If you’ve spent any time blasting through Pandora’s newest wastelands in Borderlands 4, you’ve probably stumbled on random side areas that promise way more loot than they deliver. But Borderlands 4 Cravens Nook is the exception to that rule. I spent three hours poking around every crack of this hidden swamp-side outpost last week, and walked away with two legendary weapons, a new class mod for my Siren, and a side quest that unlocked a rare character skin most players haven’t even heard of. A lot of players skip it entirely because the entrance is hidden behind a breakable wall in the Flooded Basin region, so I put together this guide to make sure you don’t miss out on all the good stuff it has to offer.
How to Unlock Borderlands 4 Cravens Nook Without Wasting Time
First, you need to have completed the “Clean Up the Basin” main story mission before you can access the area. Before that, the space around the entrance is blocked by toxic mist that kills you in two seconds even if you have a high poison resistance build, so don’t waste time trying to sneak in early. The entrance itself is behind a cracked concrete wall in the northwest corner of Flooded Basin, right next to the broken radio tower. You can break the wall with any explosive weapon, or even a heavy melee attack if you’re playing as a Berserker.
But don’t go in underleveled: the area is tuned for level 32+ characters, so if you’re lower than that, you’ll get shredded by the mutated gator enemies that patrol the outer paths. I learned that the hard way when I tried to sneak in at level 28 just to see what was there, and got chomped before I even made it 10 feet past the entrance. Make sure you have at least 10 empty inventory slots before you go in — you’re gonna pick up a ton of gear, and you don’t want to have to trash good items to make space midway through your run.
Top Loot Spots You Can’t Miss in Cravens Nook
A lot of the small details in Borderlands 4 Cravens Nook feel like they were made specifically for long-time fans of the franchise, and the loot pool is way more generous than most optional areas in the game. The whole area is packed with loot chests, but some spots have way higher odds of dropping legendary and unique gear than others. I’ve run this area 7 times now, and these are the spots that have never let me down:
- The sunken boathouse at the east end of the area: There’s a locked gold chest under the dock that only opens if you kill all 3 of the elite gator stalkers patrolling the nearby shore. I’ve gotten two different unique sniper rifles from this chest on separate runs, so it’s 100% worth the extra 2 minutes to clear the enemies first.
- Craven’s old office on the second floor of the main outpost building: The desk has a hidden safe that you unlock by interacting with the three framed photos on the wall in the order of oldest to newest (you can tell by the dates written on the bottom of each frame). The safe almost always drops a class mod tailored to your current character, plus a bunch of rare crafting materials.
- The hidden cave behind the outhouse near the west entrance: Most players walk right past this, but if you shoot the lock off the outhouse door and flush the toilet, the cave entrance opens up behind it. There are three regular chests and one red chest inside, plus a bunch of cash piles scattered around the floor.
Don’t forget to check the rafters of the main outpost too, there are a bunch of small loot boxes hidden up there that most players don’t look for. I found a legendary grenade mod tucked in a rafter corner on my second run, just sitting there out in the open. It’s not a super powerful mod for endgame builds, but it’s perfect for mid-game characters who want an extra edge against tough bandit groups.
How to Beat the Cravens Nook Area Boss, Bloody Bill
Bloody Bill is the optional boss that spawns once you clear all the regular enemies from the outpost and open the safe in Craven’s office. Bloody Bill is easily one of the most underrated optional bosses in Borderlands 4, and Cravens Nook is the only place you can fight him. He’s a giant mutated bandit with a rocket launcher and a pet gator that he sends after you mid-fight, so he can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared.
Don’t stand in one spot for more than two seconds — his rocket blasts do splash damage that can take out half your health bar even if you’re wearing a high-tier shield. Focus on taking out his pet gator first when it spawns, because it will keep nipping at your heels and distracting you while Bill fires rockets at you. Bill has a weak point on the gas tank strapped to his back, so if you’re using a sniper rifle or a high-precision assault rifle, aim for that to deal 3x critical damage. I’ve found that shock weapons work best on his shield, and corrosive weapons melt his health bar once his shield is down. He drops a unique rocket launcher called Bill’s Blast that has a 50% chance to fire homing rockets, which is one of the best heavy weapons for mid-game builds. I’ve had him drop it twice so far, and I use it on all my lower-level alt characters now.
Hidden Easter Eggs and Side Quests in Cravens Nook
Cravens Nook has a couple of really fun Easter eggs that reference old Borderlands games, plus a short side quest that rewards you with an exclusive character skin you can’t get anywhere else. The side quest, called “Retrieve Craven’s Stash”, triggers when you pick up the crumpled note on the floor next to the safe in his office. The quest sends you to three small spots around the area to retrieve stolen loot, and once you turn it in, you get the “Craven’s Favorite” skin for your character, which has a cool swamp camouflage pattern that’s perfect for players who like to stand out from the default character looks.
There’s also a really fun Easter egg referencing the first Borderlands’ Claptrap: if you interact with the broken Claptrap unit in the corner of the boathouse three times in a row, it will play a clip of Claptrap’s old stand-up routine, and drop a rare shield called the “Bad Joke Buffer” that absorbs 20% of all damage when you’re standing near friendly players. If you’re playing co-op, this shield is a total game-changer for tough boss fights, so don’t skip that Easter egg. I also found a small reference to Borderlands 2’s Handsome Jack hidden in a desk drawer in the outpost: a fake magazine cover with Jack’s face on it, with the headline “Sexiest Man on Pandora 2012”. It doesn’t give you any loot, but it’s a fun little nod for long-time fans of the series.
You don’t have to go out of your way to explore Borderlands 4 Cravens Nook to beat the main story, but if you’re looking for extra loot, fun Easter eggs, and a break from the main mission grind, it’s one of the best hidden areas in the entire game. I still go back every couple of runs to farm Bloody Bill for his rocket launcher, and I’ve found new little details every single time I visit. Just make sure you’re level 32 or higher, bring plenty of ammo, and don’t forget to flush that outhouse to unlock the hidden cave. You won’t regret the detour.