Mineshaft Finder

Abandoned mineshafts are tunnel networks of planks, rails and cobwebs, usually crossing caves deep underground. Enter a seed, pick Bedrock or Java and the version, and the map marks the chunk where each mineshaft starts; the page opens zoomed in because the markers only show up close. The list below gives the nearest starts. Corridors spread far from that point, so treat each marker as the heart of a maze rather than a door.

A chance in every chunk

Mineshafts do not use a region grid. Every chunk gets its own roll with a 0.4% chance, about one chunk in 250, and almost any Overworld biome is allowed. Without a spacing rule two starts can land in neighboring chunks, and the networks can overlap each other and cut through caves, dungeons and ravines.

That rate adds up. The 8,192-block square this page searches around spawn holds roughly a thousand starts, which is why the map only draws them zoomed in and the list keeps just the twelve nearest.

The badlands variant

In badlands the mineshaft is built from dark oak instead of oak and sits higher, so its supports and rails often stick out of canyon walls. Java treats it as its own structure, minecraft:mineshaft_mesa, next to the regular minecraft:mineshaft.

Worth stopping for

Chest minecarts hold rails and powered rails, name tags, enchanted books, golden apples and occasionally an enchanted golden apple, plus iron, gold, redstone, lapis and the odd diamond. Cave spider spawners hide in patches of cobweb; cut the web with a sword or shears and light the spawner up or break it.

Recognising one underground

From inside a cave, a mineshaft shows itself as wooden fences holding up planks, loose rails on the floor and sheets of cobweb. Corridors run at many depths through solid stone, so they expose plenty of ore along the walls. Cave spiders are small enough to slip through one-block gaps and poison you on Normal and Hard difficulty; carry milk to clear it.

Frequently asked questions

Are Bedrock mineshafts placed the same way?

Almost. Bedrock also gives every chunk a 0.4% roll, then adds a second check that thins mineshafts out near the middle of the world: within 80 chunks (1,280 blocks) of X 0, Z 0 a chunk only keeps its mineshaft if a roll out of 80 comes in below its distance from 0, 0 in chunks. Farther out every passing chunk keeps it.

Why is there nothing at the marked spot?

The marker is the starting chunk, and the corridors lie underground at various depths, running far in every direction. Dig down near the marker or explore a nearby cave and listen for cave spiders.