map, and "Trial Explorer Map" is now Buried Trial Chambers Map.
- Explorer maps are their own items now. Copy them in a crafting table and the copies stay explorer maps.
- Explorer and buried treasure maps can no longer be zoomed out.
- Map player icons now always show which way you face.
06How do you chain camps together?
- Find your first camp by exploring the biomes above.
- Open the common chest and take the camp map.
- Follow it to the next camp. A map from loot skips camps that earlier maps already found.
- Dig for the secret chest at every stop.
- Pack straw beds so you can sleep on the road without losing your spawn.
Bring a boat for rivers, food, and a few empty maps. Camp chests already hand out empty maps, so you can map the route as you go.
07Want to hunt camps with other players?
CHEAT SMP runs Java 26.3, so camps and the new explorer maps are part of survival there. The Explorer cheat pack adds Night Vision, X-Ray Vision and Short Flight, all earned by playing, never sold. Join at play.cheatsmp.dev and check the cheats list or how legit X-ray works.
FAQFrequently asked questions
Where do abandoned camps spawn in Minecraft?
In 18 Overworld surface biomes, including forests, taigas, jungles, swamps, meadows, cherry groves, savannas, wooded badlands, the pale garden and the dappled forest.
How do you get an Ancient City map in Minecraft?
Find the secret oxidized copper chest at an abandoned camp. It always holds one of 7 structure maps, and the Buried Ancient City Map is one of them.
Do abandoned camps have diamonds?
Only the secret copper chest can. It has about a 36% chance of holding at least one diamond.
What happened to the Woodland Explorer Map?
In 26.3 it was renamed the Woodland Mansion Map. The Trial Explorer Map became the Buried Trial Chambers Map.
Like this? Play it with powers.
CHEAT SMP runs Java 26.3, so abandoned camps and the new explorer maps are part of survival, and the Explorer pack adds earned X-Ray and Short Flight for the hunt.
play.cheatsmp.devJoin guideNextKeep reading
How to Get Paid to Clip Minecraft in 2026
Join a clipping program that pays per view. The CHEAT SMP Clipper Program pays $5 for every 1,000 verified views on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, …
How to Sit in Minecraft (Cushions and Every Old Trick)
Craft a cushion from 3 matching wool slabs, place it on any flat surface, and right-click it to sit. Press sneak (Shift) to stand up. Cushio…
Straw Bed in Minecraft: Recipe, Rules and Best Uses
A straw bed is a one-use bed from the Wilderness Bound drop (26.3). Craft 4 from 3 hay bales in a row. It skips the night without changing y…
Published Oct 30, 2026. Written for Minecraft Java 26.3; we update posts when the game changes. Not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.
