Most Breathtaking Locations In Grand Theft Auto 5

Los Santos hides more than chaos and fast cars – it hides secrets. From hidden caves and eerie cult sites to rooftop views few players reach, GTA 5’s map is packed with strange, beautiful, and dangerous places worth exploring. Here’s where to find the most intriguing spots and how to make the most of each visit.

The Altruist Cult – The Altruist Cult has its hangout in Mount Chilliad. It is a city of cannibals away from any civilization. Trevor may deliver there the hitchhikers that he encounters (it is rewarded with and achievement). Additionally, after the delivering of four hitchhikers, the denizens will also want to capture Trevor, who will have to use force to get out of there. On the premises of the hangout, you can find an RPG, an Assault Rifle, a baseball bat and over $100.000, among others. The easiest way to get there is by hiving a ride to a hitchhiker, while playing as Trevor. The location will then get marked on the map.

Mount Chilliad – the highest peak in the game. The easiest way to get there is by taking a monorail. This is a grand place, in itself, but you can also find a lot of surprises here. At the very peak of the mountain, you can find a parachute and two dirtbikes. You can try to ride down the mountain, jump off it or both, bu releasing the parachute when you are falling on the bike. Apart from that, at the back of the main scenic point, there is a mural, which reads that you should come back after “your story is complete”. This means that you need to complete the game in 100%. Once you do that and return here during storm, at night, you will notice a UFO hovering above the mountain. The mural itself can also suggest that there may be some secret chambers hidden within the mount.

Fort Zancudo – A mysterious military base. You will find yourself around the fort for several times, while performing various missions. Still, not necessarily inside, but it is worth visiting anyways. You can obtain there, e.g. the Rhino tank, Lazer P-996 jet, Buzzard helicopter or even the formidable Titan. Entering the base, however, means adding four stars to your wanted level. Unfortunately, you cannot sneak into the base and, the longer you are going to stay there, the more difficult it will be for you, due to the increasing numbers of soldiers and heavy equipment. Still, you can have some fun inside the fort. You can enter the main building with the tower and make it onto its top. Apart from the interesting training facility and the view over the entire base, you can also find here lots of weapons scattered around, including a minigun.

Humane Labs and Research Company – Another top secret compound and chemical labs. Like in the case of Fort Zacundo, you will receive four stars for intruding into the premises. You visit the labs while completing a mission but, from inside. To see it from the outside, you need to go there on your own. What is interesting, you can use a cab for that, which will take you directly to the main entrance. Still, you are getting four stars straight away.

The Prison – Bolingbroke Penitentiary located directly to the South of Trevor’s hangar in Sandy Shores, is another place that you can visit for adventure. Any attempt to break into the prison ends up in stars, but it is completely safe to drive around the fence. Near the prison, you can also find inmates that managed to escape. They will be posing as hitchhikers but, in fact, they will try to threaten you with weapon trying to steal your car. It is easy to recognize them by orange uniforms.

Ron Alternates Wind Farm – A wind farm full of turbines. Planes and helicopters caught between the blades explode in the air, thus providing a lot of fireworks and fun. You can, e.g. try to lure into this area the police choppers that are chasing you.

Galileo Observatory – an observatory modeled after the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

VINEWOOD sign – a huge VINEWOOD sign modeled, of course, after the famous HOLLYWOOD sign. You can climb any of the letters to admire the city’s panorama.

Vinewood Bowl – The amphitheater modeled after the famous Hollywood Bowl

Racetrack – A huge racetrack in Vinewood

National Office of Security Enforcement – In the east coast, you will find the NOOSE headquarters. It is a government complex. Unlike Fort Zancudo and HLRC entering here does not result in police pursuit. Among the thing that you can find here, there is an armed Buzzard chopper on the rooftop. To get up there, you will need to climb up the ladder at the pback, on the right of the main entrance and make it onto the building on the left over the rooftops.

The funfair – you can ride on the rail or take a ride on the Ferris wheel to take a look at the overwhelming vastness of Los Santos.

Maze Bank Tower – The tallest building in LS, modeled after US Bank Tower in Los Angeles. A great scenic point, with a usable Helipad on the rooftop (not purchase-able). Located in Pillbox Hill, in the city center. If you have problems finding it, simply look up.

Maze Bank Arena – The headquarters of the local basketball team – Los Santos Panic (a parody of Los Angeles Lakers) and the location of shooting Fame or Shame.

The Airport – Also the main airport in Los Santos is worth visiting. You can obtain passenger planes, like Luxor, here. Apart from that, you can also steal the big planes modeled after Boeing 747, which cannot be bought. Unfortunately, you cannot store them, because they are too sizeable to fit into any hangar. They also lack their own entrance animations. To get onto the plane, simply press the enter/exit button and you will automatically be placed in the cockpit. Remember, if you do not own a hangar at the airport, entering there will result in a three-star pursuit.

This section of the Grand Theft Auto Vgame guide includes the map with unique locations in the game. You’ll learn what interesting places you can visit in GTA V and what additional attractions and unique features they have.

Best hidden Easter eggs in GTA 5 and where to find them

GTA 5 hides numerous Easter eggs across Los Santos and Blaine County, from extraterrestrial nods to movie references and mythical creatures. These secrets reward thorough exploration, often requiring specific times, weather, or missions to uncover. Many tie into Rockstar’s tradition of subtle pop culture tributes and unsolved mysteries.

Top Easter Eggs

Frozen Alien in Prologue: During the North Yankton prologue or Bury the Hatchet mission, drive off-road under the train bridge onto the frozen creek to spot a glowing alien encased in ice.
Ghost of Mount Gordo: At night (11 PM-midnight), visit the eastern peak of Mount Gordo north of the lighthouse; a woman’s ghost named Jolene Cranley-Evans appears with “JOCK” scrawled in blood below her.
Mount Chiliad UFOs: After 100% completion, three UFOs appear-over Fort Zancudo (3-4 AM), Mount Chiliad (3 AM in storms), and underwater north of Paleto Bay; a mock-up sits on a Vinewood roof.
Jetpack UFO: Collect all 50 spaceship parts for Franklin to assemble a functional alien jetpack at a desert site near Sandy Shores.

Creature Secrets

Bigfoot Sightings: Spot a thermal signature during the Predator mission in Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness; eating all peyote plants unlocks playable Bigfoot in Director Mode, leading to a werewolf “Beast” hallucination.
Vinewood Zombie: A friendly zombie occasionally wanders near the Vinewood Hills cinema, allowing brief conversations.
Sea Beasts and Whales: Dive in a submarine off Banham Canyon or east coast near Seashark Race to find massive whale skeletons on the ocean floor.

Exploration Tips

Visit sites at precise times using the in-game clock, and achieve 100% completion for full UFO access. Scuba gear or submersibles help with underwater finds, while blacklight maps from Collector’s Editions reveal hints. Random encounters like crashed cars echoing No Country for Old Men yield $25,000 briefcases.

How to reach the Mt Gordo ghost step by step

To see the Mount Gordo ghost (Jolene Cranley-Evans) in GTA 5, follow these precise nighttime steps on the mountain’s eastern slope north of the lighthouse in Blaine County. She appears only between 11:00 PM and midnight in-game time, vanishing if you get too close. Approach from a distance with binoculars or a sniper scope for the best view without scaring her off.

Step-by-Step Guide

Travel to Mount Gordo: Fast travel or drive north from Sandy Shores toward the Gordo Lighthouse; aim for the rocky outcrop on the mountain’s northeast peak, marked as a viewpoint on your map.
Set the time: Advance the in-game clock to 10:50-10:55 PM using your phone (Story Mode) or by sleeping/waiting (GTA Online); stand on the higher rock facing away from her spawn point downhill toward the lighthouse.
Wait and observe: At exactly 11:00 PM, turn around slowly-the translucent ghost in a white dress materializes below, floating and moaning faintly; below her feet, “JOCK” appears written in blood on the rocks.
Interact carefully: Use first-person view or scope in from afar; getting within 10-15 meters makes her fade-reload a save or wait 24 in-game hours for respawn.

Viewing Tips

Sniper zoom reveals her longest (up to a minute); night vision on night-vision goggles highlights her clearly. Ties into lore from a serial killer’s letter scraps found nearby for deeper backstory. Works in both Story Mode and GTA Online with no prerequisites.