Map region
Blaine County countryside guide
The Countryside region is everything on the mainland outside the Los Santos city zones and the mountain footprints. That means the desert around Sandy Shores, the farms of Grapeseed, the towns along Route 68, Paleto Bay and long stretches of coast and highway. Distances are large, so your first read of the terrain matters most.
Updated
Landmarks to know
- Sandy Shores
- Trailers, rusted cars, sun-bleached one-story buildings and dusty lots sit on the south shore of the Alamo Sea. Low scrub and the calm lake nearby place you in Sandy Shores rather than the open desert further south.
- Grand Senora Desert and the airfield
- Flat sand and gravel, scattered cacti, rocky ridges on the horizon and very few buildings. A long runway with small hangars marks the Sandy Shores Airfield, and a railway and highway cross the open desert to the east.
- Grapeseed
- Green fields, barns, silos, crop rows and farm machinery cover the flat land southeast of Mount Chiliad. Grapeseed looks greener and more agricultural than Sandy Shores, and the mountain usually looms to the west.
- Harmony and Route 68
- A short strip of motels, a gas station, a garage and a diner lines a two-lane highway through dry hills. Route 68 crosses the county from the Grand Senora Desert to the Zancudo River and the coast.
- Paleto Bay
- A small coastal town in the far north with wooden houses, a main street of shops and a sheriff's office, surrounded by pine forest. Tall conifers and green undergrowth set it apart from the dry south.
- Fort Zancudo
- Seen from the surrounding roads, the military base on the west side shows high fences, watchtowers, hangars and a long runway. Razor wire and military buildings on flat ground beside marshland point to the fort and the Zancudo River.
- Bolingbroke Penitentiary
- Rings of tall fences, guard towers and floodlights surround the prison on open desert land east of Harmony. The fences are a clear clue even from a distance, and few other buildings stand nearby.
What counts as countryside
Countryside is the fallback region. Once the mountain footprints and the named urban zones of Los Santos are assigned, every remaining mainland location belongs here. That makes it the largest and most varied region: desert, farmland, forest, marsh, cliffs and beaches all appear.
It is also wider than Blaine County itself. The Great Ocean Highway coast around Chumash and Banham Canyon and the Palomino Highlands east of the city are countryside too. The San Chianski Mountain Range and Raton Canyon also count as countryside, because only seven named footprints form the Mountains region.
Reading the terrain
Vegetation is the strongest countryside clue. Pine forest and green undergrowth belong to the north around Paleto Bay. Farmland and crop rows point to Grapeseed. Sparse scrub, cacti and sand mean the Grand Senora Desert, while reeds and wetlands suggest the Zancudo River or Lago Zancudo in the west.
Roads come next. Along the west coast, a highway with ocean views is the Great Ocean Highway. A narrow two-lane road through dry hills is often Route 68. Dirt tracks lead to farms, ranches and trailer parks, so walk to a paved road when you can.
Water gives a strong bearing. The Alamo Sea is a large inland lake in the middle of the county, so calm water with desert around it puts you near Sandy Shores. An open ocean horizon means the west or north coast.
Playing a countryside round
Because the region is so large, a pin in the right area already scores well. A 1 km miss still earns 3,767 accuracy points, so settle the general area fast and then refine. On roads, a few steps can reveal a sign, a town or a view of Mount Chiliad.
Use the big landmarks as compass points. Mount Chiliad dominates the north, and the Alamo Sea sits in the middle. To practice only these rounds, select Countryside alone in the region filter. Restricted games are Custom and stay off the weekly board.
Tips for Blaine County countryside
Pine trees mean the north: Paleto Bay, the Chiliad wilderness and the forest roads around them.
A large inland lake with desert around it is the Alamo Sea. Pin the shoreline first, then adjust.
Rows of white wind turbines point to the Ron Alternates Wind Farm in the southern desert.
If Mount Chiliad fills one side of the horizon, you are in the northern half of the map.
Fences with watchtowers mean Bolingbroke Penitentiary in the desert or Fort Zancudo beside the western marshes.