Camp Exploit - Get To West Elizabeth Early!

Step 1 - "Tall Trees"

Head North-East from MacFarlane's Ranch until you reach the train tracks, then follow them to "Tanner's Span" bridge which is still under construction.

Just North of the bridge is a small lake with a waterfall in the background.

You'll spot a lone tree nearby.

Approach the lake and as you get close to the water, you'll notice the game thinks you're in "Tall Trees" with a message at the top of the screen showing your new location. You'll usually find a lone patch of Hummingbird Sage which you can normally only collect in Tall Trees too.

Step 2 - Cross the Train Tracks

Follow the path around the top of the cliffs, heading East from the "Tall Trees" area. Don't fall down the cliffs and end up in the water, but try to stay as close as you can as you follow it around.

When you reach the Tanner's Span bridge, walk across the train tracks and continue following the cliffs on the other side.

Step 3 - Camp Just Past the Tree

Stay next to the river and follow it down the hill towards a large tree at the corner of the land as it closes in on the water.

Just after you pass the tree, press the touch pad to open up your Satchel, then switch to the "Kit" section and use your Camp (or Improved Campsite if you have one).

Step 4 - Freedom in West Elizabeth

If everything went well, your camp will be set up across the river in West Elizabeth, usually somewhere by the location marked on the map below.

You can save your game if you like (when you reload you'll stay in West Elizabeth), otherwise just exit the camp and you're free to explore Manzanita Post, Tall Trees, Great Plains and Blackwater.

You can visit the shops in Manzanita Post to purchase the Tomahawk early or the "Tall Trees" map to mark all locations on your world map. You can even buy a safehouse in the village if you have enough cash.

In Blackwater you'll be able to visit the Gunsmith to purchase a number of powerful and exclusive weapons including the Mauser Pistol, Evans Repeater (with its 22 shot capacity), the Carcano Rifle with its sniper scope and the Explosive Rifle which obliterates anything in its path - although you'll need a minimum of $5,000 to purchase it.

From the General Store, you can purchase the "Great Plains" map to mark all locations on your world map too. What's more, you'll then be able to fast travel around West Elizabeth from your camp.

In Blackwater you'll also be able to take part in Nightwatch jobs and complete the 4 Bounty Hunter targets which will spawn in the nearby areas.

Another benefit of reaching the area early is you'll be able to complete a number of the Master Hunter and Sharpshooter ambient challenges, notably those involving elk and bears as you'll find plenty of them in Tall Trees.

Step 5 - Returning to New Austin

There are 2 ways I'm aware of to get back to New Austin once you've exploited your way into West Elizabeth early, although neither of them are as straight forward as getting back from Nuevo Paraiso.

Option 1: Stagecoach - Skip Journey

The first involves using a Stagecoach and skipping the journey. You'll find one parked up in Blackwater.

Climb inside and you can select a destination such as Thieves' Landing or MacFarlane's Ranch.

The problem is, because you're not supposed to be in West Elizabeth yet, the stagecoach glitches out and often falls under the map, respawning you back where you started in Blackwater.

If you keep getting in and trying again and again, eventually it'll work 'better' - although you'll have to pay around $7 each time you try, so make sure you have plenty of cash first. If it works better, the stagecoach will still appear under the map, but it won't be falling through the ground anymore.

It seems completely random whether you'll fall through the map or not, but I find if you ask the stagecoach to take you to a destination in West Elizabeth (Beecher's Hope for example), then once it starts moving, press Triangle to get out and get back in, then set a destination in New Austin, it seems to work better.

Either way, keep trying until you see the stagecoach under the map. If it's not falling, you should then be able to press X to skip the journey and you'll eventually arrive at your destination after a loading screen.

Alternative Stagecoach

If you use the stagecoach parked just outside the Pacific Union Railroad Camp which is closer to New Austin, it seems you can skip the stagecoach ride much easier and with less glitches.

It can occasionally glitch - but not as bad as Blackwater - and may respawn itself on the road, but most of the time you should be able to skip the ride by mashing the X button once you get in and set your destination.

I recommend you set "Thieves' Landing" as a destination as it's very close by and makes it a lot less likely to glitch out.

Option 2 - Horse Jump

This one is slightly riskier as there's a chance of dying in the water, but it's very doable.

You need to gallop along the road as quickly as you can towards the under-construction "Dixon Crossing" bridge on a fast horse.

Press Square to make the horse jump right before you run off the end of the bridge.

Aim slightly to the left so you land on the grass to the left of the bridge. You should fly through the air, clear the water and land on the grass on the other side.

As soon as you land, immediately hold R1 to slow the horse down before it ends up running into the water.

Then you're back in Thieve's Landing and free to continue in New Austin.

This is a lot riskier than the stagecoach trick, but it won't cost you anything. Save your game before you try it and reload if you die.