Rocky terrain north of the southern river, including the Crossroads plateau and nearby canyon cliffs in the Exiled Lands.
A reliable Ironstone run begins after leaving the southern river spawn area. Mine the rocky ground and cliffs north of the river, then carry the ore home to refine it. This guide focuses on finding and processing Ironstone in the Exiled Lands on PC Enhanced; exact recipes and station costs can vary with game updates, so use the live crafting interface for quantities.
Stone Pick or better, with inventory room for ore.
Water and suitable gear for the trip north.
A Furnace at base, with its current recipe ingredients and fuel.
Start from the southern river and cross north toward the rocky plateau.
Search the plateau edges and visible canyon or bridge cliffs for Ironstone nodes.
Mine each node with your pick, checking nearby rocks before moving on.
Follow the same connected rocky terrain to collect more nodes without wandering far from landmarks.
Turn back when your load or supplies make the return trip inconvenient.
At base, place Ironstone in a Furnace and select the current iron smelting recipe.
Collect the refined output and use it for the tools, weapons, or stations you are ready to make.
Farming tips
Travel north before starting a serious search; the immediate river spawn area is not the useful Ironstone route.
Keep enough inventory space for the ore and any supplies needed for the return journey.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat the plateau and canyon sweep whenever you need more ore; node availability and your haul can vary, so no fixed yield is guaranteed.
Common mistakes
Searching only beside the starting river; cross north into rocky terrain before deciding the route has no nodes.
Leaving without a pick; bring one capable of mining the nodes and check its condition before departing.
Treating ore as finished iron; refine it in a Furnace and follow the current station recipe.
When to stop or switch
Return when you have enough Ironstone for your next planned craft, or when your carrying capacity, health, or water supply makes continuing a poor trade.
