ARK Explorer Notes are lore collectibles placed across the seven story ARKs: The Island, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Genesis: Part 1, Genesis: Part 2, and Lost Colony. Most are collected by physically reaching a marker on foot, with a flyer, or on another mount. A regular note gives 100 XP to the player and 100 XP to the ridden tame, then doubles XP gain for 10 minutes. Collecting every Explorer Note unlocks 10 additional Survivor levels.
Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
The reliable way to find them is to match your game edition and map to the correct Explorer Map, filter for Explorer Note markers, use the official location entry’s latitude, longitude, landmark description and ID, and confirm each pickup in the in-game tracker. Coordinates are navigation aids rather than guarantees: cave geometry, map updates and differences between ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) and ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) can change the final approach.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved (PS4) | $19.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One | $23.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved (Nintendo Switch) | $35.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One (Renewed) | $21.17 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
ARK Survival Evolved Definitive Complete Guide & Walkthrough (Latest Update 2025) All Strategies,... | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
What Explorer Notes are
The ARK Official Community Wiki defines Explorer Notes as collectibles scattered across story ARKs. They reveal the setting’s history through written entries and recorded conversations from other survivors. Finding one is both a lore discovery and an experience-boosting event; it is not merely a map marker to clear for completion.
The canonical story-ARK collection contains seven maps:
#1 Best Overall
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
- The Island
- Scorched Earth
- Aberration
- Extinction
- Genesis: Part 1
- Genesis: Part 2
- Lost Colony
The official map index also contains Explorer Maps for other ARK maps. That broader map coverage should not be read as proof that every non-story map uses an identical note set or contributes to the same all-notes reward. For a completion run, use the seven-map story list as the canonical scope and verify the current map and edition before travelling.
Creature records are a different collectible type
Creature records focus on a creature species. Narrative survivor notes describe events and characters. Both can appear in collection interfaces or map databases, so check the entry’s type and topic before counting it toward an Explorer Note route. A creature record is not automatically a survivor note simply because it is displayed in the same general collectible system.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What you get from collecting a note
Regular Explorer Note effect
When you collect a regular note, the player receives 100 XP and the tame being ridden receives 100 XP. The game applies the Explorer Note Found! status effect, which doubles XP gain for 10 minutes.
- The bonus applies to XP earned during the effect window, not just to the pickup itself.
- Collecting another regular note does not create a second multiplier.
- A further regular note extends the current effect’s expiration instead of stacking another regular two-times effect.
- The ridden tame must be the one receiving the mount-related XP award; plan your route around the creature you actually want to level.
Special Explorer Note Found!
She Who Waits notes, and notes obtained under certain single-player settings, can produce the Special Explorer Note Found! variant. It quadruples XP. The special effect can stack with the regular effect, producing a temporary eight-times XP gain when both are active.
Do not assume that every marker grants the special version. Treat the status text shown after pickup as authoritative and plan your XP spending around the effect that is actually active.
Rank #2
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
The full-collection reward
Collecting every Explorer Note unlocks 10 additional Survivor levels. The documentation does not establish one universal per-map total in the material available here, so a guide or tracker that advertises a single grand number should be checked against the current game version, map list and note type. The important completion test is the in-game collection record, not an unverified total copied from an older list.
Recommended Free Tools
Which maps contain the canonical Explorer Notes?
These are the maps named by the official Explorer Notes overview. Use the separate subsection for each map when making a checklist; do not combine markers from different map versions in one route.
The Island
The Island has a dedicated interactive Explorer Map with separate ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended contexts. Select the edition you play before copying coordinates. Filter the Explorer Note layer rather than relying on a general landmark search, then compare the marker with the location description in the official table. If a marker falls in or near a cave, use the cave entrance and landmark information to plan the final approach; a surface latitude and longitude may not place you directly beside the note in three-dimensional terrain.
Scorched Earth
Scorched Earth is part of the story-ARK collection. Use the Explorer Map and location table for the exact map context you own. Check whether the entry requires a cave, enclosed area or another access condition before setting out, and keep the coordinate’s nearby landmark with your checklist. Do not transfer an ASE coordinate to ASA without confirming that the marker and map context match.
Aberration
Aberration is included in the canonical set and should be routed separately from surface-oriented maps. For every marker, read the location description in addition to the latitude and longitude, because cave geometry and vertical approaches can make a coordinate difficult to interpret. Confirm the edition first, then use the map’s Explorer Note filter and the in-game tracker to verify each pickup.
Rank #3
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
Extinction
Extinction notes belong to the same all-story-ARK collection. Build the route from the map’s marker layer and the official table’s description, type, topic, author and ID. Before travelling, verify any map-specific access condition shown for the entry; a coordinate alone does not tell you whether the marker is reached from the surface, a cave or another enclosed route.
Genesis: Part 1
Genesis: Part 1 is one of the seven story maps. Select the correct Genesis map and game edition in your mapping tool, then filter to Explorer Notes. Keep the entry ID beside the coordinate so you can distinguish a survivor note from a creature record or another collectible that may be displayed nearby.
Genesis: Part 2
Genesis: Part 2 also contributes to the canonical story collection. Use a Part 2 map context rather than reusing a Part 1 list. Confirm the marker’s topic and author against the location-table entry, and check the map-specific access instructions before attempting the route.
Lost Colony
Lost Colony appears in the official story-ARK list. Availability and map data can depend on the edition and the current game release, so verify that your installation includes the map and that the interactive map you are using has a matching Lost Colony context. Once the map is selected, follow the same marker, coordinate and in-game-tracker workflow as the other story maps.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Where the exact coordinates come from
The official Explorer Note location table records more than a point on a map. Each entry identifies the map, collectible type, topic, author, latitude, longitude, a location description and an ID. Those fields let you build a route that is auditable and let you spot a wrong entry before spending time travelling.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
The official data-map index describes Explorer Maps as layers for Explorer Notes, cave entrances, loot crates, artifacts, deep-sea and desert loot crates and supply crates. Turn on only the layers needed for the current route. A crowded map can make a note marker appear to be at the same place as a crate or cave entrance when the objects are actually separated vertically or by several metres.
Coordinate workflow
- Choose the game edition. Decide whether you are playing ASE or ASA. On maps that provide separate contexts, do not mix the two.
- Choose the map. Select one of the seven story ARKs, then confirm the map name shown by the tool and by your in-game world.
- Open the Explorer Map. Use the map’s Explorer Note layer and hide unrelated collectible layers while planning.
- Filter and identify the entry. Match the marker to the official table’s type, topic, author and ID. Copy the latitude, longitude and the nearby landmark description together.
- Plan the approach. Decide whether the final distance is travelled on foot, by flyer or on another mount. If the description references a cave or enclosed route, locate the entrance before leaving the surface route.
- Travel to the marker. Treat the coordinate as an area to search, not a guaranteed interaction point. Move around the landmark and account for elevation, cave layers and the map’s current geometry.
- Confirm the pickup. Check the in-game Explorer Note tracker immediately. Record the entry ID or topic as complete instead of relying only on a map marker disappearing.
- Log the status effect. If you are using the XP window, note when the regular or special effect began and route nearby pickups accordingly.
How to make a reliable completion route
Prepare a version-specific checklist
Create one checklist per map and edition. Give each row the map name, entry ID, type, topic, author, latitude, longitude and landmark description. This prevents an ASE entry from being marked complete when you actually collected its ASA counterpart, and it makes duplicate-looking markers easier to investigate.
Route by geography, not by list order
The table’s order is useful for identification but is not necessarily an efficient travel order. Group entries by nearby landmarks after you have verified their IDs. A route that strings together markers in one region lets you use a single 10-minute regular XP window more efficiently than repeatedly crossing the map for isolated entries.
Use the right mount for the final approach
Most notes are collected by walking or flying into them. A flyer is useful for crossing open terrain, but a note inside a cave, tight passage or enclosed structure may require dismounting and walking. Carry the mount you need for the access condition described by the entry; reaching the coordinate is not the same as being able to trigger the collectible.
Chain notes without misunderstanding the multiplier
A regular note does not stack another two-times effect on top of the first. The practical benefit of chaining is that another pickup extends the expiration, allowing more time at the boosted rate. A special four-times effect is different: it can coexist with the regular effect for a temporary eight-times multiplier. Watch the status icons rather than assuming that every new note has increased the multiplier.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Map-by-map planning comparison
The sources do not provide a universal difficulty score or a verified total for each map. The useful comparison is therefore the information you should verify before starting each route.
| Map | Map data to select | Coordinate and access checks | Edition caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Island | Dedicated Explorer Map; separate ASE and ASA contexts | Compare the marker with cave entrances and the location description; inspect elevation near enclosed routes | Never assume an Island coordinate is identical between ASE and ASA |
| Scorched Earth | Scorched Earth Explorer Map and note layer | Read the landmark and any access condition before crossing the map | Verify DLC ownership and the active map version |
| Aberration | Aberration Explorer Map and note layer | Check cave or vertical access and search around the coordinate in three dimensions | Use the matching edition’s marker set |
| Extinction | Extinction Explorer Map and note layer | Confirm whether the entry is reached from the surface or an enclosed route | Do not merge lists from different releases without checking IDs |
| Genesis: Part 1 | Genesis: Part 1 Explorer Map and note layer | Match topic, author and ID before travelling; verify any map-specific access condition | Select Part 1, not Part 2, in the map tool |
| Genesis: Part 2 | Genesis: Part 2 Explorer Map and note layer | Use the landmark description to resolve a marker that appears close to another collectible | Select Part 2 and the correct game edition |
| Lost Colony | Lost Colony context, if available for your edition | Confirm that the current map data includes the marker before planning a route | Availability and map coverage can vary by release |
Troubleshooting missed or confusing markers
The marker is present, but the note does not trigger
- Recheck the map and edition selected in the Explorer Map.
- Compare the marker’s type, topic and ID with the official location entry; you may be at a creature record or another collectible.
- Move around the nearby landmark and change elevation. A coordinate can place you above, below or outside a cave entrance.
- Check the in-game tracker rather than assuming that a visual marker alone means the note is available.
The coordinate seems wrong
Coordinates are not a substitute for the location description. Cave geometry, map updates and ASE-versus-ASA differences can change the final approach. Return to the entry’s landmark description, verify the map context, and use the Explorer Map’s cave or entrance layer to find the route into the area.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The XP bonus is not what you expected
- Confirm whether the status effect says Explorer Note Found! or Special Explorer Note Found!.
- Remember that regular effects do not stack with one another; another regular note extends the timer.
- Check that the tame you expected to receive XP was the one being ridden when the note was collected.
- For an eight-times window, both the regular and special effects must be active; a normal note by itself does not create that multiplier.
The tracker is incomplete after following a map list
Use the tracker as the final authority and compare unfinished entries by ID, not just by coordinates. A map database can contain notes from a different edition, a different map version or a different collectible type. Mark a row complete only after the in-game record confirms it.
Administrative commands and alternate access
Players with administrator permissions have an alternate route. A third-party command index documents a per-note administrative approach and the all-notes command:
GiveAllExplorerNotesUse administrative commands only from the appropriate server or single-player admin console, with the permissions required by that platform. Console syntax and any required command prefix can vary, so follow the format your host accepts. The command is optional; it is not required for legitimate completion and bypasses the travel, XP timing and discovery of the normal route.
Before using an all-notes command, consider whether you want the 10-level reward and lore progression to reflect actual exploration. If you are testing a map or recovering a damaged save, make a backup first and record the command use, because an all-at-once unlock makes it harder to identify which individual entry was missing.
Final completion check
- Every checklist row belongs to one of the seven canonical story ARKs and the correct edition.
- Each row has been matched by type, topic, author, coordinate, landmark and ID.
- The in-game Explorer Note tracker confirms every pickup.
- You have distinguished narrative survivor notes from creature records.
- You understand whether the current pickup supplied a regular or special XP effect.
- The 10 additional Survivor levels appear after the complete collection is recognized.
Explorer Notes are therefore best approached as a version-specific route-planning project: identify the correct map context, navigate with both coordinates and landmarks, confirm every entry in-game, and use the XP windows deliberately while the collection is still in progress.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
