Located in the far northwest of Pelican Town, the Calico Desert contains unique forgeables, more mine levels, and new interesting things to interact, use, and explore. It is one of the other regions in Stardew Valley. The sole way to reach Calico Desert (besides totems) is through the Bus Stop and bus service between your Farm and Town.
Bus Repair
There are two ways to fix the Bus Stop:
– Finish the vault bundle at the Community Center
– Purchase the “Bus” option on the Joja Community Development form at Joja Mart
Community Center Vault Room Bundle
After completing the first four bundles, the vault room bundle will be unlocked. This bundle requires to donate certain varying amounts of money: 2,500g; 5,000g; 10,000g; 25,000g. In total, it will cost 42,500g.
Joja Community Development Form
If you want to purchase all the improvements to Pelican Town via Joja Mart, you first need to buy a Joja Membership for 5,000g. Then, you can instantly repair it through the Community Development Project for 40,000g.
Either way, that night you’ll see the Junimos or the Joja Mart crew fix the bus stop in a small cutscene.
Adventuring in the Calico Desert
Pam is the bus driver for the shuttle from 10:10a to 5:00p and will take you if you have a bus ticket from the ticket dispenser next to it (for 500g) during that period. No time passes while you travel on the bus. Though you can only travel there during these times via the bus, you can travel back to your farm in the bus anytime before 12:30a.
Interest Points
Note: Cardinal directions are not accurate for Stardew Expanded!
Desert Trader
If you walk east from the bus drop-off area, you’ll see the Desert Trader in their tent next to a camel. The Desert Trader is a merchant that barters for resources (e.g. gems, omni geodes, rare ores, and seeds) in exchange for rare items and recipes.
Forgeables & Fish
Cactus Fruit and Coconuts can be found around the desert.
Sandfish & Scorpion Carp can be fished at a pond.
Oasis & Casino
Run by NPC Sandy, the Oasis is a store that sells unique seeds (e.g. beet seeds, rhubarb seeds, and starfruit seeds) and items unfound in other stores. Its stock rotates and changes daily. It can be found southwest of the bus drop-off area.
If you walk to the top right of the Oasis, you’ll see a hallway and an NPC bouncer standing in front of the staircase. This staircase leads to the casino run by Mr.Qi and is inaccessible until you finish “The Mysterious Qi” quest. After completing the quest, you can enter the casino and trade gold coins for Qi coins to gamble with. There is also a store in the casino with special (mainly decorative) items.
Sand Dragon
Located north of Oasis, on top of a hill, large bones resembling a dragon lie; it’s related to Mr.Qi’s quest.
Skull Cavern
The Skull Cavern is similar to the Mines from Pelican Town, filled with stronger enemies and greater rewards. Its main difference from the Mines is that the Skull Cavern is endless; the farther down you go, the stronger the monsters, and the higher the chance of finding Iridium Ores and Prismatic Shards.
To find it, travel northwest from the bus drop-off area, next to the pond.
Requirement: Skull Key must be in your inventory; you get it after reaching the last floor of the Pelican Town Mines.
Note: This is also where Mr.Qi’s quest, “The Mysterious Qi” occurs.
Three Pillars
In the northeast part of the desert, you’ll find three golden pillars in the shape of a triangle. This structure gifts you the strongest weapon in the game, the Galaxy Sword, with the right item.
Here’s how to discover it in-game:
1. Gather all four Dwarf Scrolls and donate them to the Museum. You will receive a Dwarfish Translation Guide.
2. Read one of the tombstones in the Graveyard, instructing you to step into the structure’s center while holding a Prismatic Shard.
3. Follow those instructions to unlock the Galaxy Sword.
Warp Statue
In the middle of the desert, you’ll see a warp statue, providing another warp point when using a desert obelisk or warp totem to go back to Calico Desert.
