Walkthrough · Child Link · Lost Woods and Sacred Forest Meadow
Lost Woods Walkthrough: Correct Path
From the Lost Woods entrance, go right, left, right, left, straight, left, right to reach Sacred Forest Meadow, where Saria teaches you Saria’s Song.
Do this after meeting Zelda at Hyrule Castle, because the meadow stays closed off before that point. Three remake walkthroughs give the same seven turns, which match the N64 route, so the path itself has not changed. Any wrong exit simply drops you back in Kokiri Forest.
What changed in the remake
- Confirmed The seven-turn route to Sacred Forest Meadow is the same as the original: right, left, right, left, straight, left, right.
- Confirmed The Skull Kid ocarina memory game is much easier than on N64 because the notes now appear on screen.
- Single source Ocarina songs use Switch 2 buttons: Saria’s Song is R, A, Y, R, A, Y and the Minuet of Forest is L, X, Y, A, Y, A.
How to reach the Lost Woods
The entrance is a hollow log on the high ground above Mido’s house in Kokiri Forest. Climb the ledge and the vines, then crawl through. You can wander in from the very start of the game, but the main route only pays off once you have met Zelda at Hyrule Castle; Nintendo Life notes that the meadow at the end stays out of reach until then.
Each room in the woods has several exits. A correct one leads to another forest clearing, while a wrong one sends you back to Kokiri Forest with your count reset. Saria’s tune also gets louder as you approach the right tunnel, which is a handy check if you lose track. Always count from the entrance room, not from a room you reached by a shortcut, or the directions will be off.
Step-by-step route to Saria’s Song
- From the entrance room, take the right exit.
- In the second room, go left.
- Turn right in the third room, listening for Saria’s music to grow clearer.
- Turn left in the fourth room. On adult return trips, FinalBoss places Mido at this point, blocking the way until you play Saria’s Song.
- Go straight ahead in the fifth room rather than taking a side tunnel.
- Turn left in the sixth room, another boulder room.
- Turn right to leave the woods and enter Sacred Forest Meadow.
- A Wolfos guards the gate at the meadow’s mouth. Raise your shield, let it swing first, then hit it while it recovers. Once it falls, the bars lift.
- Follow the hedge maze. Mad Scrubs pop up and spit nuts; hold your shield up to bounce them back, then finish the exposed scrubs with your sword. A ladder near the end leads to a fairy fountain if you need to refill a bottle.
- Two more scrubs guard the final staircase. Clear them, climb to the clearing and talk to Saria on the stump. Listen to her lesson and play the song back to learn Saria’s Song.
- Check that the song now shows in your list, then head for Goron City. Darunia only cooperates after you play it for him.
Skull Kid and the two Heart Pieces
The Lost Woods has two Heart Pieces, and both come from Skull Kids. The first is a memory game run by two Skull Kids on a stump, reached through the right-hand exit near where you come in from Kokiri Forest. Copy their tune three rounds in a row; the early rounds pay Rupees and the third pays the Heart Piece. Two remake guides say this is far easier now because the notes are shown on screen. You need the Fairy Ocarina.
The second Skull Kid sits through the left-hand exit of the entrance room. Once you know Saria’s Song, stand on the stump nearby and play it for him to get the second Heart Piece. He is also part of the Happy Mask Shop trade later, as he buys the Skull Mask.
Deku Scrub and capacity upgrades
Several upgrades live in or near the woods. Near the entrance, shoot the hanging target with the Slingshot for a bigger seed bag. Remake guides disagree on how many centre hits it takes: FinalBoss says three in a row, while VGC says five. Aim for the bullseye every time and you will clear either version.
A Business Scrub by the bridge that leads out of Kokiri Forest sells a larger Deku Stick bag. Deeper in, a side room off the route to the Zora’s River shortcut has two more scrubs and the entrance to the Forest Stage. In the original, wearing certain masks there earned stick and nut capacity upgrades; no remake guide we checked has confirmed those rewards yet.
Shortcuts, side rooms and Gold Skulltulas
Not every doorway is a dead end. VGC maps a shortcut to Goron City that only works once you have opened it from the Goron side, and another that runs down to Zora’s River and on toward Zora’s Domain. These are handy later for quick trips between regions, but leave them for after Saria’s Song so you don’t lose count on the main route.
GameWith lists three Gold Skulltulas here. Two hide in soft soil patches that child Link can open by dropping a bug from a bottle. The third sits on a high ledge and needs a Magic Bean planted as a child, then a ride on the grown plant as an adult. Pick up a bug in Kokiri Forest or Hyrule Field before you come in if you want the first two on this visit.
Coming back as an adult
As adult Link you return to the woods for the Forest Temple. Just as in the original, Mido stands in the way on the meadow route and only steps aside after you play Saria’s Song for him; FinalBoss confirms this for the remake. Past him, the same turns lead to the meadow, where Moblins patrol the hedge corridors. Wait at corners, let them charge past, and use the Hookshot to cross gaps.
At the top, a club-wielding Moblin slams shockwaves along the ground. Sidestep them, get behind it and hit its legs. Sheik then teaches you the Minuet of Forest, which warps you to the temple steps from anywhere. The temple door is above a broken staircase, so Hookshot onto the branch overhead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct Lost Woods path in the Ocarina of Time remake?
From the entrance: right, left, right, left, straight, left, right. Three remake guides list the same seven turns as the N64 version.
Why do I keep ending up back in Kokiri Forest?
You took a wrong exit, which resets you to the forest. Start the count again from the entrance room and listen for Saria’s music getting louder.
When can you learn Saria’s Song?
After you have met Zelda at Hyrule Castle. Reach Saria at the top of Sacred Forest Meadow and she teaches it to you.
How do you get past Mido as an adult?
Play Saria’s Song for him on the way to the meadow and he moves aside.
How many Heart Pieces are in the Lost Woods?
Two. One comes from winning the Skull Kid memory game three times, and the other from playing Saria’s Song for the lone Skull Kid.