Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduced a brand new, unique exploration tool. To go along with the new island theme, you can take a plane from your own home island to a “mystery” island using a special ticket purchased via the Nook Stop. Orville will send you to one of several special islands, where you can harvest materials and fruit, go fishing, and hunt for bugs. In some instances, there will even be villagers that can be invited to move to your island.
While there are a few basic and more common mystery islands, some are rare and filled with ways to make extra cash. Here are all the mystery islands you might come across in your travels.
11 Starter Islands
There are four basic starter islands available, all of which contain your home island’s native fruit and some bodies of water. One of these islands has a unique spiral shape that requires no tools to get around, but other than that, it’s best to use as a place to harvest materials.
Another starter island has only a large pond and the ocean, which is useful for getting pond-specific fish. One island contains several cliffs so that one requires the ladder to explore. Similarly, there are waterfall islands, which can spawn some decent waterfall fish.
10 Tree Islands
Starter islands will have a decent amount of trees in three types (fruit, hardwood, and cedar), but there are also islands containing only hardwood trees. While these islands are primarily just basic islands, they are useful for farming the three different wood types (hardwood, softwood, and wood).
The best part is that on these islands, you can farm materials by cutting down all the trees with an ax without fear of Isabelle telling you ten minutes later that you need more trees.
9 Trash Island
This looks like a normal island, with a curving river falling from cliffs and flowing to the left into the ocean. Instead of fish, though, only trash can be found in the waters here. You might fish up some stones, empty cans, old boots, and tires.
The items may seem useless, but after a few catches, your villager should declare some new DIY recipe ideas. Plus, you can take the items back to your island and try to catch some flies. Of course, the usual materials can be farmed on this island, as well.
8 Bamboo Island
The final tree type, bamboo trees, can be found only on their own special mystery island. Hitting these trees will give you both bamboo pieces and young spring bamboo pieces, which can be used in a variety of DIY recipes. There are also bamboo shoots buried in the ground next to the trees. These can be taken back to your island and planted to start your own collection.
It is important to note that while the bamboo island and bamboo trees can be found year-round, young spring bamboo is a seasonal material, so harvest that while you can.
7 Rare Flower Islands
Cross-breeding flowers to create hybrids can take a ton of time and is not always guaranteed to work. If you happen to come across rare flowers island, your chances of spawning more hybrids are better.
Rare flowers island will contain your native flower types in their rare colors. Tulips, for example, will display black, orange, and pink on this island. They will be planted around a large, round pond. In addition to collecting these rare flowers using a shovel, you can also catch some bugs that only spawn near hybrid flower colors.
6 Foreign Fruit Island
Rather than your native fruit, this island will be filled with trees containing your “sister fruit,” according to popular data miner Ash Wolf (@_Ninji)’s mystery island guide. Nineteen fruit trees can be found on this island filled with three fruits per tree.
Harvesting and selling foreign fruits is a very popular way to make some quick cash, as these fruits sell for a higher price at your local Nook’s Cranny.
5 Tarantula/Scorpion Island
Tarantula island and scorpion island are straight out of a nightmare, but the visits are worth all the cash. Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m., you can try your luck at catching an inventory full of these dangerous critters. There seem to be a few different variations of the official tarantula/scorpion island, but as long as the critter is in season, they will be the only bugs to spawn here.
You can also attempt to make your own tarantula or scorpion island by removing everything on a regular mystery island. These bugs sell for a pretty penny at Nook’s Cranny, and for even more if you sell to Flick.
4 Big Fish Islands
There are two “big fish islands” to find, but both spawn only large fish, some of which are rare and difficult to catch on the homeland. One island features a four-legged body of water in the center and rare flowers all over. The other island contains normal flowers but features a river running from the mouth into a roundabout on the island itself.
3 Fin Island
Fins island is a very rare find, with only a one percent chance of visiting, according to Wolf. The island contains a rectangular pond with cliffs in the center. It is mostly normal, though the only fish that spawn her are large, finned fish.
This includes the infamous great white and hammerhead sharks, which are available from June to September in the Northern Hemisphere and December to March in the southern hemisphere. Visiting this island is a great way to knock out some museum donations or make quick cash.
2 Money Rock Islands
Every day on your own island, you can find one rock that you can hit to receive 16,100 bells. What if we told you there are islands filled with multiple money rocks? The first and more common money rock island contains a very large pond with an island in the center. On the north side, you can break a rock to access the center island and hit six money rocks for up to a whopping 96,000 bell return.
The second island, though a bit rarer, has a ground-level filled with seven money rocks and flowers. There are four cliffs in the corners.
1 Gold Island
This island is as rare of a find as fins island, but it’s got a great reward. On this island, you will find some flowers, scorpions (hello extra money), and a large, rectangular pond. Climb onto the cliff and down the back to vault to a tiny center island. There, you will find one rock containing eight golden nuggets, a very rare crafting material.
NEXT: Animal Crossing New Horizons: 10 Best Custom Codes For Island Improvement
