Grand Theft Auto 5: 12 Secret Areas That You Had No Idea About

Grand Theft Auto 5: 12 Secret Areas That You Had No Idea About


Summary

  • Grand Theft Auto 5
    has been out for over a decade, but there are still hidden places in the game even dedicated players may not have seen.
  • All over Los Santos and San Andreas are interesting or helpful spots tucked out of the way.
  • Some hidden
    GTA 5
    locations may require performing glitches, as there are a number of areas that weren’t meant to be accessed during gameplay.



The enduring popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5 means that millions of people have taken the game for a spin, but many of these players have never discovered all the secret locations in GTA 5. This is unsurprising considering the scope of the game, which provides players with a large, open-world map to explore and enjoy all the virtual free will they please. Being an expansive game with hundreds of different areas and locations, it’s easy to get lost in the exciting adventures one can go on in San Andreas.

The most well-hidden and little-known locations scattered about the map can be hard to find without being especially observant. These range from tiny, yet useful areas that can provide shelter from potential enemies to simply creepy, mysterious locations that have a number of unanswered questions. Whether searching out secrets with friends in GTA Online or taking on the hunt alone in the single-player campaign, players who want to discover the best GTA 5 secret locations have plenty to look forward to. It’s also a good way to occupy some time until GTA 6 comes out and brings more secret locations in Vice City and Leonida with it.


Related

What Platforms Will GTA 6 Release On? (Confirmed)

Rockstar Games has confirmed the release date for the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, and what platforms it will be on at launch.


15 Players Can Glitch Back Inside The Humane Labs

Large Empty GTA 5 Interior

Image from inside the Human Labs research facility in GTA V, showing an industrial research environment.

The Humane Labs is a research facility that is found in a more secluded area of GTA 5‘s map, and with a few sneaky game tricks, players can find themselves exploring the secret spaces inside this private building. The interior of this laboratory can be accessed as follows: approach the building, accept a job invite from the player character’s phone, and back out of the job menu that displays. This will spawn the player inside the Humane Labs itself. In GTA 5, entering the property will immediately deploy a four-star wanted level, but no such repercussions happen in GTA Online.


With a submarine, players can also find a tank at the bottom of the water just east of Humane Labs.

From there, players can roam about and discover the miscellaneous Easter eggs that it has to offer. Unlike the other hidden labs or bunkers found in Grand Theft Auto 5, the interior of this facility is completely empty, leaving less chance of making enemies while exploring the space. It is quite a large secret area, with numerous rooms and wide spaces that players may potentially even find themselves getting lost in.

Lucia, the protagonist of GTA 6, in her orange prison jumpsuit in front of the Vice City sign in screnshots from the trailer.

Related

GTA 6’s Setting & Location: Everything We Know About Leonida & Vice City

GTA 6 is set in a modern Vice City. Drawing on the trailer, the original Vice City, and its real world basis, here’s what to expect from GTA 6’s map.


14 The Los Santos Airport Bunker Is A Great Place To Lose Your Wanted Level

GTA 5 Hiding Spot

Player in front of several vending machines in hidden GTA 5 bunker.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is known for having quite a few useful bunkers on the map, though this one’s a little harder to find. In online mode, one of these can be stumbled upon at the Los Santos airport; players can access the location either by sneaking down a hatch on the roof or through the back doors of the area’s building. Inside, the place houses quite a few objects to interact with, including a number of vending machines and a water cooler.


While it’s a large enough bunker, the doors inside sadly read “Authorized Personnel Only,” leaving not a lot to do or explore. However, it’s a suitable location to hide from the cops as a wanted felon on the run. It is also not known for sure whether Rockstar had initial plans for this room to play a more integral role in GTA 5‘s main campaign, given its level of interactivity. As it stands, it has the unusual feeling of a not-quite-finished space that’s still interesting to uncover.

13 GTA 5 Has A Hidden Golden Tree

A Bug Or A Feature?

A player character dressed as Santa Claus stands in front of a gold, glowing tree in GTA 5.

Hidden on the side of a disused country road sits a gold-glowing tree that many players speculate is at the center of a GTA 5 mystery. The golden tree is located nearest Braddock Pass on Mount Gordo. It can be seen clearly from the road, so interested players need only drive around the area until they find it. Its gold color can only be seen at night; during the day, it looks like any other tree.


This could very well be a glitch; other bushes in the game are occasionally seen to randomly glow gold. However, some players have speculated that the golden tree is somehow tied to GTA 5‘s Mount Chiliad mystery, a complicated conspiracy theory involving aliens, jetpacks, and a mysterious underwater hatch. While none of this has ever been solved, let alone officially concerned, the golden tree still keeps watch over Los Santos from its perch on the hill.

12 The Hidden Mine Contains Countless Mysteries

Mysterious Abandoned Area


As one of the more expansive hidden locations in GTA 5, this secret mine tunnel is as interestingly designed as it is mysterious. Found in the more mountainous region of the map, players can access this secret area by detonating the wooden doors that block the place from outside entry. This isn’t accessible in the original console version of the game, introduced as a surprise in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Grand Theft Auto 5.

Upon being blown up (either by grenades or any other explosive weapon), a dark entrance is revealed that leads to an eerie mine tunnel – one that extends to cover a wide range of ground, even branching off into different directions at some points in the area. Players will also discover a perplexing dead body upon venturing inside – a man dressed in typical ’40s fashion. This solves the side mission “Murder Mystery” and unlocks some camera filters for the game.

A dancing, shirtless man in a Panama hat, over backdrops of boats racing, cars driving, and the Vice sign in screenshots from GTA 6's first trailer.

Related

All Real-Life Locations Revealed For GTA 6 (So Far)

GTA 6 contains an impressive level of detail in its rendering of real-world locations. Here are nine Florida landmarks that have appeared in trailers.


11 The Secret Cave Bunker Contains A Well-Stocked Garage

Underground Facility

Player inside of a secret GTA 5 military bunker with an industrial metal look.

In a much more elusive part of the map, this hidden area can be located among one of the tiny islands of the Pacific Ocean. Players will have to access this via some form of water transport, and carefully seek out a portion of land with two trees standing side-by-side. Upon reaching the base of one of these trees, GTA 5 players will suddenly find themselves transported into a secret underground bunker, complete with mercenaries and FBI agents standing guard.


With the main part of the base designed to look like a garage, it’s also easy to find a variety of vehicles on display, including a red monowheel bike. When further explored, players may also stumble upon a few police operatives having a confidential meeting in what looks like a combined office and lounge, with fancy-looking sofas, a sleek TV system, and untouched, filled shot glasses.

10 Players Can Visit The Thelma & Louise Cliff In GTA 5

“Let’s Keep Going”

GTA 5 contains countless references to icons of pop culture, including a faithful recreation of the final scene from the 1991 film Thelma and Louise. Starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, it follows the titular characters as they embark on a crime spree across the United States. In the film’s final scene, Thelma and Louise are cornered by a group of police cars at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Rather than give themselves up, they instead decide to drive forwards, ending the film in a final freeze-frame as their car flies off the cliff.


Players can watch this scene play out in real time in GTA 5 by perching a helicopter near Raton Canyon around 7 PM. They’ll see a group of police cars chase a Tornado to the edge of a cliff, at which point the Tornado will drive off, creating a near-perfect imitation of Thelma & Louise‘s final moments.

9 Tongva Cave Is The Perfect Hiding Place

Defensible Spot

Player approaching the exit of a cave in GTA 5, with light streaming in from outside.

Yet another secret hideout, this one is elusively situated among the Tongva Hills. It is a small cave that overlooks the mountains of the San Andreas map, carefully hidden away for Grand Theft Auto 5 players to find, hidden from the rest of the territory. Players can arrive at this location through the simple means of a helicopter (or any other form of aircraft). However, it may take a while to spot, as at first glance, it may seem like a mere shadow or boulder.


There is a narrow entrance into a small, dark cave with a beautiful view of the region’s mountainous horizon. Inside, a pile of rocks and a spaceship part can be found, although the area is otherwise empty. All the same, it makes for a perfect place to hide away from enemies. As a bonus, it’s a properly defensible area, as bombs or booby traps can be placed around the entrance to ward off potential bounty hunters.

8 There’s A Mysterious Drawing On Mount Chiliad

A Face Or A Rooster?

A mysterious face painted on a Mt. Chiliad rock face in GTA 5.


In the original version of GTA 5, some players reported finding a mysterious, smiling face in black paint on the side of a Mt. Chiliad rock wall. It’s located on the north-facing slope, and can easily be accessed from the cable car station. Although many players believed this was merely a game developer who inserted their own Easter egg, there was some speculation that this was related to the wider Mount Chiliad mystery, which similarly involves paintings on the mountainside.

However, the former explanation appears to be correct, as in the Enhanced Edition of GTA 5, the face was removed and replaced with a rather risqué rooster. This one is done in the style of the other Mount Chiliad mystery graffiti, and seems to be an indication of how higher-ups at Rockstar felt about noticing a developer had inserted their own face into the game unbidden.

7 The Taco Van Is An Underrated Vehicle

Unique GTA 5 Assault Vehicle

Player standing next to an "Attack-A-Taco" taco van in GTA 5.


If players are looking for a large, unique assault vehicle (and are a fan of tacos), this secret GTA vehicle location should be quite useful. Located to the north of Sandy Shores, a huge taco van can be found along a dirt road, right next to a few people who were probably down with the afternoon cravings. It is important that players arrive at this secret Grand Theft Auto 5 location between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, as the vehicle is only spawned onto the map during this time.

The van is unoccupied, saving GTA 5 players the worry of having to kick someone out of their precious food truck. One can easily hop inside and drive off with the vehicle, and – having the mechanics of a van – a second person can safely stand on its roof and be completely immune to falling onto the road. Although the location where the taco van spawns isn’t one of the most interesting spots in GTA 5, it does provide one of the most useful secrets.


6 There’s A Hidden Alien In GTA 5’s Prologue

Unidentified Frozen Object

Michael points his gun at an alien frozen beneath ice in a screenshot from GTA 5.

Everyone knows about GTA 5‘s alien mysteries, which generally allow players to occasionally sight UFOs once they’ve completed 100% of the game’s content. Fewer, however, know about the alien frozen under the ice during GTA 5‘s prologue, before Michael and the gang have even left North Yankton.

In order to find it, players will need to forge their own paths shortly after they gain control. When the tutorial mission instructs them to make the railroad crossing, they’ll instead want to make a right and drive onto the ice under the bridge. There, clear as day, will be an alien frozen beneath the river, reaching futilely for the surface. There’s no further interaction with this extraterrestrial, but it is a fun detail.


5 Boundary Breaking Lets Players Visit Jack Howitzer’s Motel Room

TV Series Set

Players can’t unlock the full potential of a Grand Theft Auto map without doing a few sly wall breaches here and there. Done successfully, wall breaches can access discoveries just as creepy as they are interesting. Set behind the back wall of the police station, players will be able to “break” the game map and jump into an empty, gray void beneath the streets of Los Santos. From there, their character must activate their parachute and glide underneath the city, eventually reaching an invisible platform that spawns the setting of a dark, abandoned hotel room.


While initially seeming like a random, mysterious site, this secret Grand Theft Auto 5 area is actually first seen in an in-game television series: the motel room of actor Jack Howitzer and his sock puppet, Ho Chi. In the show, the room was a setting for the possible murder of a sex worker, featuring Howitzer on his bed holding a gun, with bullet holes and blood sprayed across the walls and several jars of his own urine. Thankfully, the creators save players from those details in this Easter egg, though it still maintains much of the same, sinister interior as viewed from the TV scene.

4 GTA 5 Has A Secret Underwater UFO

Dive For A Closer Look

A player character swimming next to a small submersible and a ruined UFO in a screenshot from GTA 5.


In case players don’t want to wait for 100% completion, or just want a closer, non-time-limited look at one of GTA’s UFOs, there’s an underwater flying saucer that can be accessed at any point in the game. Players will need to head to the northernmost point of GTA 5‘s map, in Paleto Bay. It’s best to bring a submersible of some sort for this expedition, as it requires some serious depth. Just east of the northernmost tip of the peninsula, players can dive to the bottom of the water to find a rusty, overgrown UFO. They can use this opportunity to get a closer look at it – just remember to come up for air eventually.

There’s also a small compartment at the bottom of this underwater UFO that players can swim into. They can’t see much of anything inside, but it does provoke speculation – was this UFO model actually once intended to be a driveable vehicle?

3 Players Hear Ghost Voices By The Seaside

Spooky GTA 5 Location

GTA 5 player looking at a phone on the seaside at night.


If GTA 5‘s in-game clock strikes 11:00 PM and players are ready to get spooked, this area may provide a few supernatural surprises. Located by the sea at what seems like a popular campsite (being crowded with several tents), players will eventually start hearing the eerie sounds of various ghostly voices, given that they linger at the site for long enough. This is the perfect site to seek out for anyone interested in urban legends of GTA 5 and unusual atmosphere.

These noises range from soft, sinister whispers to distant wailing screams, and randomly occur in striking contrast to the setting’s tranquil sounds of ocean waves and fireflies. As the voices sound both male and female, it’s safe to say the area is haunted by not one, but a number of restless souls. Also, judging from their pained shrieks, it seems that their deaths were none-too-pleasant either.


GTA 6's Lucia leans back in a convertible on a Vice City highway, arms in the air. Next to her are images of the Xbox Series X and S, surrounded by a red splatter.

Related

GTA 6 May Already Be Making A Big Xbox Mistake

After a decade, GTA 6 has finally gotten an official announcement, but it could have a major problem with the current Xbox generation. Here’s why.

2 The Tennis Coach’s Secret, Second House

Side Character’s Home

Tennis rackets and balls lying at the foot of a wall in GTA 5.

This particular Easter egg is a little easier to spot, and it’s closer to another well-known location on the map than many players would suspect. The backstory behind this little-known detail revolves around the in-game mission titled “Marriage Counseling,” in which one of Grand Theft Auto 5‘s protagonists, Michael De Santa, comes home to his mansion in the Rockford Hills looking for his wife.


Upon arriving, he notices two suspicious tennis rackets leaning to the side of the entrance doors, triggering De Santa to rush up the stairs and into his and his wife’s bedroom, where he – sure enough – catches her cheating with her tennis coach Kyle Chavis. It’s during this part of the game that players chase down Chavis and eventually find him hidden in the home of businessman Martin Madrazo, which De Santa mistakes as Chavis’ house and destroys. However, by traveling across from Madrazo’s affluent home, players will come upon what seems like the GTA 5 tennis coach’s actual home – a more rundown-looking shack littered with tennis balls and rackets all around its premises.

1 The Invincible Epsilon Vantage Point

Hidden GTA 5 Vantage Point

Rooftop with cone-like structures in GTA 5.


Another wall breach trick, this hidden location can be found at the Epsilon Program building, and is once again an extremely helpful area for anyone seeking that perfect vantage point. Once at the building, it’s possible to get to this secret location by climbing up the building’s back ladders – leading the player to the topmost level from where various cone-like structures can be found.

These structures overlook the Los Santos roads at the edge of the Epsilon roof, and, when done correctly, the player can actually climb one of these cones and hide inside the structure itself. Though it may take a few, persistent tries, once inside, the player can then have a good top view of the streets, making it a perfect hideout for sniping unsuspecting enemies. Being fully inside a metal cone also makes a player character essentially invincible, providing complete protection from the bullets of outside attackers, a useful spot for all sorts of Grand Theft Auto 5 shenanigans.


Share your love

Related Posts