You aren’t supposed to be there. Not after Chapter 5, anyway. Rockstar Games built this lush, tropical nightmare called Guarma specifically to strip Arthur Morgan of his guns, his horse, and his dignity for a few missions, then they locked the door and threw away the key. Most players just accept that the island is a one-time deal. But let’s be real—the Red Dead Redemption 2 community is obsessed with breaking things. We want those rare birds for the Compendium. We want to see the unfinished edges of the map. If you're looking for how to get to Guarma RDR2 in the post-game or even as Arthur in earlier chapters, you've probably realized that simply swimming south results in a sudden, invisible bullet to the brain.
The "Sniper" is Rockstar’s way of saying "no." It’s an automated script that kills you the moment you touch out-of-bounds territory. Getting past it requires more than just a fast horse; it requires exploiting the very physics of the game.
The Bridge Glitch: Launching Into the Great Unknown
This is the most famous method, and honestly, the most ridiculous. Near McFarland’s Ranch in New Austin, there’s a small wooden bridge spanning a ravine at Pike’s Basin. If you throw a knife or shoot a specific plank on this bridge, the physics engine loses its mind. The bridge starts vibrating like it’s possessed.
If you step onto it at the right moment, the game catapults you. I’m not talking about a little hop. I’m talking about being flung thousands of feet into the air, soaring over the flat textures of the out-of-bounds desert. It's erratic. You might die instantly. You might land in the middle of a "low-poly" wasteland where the ground isn't solid. But if the trajectory is just right, you can bypass the death barriers that usually guard the edges of the map.
Once you're outside the "active" map, the invisible sniper turns off. The game thinks you’re already dead or somewhere you shouldn't exist, so the script stops tracking you. From here, it’s a long, boring trek. You’ll be walking across textures that look like they belong in a PlayStation 1 game. You’ll pass the "Sea of Coronado" and head south-east. It takes forever. Bring a podcast.
The Drunk Teleport Trick
If the bridge glitch feels too chaotic, there’s a more "grounded" way to manipulate the game's respawn logic. You need a lot of alcohol. Basically, you head to the very edge of the map, near the caves in the far west of Big Valley (where the Devil Hermit lives). There’s a specific spot where the map boundary is thin.
If you drink until Arthur or John passes out right against the wall of the world, the game has to figure out where to put your "waking" character. Sometimes, it messes up. It spawns you on the other side of the invisible wall.
Once you’re out, the rules of the world change. You can’t call your horse. You’re on foot. You have to navigate the "limbo" space, which is a massive, empty expanse of unrendered land that surrounds the playable map. To find Guarma, you have to circle the entire perimeter of the map, heading south and east towards the area where the island is actually stored in the game’s memory. It’s not a separate "level" in the traditional sense; it’s physically located way off the coast of Saint Denis, just hidden by distance and fog.
Why the Sniper Keeps Killing You
The biggest hurdle in learning how to get to Guarma RDR2 is the "New Austin Sniper." This isn't a person. It's a localized zone of instant death. Rockstar implemented this to prevent Arthur from exploring the southern part of the map before the epilogue.
However, this sniper also guards the waters leading to Guarma. To beat it, players often use the "Social Club" exploit or specific mission replays. If you replay the mission "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?" and abandon the mission at a specific point while out of bounds, you can sometimes trick the game into "forgetting" the sniper script is active.
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The Flat Iron Lake Method
Some players swear by the boat method, but let's be clear: it rarely works in the current patch (1.31 and beyond). Back in 2019, you could steal a steam-powered boat from Saint Denis, chug south for 20 minutes, and eventually hit the Guarma loading trigger. Now? Your boat will almost always sink automatically once you hit a certain coordinate. Rockstar patched the buoyancy of boats in out-of-bounds waters.
If you’re determined to try the water route, you need to be in a "glitched" state where the game doesn't recognize you're in water. This usually involves the "horse stamina" glitch, where you use a gold-core horse and a lot of stimulants to swim across the vast ocean. It’s grueling and high-risk. One wrong turn and you're shark bait—or rather, you just drown in a very empty ocean.
Exploring the Ghost Island
So, you actually made it. What now?
Guarma is weird when you aren't in a mission. There are no shops. There are no stables. The guards are still there, and they are incredibly aggressive. If they spot you, they will swarm you with infinite numbers. Because you likely arrived with no horse and limited ammo, it becomes a survival horror game.
The real reason people go through this headache is the Compendium. There are several species of Boas and Macaws that only exist on Guarma.
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- Great Green Macaw
- Scarlet Macaw
- Blue and Yellow Macaw
- Red-tailed Boa
- Rainbow Boa
- Sunglow Boa
If you’re a completionist aiming for that 100% or the "Zoologist" and "Skin Deep" trophies, Guarma is your Everest. Interestingly, you don't actually need the Guarma animals for the Platinum trophy, but for the true 100% in-game Compendium, they are the "missing pieces" that drive people crazy.
Essential Tips for the Journey
Don't go unprepared. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in the "void" between the real map and Guarma, you need to manage your resources.
- Varmint Rifle Ammo: If you’re going for birds, you need this. You can't buy more on the island.
- Potent Health Cures: The guards on Guarma use high-damage rolling block rifles. One shot will ruin your day.
- Stamina Stimulants: You’ll be sprinting across miles of empty, untextured land.
- The "Save" Strategy: If you manage to get out of bounds, make a manual save immediately. The game might try to "correct" your position and spawn you back in Valentine.
The geography of Guarma is actually much larger than what we see in Chapter 5. There are entire forests and shorelines that were clearly meant to be part of a larger playable area before Rockstar trimmed it down. You can find "hidden" camps and unique rock formations that feel like remnants of a cut open-world segment. It’s hauntingly quiet when the music isn’t scripted to play.
Getting Back to the Main Map
Getting there is hard. Getting back is easier, but it feels like a defeat. To leave Guarma and return to the "real" world, you usually just have to die. Or, you can set up a campfire.
Wait, can you camp on Guarma? Generally, no. The game will tell you "you cannot camp here." But if you move to the very edges of the island’s shore, sometimes the prompt will trigger. Fast traveling from a campfire is the only "legit" way to warp back to the mainland without losing your pelts or carcasses. If you die, you’ll likely respawn at the Saint Denis docks, wondering if the last three hours of glitching through textures was actually worth it.
Honestly, it probably was. There's something special about seeing the "seams" of a masterpiece like RDR2. Seeing the island from a distance, watching the low-resolution trees turn into high-def foliage as you cross the loading trigger, is a genuine thrill for anyone who loves the technical side of gaming.
Next Steps for Your Guarma Expedition
Start by practicing the bridge glitch at Pike’s Basin. It’s the most consistent "launcher" for getting Arthur or John into the out-of-bounds state. Once you’re successfully launched and find yourself standing on the "flat" earth outside the map, navigate South-East. Keep the Flat Iron Lake to your left but stay far enough away to avoid the invisible sniper. If the screen starts shaking or you hear a gunshot from nowhere, you’re too close to the "real" world—veer further out into the void. Pack plenty of Small Game Arrows if you're hunting the rare snakes; you won't get a second chance once the guards find you.