How To Go To The Calico Desert In StarDew Valley

Getting tired of going to the same places over and over again in Stardew Valley? Looking for a new place to start an adventure? In this guide, we’ll show you exactly what you need to do to gain access to The Calico Desert.

The Calico Desert is located in the northwestern portion of Stardew Valley. It seems pretty odd that an entire desert is located in a Valley but hey, this is a game that allows you to turn unwanted children into…doves. So who are we to question its logic, right? 

What’s in The Calico Desert?

The Calico Desert is a vast desert perfect for exploring and discovering its hidden secrets. Here you’ll encounter forageable items like Coconuts and Cactus Fruits, which you won’t find anywhere else. There’s a small lake here where you can catch two unique fish called the Sandfish and the Scorpion Carp. You’ll also see places like the mysterious Skull Cavern, home to many dangerous monsters and wondrous treasures.

Skull Cavern

Similar to the Mines, the Skull Cavern is an area filled to the brim with monsters and treasures as far as the eye can see. But unlike its Pelican Town counterpart, the Skull Cavern is endless. You can explore it to your heart’s content. The farther down you go, the stronger the monsters you encounter and the more likely it is for you to get Iridium Ores.

Of course, you’ll need the Skull Key to access this area which you’ll find at the very last floor of the Mines. This is also where Mr. Qi’s quest “The Mysterious Qi” takes place.

Oasis

This is a store run by Sandy at the Calico Desert. You can purchase a variety of unique seeds and items that you won’t be able to find in other stores. They also have a stock of certain items that rotate and change on a daily basis. 

The most interesting thing about Oasis is that it has a secret area. Once you enter the store, you’ll notice that a burly looking gentleman is standing in front of a staircase. This area is inaccessible until you finish Mr. Qi’s quest. As soon as you finish it, you’ll be able to go inside and see that it’s a Casino run by Mr. Qi himself. Here, you can exchange your gold coins for Qi Coins that you can use for gambling. You’ll also find a store that sells items that you won’t be able to buy anywhere else.

The Desert Trader

If you go east upon arrival in the Desert, you’ll see a merchant with a camel tied outside their tent. The Desert Trader works like a typical store, but unlike other stores, the merchant will not accept any of your money. Instead, you can purchase their items in exchange for another item. They’ll usually trade for Gems, Minerals, Rare Ores, and Seeds.

Three Pillars

In the northeast part of the desert, you’ll find three pillars arranged in the shape of a triangle. At first, this place will look like it’s just a random structure, but there’s actually more to it than that. Once you’ve gathered all four Dwarf Scrolls and donated it to the Museum, you’ll receive a Dwarvish Translation Guide. This will allow you to read one of the previously unreadable tombstones in the Graveyard, which will instruct you to step into the center of the pillars while holding a Prismatic Shard. Doing so, will cause the shard to transform into none other than the Galaxy Sword.

Warp Statue

Near the middle of the desert, you’ll find a Warp Statue. In case you didn’t know, warp statues are warp points where you can instantly teleport to using Warp Totem or a Desert Obelisk. What’s weird about this is that whenever you warp to the desert, the bus will also mysteriously appear to take you home, even though you didn’t ride it there in the first place.

Sand Dragon

Last but not the least is the Sand Dragon. Located on top of a hill north of Oasis, this mass of bones resembling a large dragon stands, waiting for you to be mesmerized at its sheer size. Not only is it awesome to look at, it is also related to Mr. Qi’s quest.

How do you go to the Calico Desert?

The Calico Desert is like Mordor, you don’t simply walk into it. You need to ride the Bus located at Pelican Town’s Bus Stop. You can do this one of two ways, both of which cost a lot of money. The first way is through Joja’s Community Development Projects. You’ll first need to buy a Joja Membership for 5,000g and then pay another 40,000g to have the Bus repaired.

The other way is by completing the Vault Bundles at the Community Center. The Vault becomes available once you complete any four bundles. 

Unlike the other bundles, the Vault Bundles only requires you to pay certain amounts to complete. Below are the bundles and the rewards you get for completing each of them:

• 2,500g Bundle – Reward: 3 Chocolate Cake
• 5,000g Bundle – Reward: 30 Quality Fertilizer
• 10,000g Bundle – Reward: Lightning Rod
• 25,000g Bundle – Reward: Crystalarium

You’ll spend a total of 42,500g which is less than what you’ll spend if you turned the Community Center into a Joja warehouse. Once you’re done, the Junimos will get to work and the Bus will be ready in the morning.

Using the Bus

Finally, the Bus is ready to go. Pam, one of the villagers, will be the bus driver. Each ticket to go to the Calico Desert will cost 500g. You can only buy a ticket at the Bus Stop when Pam is present from 10 AM – 5 PM. From there, you’ll be able to get to and from the Calico Desert.

So there you have it! That’s all you need to know on how to get to the Calico Desert in Stardew Valley. Be sure to check our site frequently for more guides on your favorite games. Have fun!