What Are Minecraft Trail Ruins?

Minecraft trail ruins are hidden structures that can be found underground in certain biomes. They were introduced with the 1.20 ‘Trails & Tales’ update. In these structures, you can find special loot, explore archeological sites and search for very rare pottery sherds. It is definitely worth a try to look for trail ruins. Minecraft, however, can make such adventures quite difficult. We’ll tell you the most important things for your quest to dig up ancient sites in Minecraft.

Minecraft Trail Ruins: The Basics

Maybe one day we will find out whether there once were ancient builders or some almighty entity randomly dropped structures into the Minecraft world. Maybe we won’t find out. Minecraft trail ruins, however, might be another clue. After the ancient cities, we now have another mysterious place that could be as old as time itself. Especially in combination with the sniffer, who was once extinct. Well, what is there to know about Minecraft trail ruins? These structures are made out of a variety of blocks, including different types of stone, terracotta, mud bricks, bricks, gravel, dirt and suspicious gravel.

MC Trail Ruins & Suspicious Gravel

Suspicious gravel is a block that can be brushed to reveal special loot. Suspicious sand works similarly. While it is not easy to find loot this way – many players actually don’t find anything at all – it is a challenge to set yourself when encountering Minecraft trail ruins. Since you can find suspicious gravel there, you might plan some time for brushing blocks. A brush, the new tool that was introduced with 1.20 as well, will help you with that. You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to take your time and reveal items that might have been stuck under a layer of gravel and dirt, possibly since like… forever.

How to Find Minecraft Trail Ruins

The most obvious answer to that problem is: you have to look out for them. This quest can be simplified if you know where Minecraft trail ruins are likely to spawn. You should look for one of these biomes:

1. jungle
2. old growth birch forest
3. old growth taiga
4. snowy taiga
5. taiga

Since Minecraft trail ruins are buried underground, it is difficult to spot them. Their tip, however, is visible above the ground. Even though these are just some usual terracotta blocks and gravel, it is something you should look out for. These MC trail ruins are also said to be able to spawn under bodies of water. So, if you see a little lake, taking a swim is a good idea. Don’t forget to equip yourself with some means to breathe underwater though. And if you encounter such a structure while already mining some precious ores underground and you don’t really know where you are: be cautious. Maybe you are now beneath a body of water and if you break the wrong block you might risk drowning!

Tip:
If you enabled cheats and don’t want to waste time searching, you might simply use the /locate command: /locate structure minecraft:trail_ruins and follow the coordinates.

Minecraft Trail Ruins Loot

Going on an adventure is far more interesting if you have a goal in mind. This does not necessarily have to be a place but could also be a ‘prize’. Something like a trophy, you know? So, of course, Minecraft trail ruins could be a destination to get to, but we’d also understand if all you are looking for are the collectable items. Luckily, there is a list of Minecraft trail ruins loot right here:

1. armor trims
2. candles
3. coal
4. dyes
5. emeralds
6. flower pots
7. food (like wheat or seeds)
8. gold nuggets
9. hanging signs
10. leads
11. music discs
12. pottery sherds
13. stained glass panes
14. strings
15. tools

You probably won’t find all of them, though. The most interesting items among the list are by far the smithing templates, also called armor trims, and the pottery sherds. The rest are kind of common items. Still, you can actually fill your inventory with quite some stuff down there. So, prepare yourself, pack some tools, get excited to start excavating and go get out there to find some Minecraft trail ruins on a Minecraft server from G-Portal! Grab your friends and start unraveling the truth behind ancient times in Minecraft by starting with ancient cities and Minecraft 1.20 trail ruins.