Stardew Valley Guide | Where To Get Hardwood

One of the more grindy aspects of Stardew Valley is some of its resource collection. Out of those, Hardwood seems to be one of the more annoying things to collect. Not only do you need a Copper Axe, but there is also only so much Hardwood on your farm you can find. 

Hardwood is an integral resource; it is something you need to expand your house, and you also need it to create many higher-tier production machines. Now, at first, Hardwood shouldn't be a worry, but as time goes on, it becomes a very important resource. From all the stumps found in your base, you might just find around 70-80 Hardwood. Afterward, you will be hard-pressed to consistently find more. This guide will look at all the sources of Hardwood and the best ways to obtain them.

Currently, the sources of Hardwood include:

• Large Stump: The Large Stump requires a copper axe to break and gives you two hardwoods for your efforts. With certain professions, you can get an extra Hardwood. However, the alternative for the Forester professions is overall better. 
• Large Log: The Large Log requires a steel axe to break, and it gives you eight Hardwood. There are only a few Large Logs around your farm and even less around the map.

There are other ways to get Hardwood, such as from Ginger Island or in the mines. However, they are incredibly inefficient. 

The best way to get Hardwood is from the Secret Woods, found in the Northwest corner of the Cindersap Forest [the forest where Marnie's Barn is and where the Wizard lives]. This is the only location where the stumps regenerate every day. When you go to the northwest corner, you'll find a Large Log, and breaking it will let you enter the Secret Woods.

Here, you will find a total of 6 Large Stumps. In the upper part of the woods, you'll find four stumps. To reach two more stumps, you must navigate through one of two hidden passages leading to a smaller area below.

• The first passage is located slightly southeast of the upper group of three stumps and follows a direct path through the trees.
• The second passage begins south of the woods' entrance, near a bush (about 2-3 tiles to the right of it). This path isn't straightforward; to reach the lower area, you'll need to walk south, then west, and finally south again.

You should also kill all the slimes there, as they have a chance of dropping Mahogany Seeds. When fully grown, mahogany trees produce 8-12 hardwoods, so be sure to plant them as soon as you can. 

One final method of getting a lot of Hardwood is by running through the mines. See, the various crates and barrels you find in the mines also drop a bit of Hardwood, albeit a bit rarely, so that's a supplementary way of getting Hardwood.

The main uses of Hardwood include the second farmhouse upgrade, which costs 100 hardwood, and the construction of the stable, which costs another 100 hardwood. Considering both also cost a lot of money, you'll probably have enough Hardwood accumulated by then if you go to the Secret Woods regularly. For those who like math, you need around 9 days of collecting Hardwood from the forest to yield 108 hardwood, so it adds up really quickly. Other uses of Hardwood only require around 10-20 at a time, so you'll not need that many at the same time.

Also check out all relevant news on Stardew Valley,