Where to Find Obsidian in ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis Part 1

Obsidian shows up as smooth, glossy black rock, and in Genesis Part 1 it clusters in a handful of biomes rather than being sprinkled evenly across the map. The Volcanic biome carries the heaviest concentration by a wide margin, but the Ocean islands, the snowy mountains at the edge of the map, and even the Lunar biome all hold usable nodes if you know exactly where to land. Below are the biome-by-biome coordinates, what each spot looks like on arrival, and how to mine it without getting buried under the weight.

Best biome to farm Obsidian first

The Ocean biome is the safer, more spread-out alternative — several resource-rich islands carry Obsidian alongside crystal, metal, and oil, so you can sweep them at a relaxed pace without cave hazards. The Snow biome offers a smaller mountain route toward the end of the map, and the Lunar biome is a low-density fallback where each spot is only a few nodes. When you genuinely need volume, come back to the volcano.

All Obsidian coordinates by biome

Here is every location worth flagging, grouped by biome. The landmark column tells you what to look for on arrival so you know you are in the right place before you start swinging.

Some players also point to broad mountain clusters in the Bog and Arctic biomes, but those sit outside the routes mapped above, so treat the coordinates here as your reliable starting set and confirm any others in-game before committing a long run to them.

Ocean biome Obsidian islands

The Ocean biome is dotted with resource-rich islands, and the best approach is to land on one and sweep it completely rather than grabbing the first node you see. The island at 91.3, 13.3 has Obsidian right at the shoreline, more toward the left, a node up at the top, and a bit down at the bottom — and while exploring you will also pull crystal, metal, and oil.

Another island carries a distinctive blue lighthouse with mine tunnels built into the cliff platform. Run those mines and you will find metal, crystal, gems, and Obsidian throughout; the island itself is split in two, and both halves are loaded with resources. There is no clean map coordinate for this one, so use the lighthouse itself as your marker. The island at 80.9, 23.4 is easy to spot by its large building, with Obsidian on the floor, along the sides, and up on top of the structure. The island at 69.4, 34.7 rounds out the Ocean run with more floor nodes on both sides.

Snow biome mountain spots

The Snow biome Obsidian sits on the mountains right at the end of the map, so head for the edge and climb. The approach at 68, 6.9 takes you up through a stretch of trees where the first Obsidian appears; push further down and you will find most of it clustered near a group of four or five metal nodes. That exact node area is at 65, 9.1, which is the coordinate to punch in if you want to skip straight to the metal-and-Obsidian pocket.

Two more spots sit even further out. At 70.6, 2.8 there is Obsidian standing up and some laying on the floor, and a short hop away at 76, 4.2 a little mountain holds a bit more. The snow all looks the same out here, so lean on the coordinates rather than the scenery.

Lunar biome fallback nodes

The Lunar biome is not a serious Obsidian source. There is no dedicated field here — every spot is only about three nodes, so treat it purely as a top-up if you happen to be in the area. If you actually need a lot of Obsidian, the Volcanic biome is where you should be.

What to bring and how to mine Obsidian

Obsidian is mined from the smooth black rocks — the glossy nodes, not ordinary dark stone — and the practical early-game tool is a Metal Pick, which gives a solid yield per hit. Once you have a harvesting dino, an Ankylosaurus or a Magmasaur pulls far more per node and is the better call for real farming runs.

The catch is weight. Obsidian is heavy, and a full run will bog you down fast, so plan for it — ride a high-weight dino, or drop Storage Boxes and haul the stone out in stages rather than trying to carry everything at once. The Volcanic and Snow nodes double as metal spots, so it is easy to overload without noticing.

Buying Obsidian through the Hexagon Exchange

If travel or danger is blocking a farming trip, you can buy Obsidian through the Hexagon Exchange at 5 Obsidian for 180 Hexagons. It is a fine emergency top-up when you cannot safely reach a node, but the rate is steep for anything approaching bulk, so keep it as a backup rather than your main supply.

Mistakes that waste your Obsidian runs

The most common trap is mining decorative black rock that looks the part but yields nothing — only real nodes drop Obsidian, so check the harvest before you commit to a spot. The second is assuming every biome is dense; the Lunar biome in particular only ever gives you a few nodes at a time, so do not build a route around it.

Finally, do not underestimate the volcano cave. It is far more dangerous than it first appears once creatures and hazards spawn in — lava, aggressive predators, and tight spaces all bite hard — so go in prepared rather than treating it like an open-field grab.

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