You’re riding through the high desert of Oregon, the sun is dipping below the Cascades, and suddenly the music shifts. That low, rhythmic chanting starts. Your controller vibrates. If you’ve played more than twenty minutes of Bend Studio’s post-apocalyptic epic, you know that sound. It means you’ve stumbled onto a days gone hordes location and you’re about five seconds away from being buried under a mountain of pale, screaming Freakers. It’s terrifying. Honestly, even after a hundred hours in the saddle, seeing that tide of bodies pour over a cliffside still makes my palms sweat.
Most players spend their first dozen hours running away from these things. That's smart. Deacon St. John starts the game with a pea-shooter and the cardio of a lifelong smoker. But eventually, you have to fight. Whether it’s for the "1%er" trophy or just to clear out the map so you can actually loot a Nero checkpoint in peace, knowing exactly where these swarms sleep is the difference between a successful hunt and a very messy death screen.
The world is huge. From the lush forests of Cascade to the snowy peaks of the Southern regions, there are 40 scripted hordes waiting for you. Some are tiny—maybe 30 or 50 Freakers. Others, like the infamous Old Sawmill, are massive 500-strong nightmares that require every Molotov and attractor in your inventory.
The Cascade Region: Your Training Ground
Cascade is where you start, and the hordes here are basically the "tutorial" versions of what's coming later. Don’t get cocky, though. Even a small group can surround your bike and rip you off the seat if you aren't paying attention.
The White King Mine Horde is a classic first encounter. You’ll find them inside a mine on the far northwest corner of the map. During the day, they’re huddled in the back of the cave. If you go at night, they’re usually wandering near the small lake nearby. This is a great spot to practice using "choke points." Because the mine entrance is narrow, you can toss a grenade and watch the physics engine go nuts.
Another one people often miss is the O'Leary Mountain Horde. Since this is right near Boozer’s safehouse, players assume the area is safe. Wrong. Look for the cave directly north of the lookout tower. It’s a small group, maybe 25-40 Freakers. It's the perfect place to test out the MWS or whatever early-game primary you've managed to scrape together from Tucker's camp.
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The Grotto Caves Trap
Just west of the Old Pioneer Cemetery, there’s a nasty surprise waiting in the Grotto Caves. This days gone hordes location is tricky because of the verticality. If you approach from the top, you can rain fire down on them, but if they spot you, they’ll climb those rocks faster than you can sprint. I’ve died here more than anywhere else in the early game because I underestimated their pathfinding. They don't just run in a straight line; they fan out.
Belknap and the High Desert Scarcity
Belknap is a jagged, ugly place. It’s all volcanic rock and open plains, which makes hiding a lot harder. The hordes here are slightly larger, often pushing into the 75-100 range.
- The Patjens Lakes Horde: This one hangs out inside Rebel Rock Cave. It’s north of the Hot Springs camp. You’ll see them drinking at the lake at night. If you’re smart, you’ll park your bike facing away from the lake for a quick getaway.
- Shadow Lake: Located at the very top of the map. This group sleeps in a cave at the northern tip of the water. It’s a wide-open area, so if you use an attractor, you can lead them into a massive explosive trap near the road.
Honestly, Belknap is where you realize that the environment is your best weapon. There are gas cans and explosive barrels scattered everywhere. Use them. Stop wasting your precious scrap on melee repairs and start blowing things up.
The Lost Lake Complexity
Once you hit Iron Mike’s camp, the game stops holding your hand. The days gone hordes location density increases, and the terrain gets more complex. You have bridges, swampy marshes, and deep forests that make line-of-sight a nightmare.
The Metolius Lava Cave
North of Sherman's Camp, there's a cave system that houses a medium-sized horde. What makes this one annoying is the "feeding ground" mechanic. Freakers in Days Gone have a schedule. They sleep in the day, eat at night, and drink at dawn/dusk. This horde travels a long path between the cave and the town. If you try to catch them in the cave, make sure you have a flashbang. The narrow tunnels make it hard to see, and getting cornered in the dark is a literal death sentence.
Westfir and the Bridge
To the west of Iron Mike’s, there’s a group that lives near a small bridge. This is a great spot for an ambush. You can lay proximity mines on one side of the bridge, pull the horde with a gunshot, and watch the fireworks.
The Big Leagues: Crater Lake and Highway 97
If you haven’t upgraded your bike's fuel tank by the time you reach the southern part of the map, do it now. The distances between safe zones are huge, and the hordes are terrifying. We are talking 200 to 300 Freakers as a standard.
Chemset McKnight is a name you’ll learn to hate. Near the Chemult Community College, there is a massive horde. This isn't just a random encounter; it's a gauntlet. They often hang out near the football field or the nearby Nero checkpoint. Because the area is so flat, there’s nowhere to hide once they see you. You need the Napalm Molotovs for this. Regular fire won't cut it. You need something that lingers and spreads.
The Groose Gardens Nightmare
Down in Highway 97, there’s a horde near the Groose Gardens area. This place is a maze of fences and bushes. It’s easy to get snagged on geometry while you’re backpedaling and firing. I’ve seen players get trapped against a chain-link fence and torn apart in seconds. Always scout your exit route before you fire the first shot.
Managing the World's Most Dangerous "Boss": The Old Sawmill
We can't talk about a days gone hordes location without mentioning the King. The Old Sawmill.
Located in the southern part of Lost Lake, this is the largest horde in the game (outside of some story-specific missions). It’s about 500 Freakers. It's a massive, multi-level environmental puzzle. There are log piles you can cut to crush them, narrow doorways to funnel them, and high rooftops for sniping.
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Most people try to cheese this by hiding in the bushes and throwing stuff. It works, but it takes an hour. If you want the "true" experience, use the pit. There’s a central area where the logs are stacked. If you can lure the bulk of the horde there and blow the supports, you can take out a hundred in one go. But remember: they will keep coming. They don't stop. They don't tire. You will run out of stamina before they run out of bodies.
Why You Can't Find the Horde
Sometimes you go to a marked days gone hordes location and it’s empty. It’s frustrating. You’ve got your grenades ready, your focus is full, and there’s nothing but a pile of old sticks and some Freaker excrement.
This usually happens for three reasons:
- Time of Day: As mentioned, they move. If it’s 2:00 AM, they aren't in the cave. They are at a "watering hole" or a "feeding ground" (marked by black patches on the earth). Look for the nearby lakes or mass graves.
- Weather: Heavy rain or snow can actually change their behavior. Sometimes they stay inside longer if the weather is particularly bad.
- The "Story Lock": Some hordes don't actually spawn until you reach a certain point in the main narrative. If you’re in the early game and you go to a late-game location, the cave might be empty because the game hasn't "triggered" that population yet.
Pro-Tips for Surviving the Encounter
Don't just run and gun. That’s how you lose your bike and your life.
- The Attractor-Explosive Combo: Toss an attractor. Wait for the "sphere" of Freakers to form around it. Then toss a Frag Grenade or a Pipe Bomb into the center. You can clear 40% of a horde before they even know you’re there.
- Stamina is Life: Use your Stamina Cocktails. Seriously. You can have the best gun in the game (the Chicago Chopper, obviously), but if you can't run, you’re dead.
- The High Ground: Freakers can climb, but they’re slow at it. If you can get on top of a shipping container or a small shack, you buy yourself five seconds of breathing room to reload.
- The Chicago Chopper and MG55: These are the gold standards. Don't bother with snipers or shotguns for hordes. You need volume of fire. The MG55, unlocked by killing enough hordes, is the ultimate "I win" button.
How to Check Your Progress
If you open your map and hover over a region, the box on the right will show you how many hordes are left in that specific area. If it says 3/7, you still have four groups of teeth and claws waiting for you in the bushes. Once you hit the end-game, the map will actually mark every remaining days gone hordes location with a red circle, making the clean-up much easier.
Your Move: Clearing the Map
The best way to handle this is to start small. Head back to the Cascade region. Find the Death Ledge Horde (just south of the O'Leary Mountain safehouse). It’s small, manageable, and gives you a good feel for how the Freakers flow around obstacles.
Once you’ve cleared a few smaller ones, you’ll unlock the SMP9, which is arguably the best sidearm in the game. It makes the mid-game much more tolerable.
Stop avoiding the red icons on the map. Grab some kerosene, find some cans, and go make some noise. The Pacific Northwest isn't going to reclaim itself. You've got the locations now, so go out there and start thinning the herd.