How do I unlock the Hanging Gardens in Loftia?
Finish Certified Flying Loftian and meet Cliff at the Airtram Station. That starts A Call From the Gardens, and its first step sends you to the Hanging Gardens by Airtram.
Loftia Hanging Gardens
The Hanging Gardens are Loftia's second district, a set of green floating islands you reach by Airtram from Loftia City. They open when the story quest A Call From the Gardens starts, right after Certified Flying Loftian. If the Airtram won't take you yet, the game says: "Begin the "A Call from the Gardens" story to unlock!"
Loftia Hanging Gardens: how to get there and what's inside
For the rest of our Loftia guides, start at the Loftia guide hub.
- What's there: the Grove, the Village, the Community Farms, the Floating Village, the Central Lake, the Overgrowth, Windmill Island, the Bamboo Forest, the Secret Lake and a few caves. Three research stations, the Floating Village contribution bins, the Community Farms event and a Treasure Hunt spot are here too.
- What it unlocks: fishing, your first pet, the Bounce Shoes and the Hammer Lv.2 recipe that gets you into the Overgrowth.
- The Secret Lake: residents say you need the Glider's Propeller, which comes at the end of the Gridfall story. Players also report climbing up from the Overgrowth with Bounce Shoes and the Glider.
Hanging Gardens facts at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Unlocks with | The story quest A Call From the Gardens, after Certified Flying Loftian. Source: Game files. |
| Travel | The Airtram from Loftia City. Source: Game files. |
| Research stations | Central Lake, Overgrowth and Community Farms. Source: Game files. |
| Contribution bins | Floating Village Bin, levels 1 to 3, for daily fish. Source: Game files. |
| Timed events | Community Farms rounds with Arlo; a Treasure Hunt that can land at the Grove. Source: In-game text. |
| Key gear | The Bounce Shoes recipe comes from here; the Propeller for the Secret Lake comes later, from the Gridfall. Source: Game files. |
How to unlock the Hanging Gardens in Loftia
You reach the Hanging Gardens through the main story, not by exploring. Finish the Loftia City quests up to Certified Flying Loftian, then meet Cliff at the Airtram Station. That starts A Call From the Gardens, and its first step is "Enter the Airtram to go to the Hanging Gardens". The district is open to you from that step on, so you can travel back and forth by Airtram afterwards.
The Airtram's own description of the district: "The beating heart of Loftia, home to the Community Farms, the Bamboo Forest and the mysterious Overgrowth."
Once you arrive, A Call From the Gardens introduces the district's people: Herb, the guardian of the Gardens, Arlo at the Community Farms and then Kassim. Finishing it gives 2 Chest Keys and bigger Seed, Fashion and Carpentry shops. Kassim then gives you Fish Are Friends and Field Research, which split into three short quests for Joanna, Hazel and Kun. Every step is on our Hanging Gardens quests list.
Places in the Hanging Gardens and what each has
These are the places the game names when it tells you where an item is found. The game files don't place them on the map, and the map above has no labels, so this list says what each place holds rather than where it sits.
- The Grove: Jute, from Scrap Rope and Rattan Baskets; sea cucumbers, coral and sea stars to fish; one of the Treasure Hunt's locations.
- The Village: Rattan trees and Rusty Tools spots for Copper Scraps.
- The Community Farms: Arlo's Community Farms event; the Community Farms Research Station, named after it, takes crops.
- The Floating Village: Kassim's team and the Floating Village contribution bins; Allis Shad, Atlantic Salmon and Atlantic Sturgeon.
- The Central Lake: the district's big lake, with most of its fish and Algae.
- The Overgrowth: Flax, Cumin, Oyster and Enoki Mushrooms, Resin, Cinnamon and Bioluminescent Ivy, plus Banana, Coconut and Cacao trees and small pond fish. You need a stronger hammer to get in.
- Windmill Island: Clovers, which Hazel asks for in Notes From the Air.
- The Bamboo Forest: Bamboo, which needs Pruners Lv.2, and camouflaged fish.
- The Secret Lake: four blind cave fish.
- Caves: Mineral Nodes with Bauxite Ore and Salt, which need Hammer Lv.2.
The tools and timings for each material are on our Hanging Gardens materials list, and every fish is on our guide to Loftia fishing areas.
People and activities in the Hanging Gardens
People. The district's story runs through Herb, Arlo, Kassim, Joanna, Hazel and Kun, and Cliff meets you at the Airtram Station. Kassim's team at the Floating Village looks after the fish.
Community Farms. Arlo runs the Community Farms event. The game announces "Community Farm will start in 5 minutes. Talk to Arlo!", and its tutorial says "Signups open 5 minutes before each round starts." The goal is to "earn points by delivering shipments of crops before time runs out." Players report a round every hour with a limited number of places, so if the round is full, wait for the next one and sign up as soon as the 5-minute call comes.
Treasure Hunt. In the game's words, the Treasure Hunt "happens once an hour, at the half hour, in Loftia City, the Hanging Gardens, or Gridfall", and it can move to a different place each hour. When it is the Hanging Gardens' turn, the announcement reads "The Treasure Hunt is about to start in the Grove in the Hanging Gardens in 5 minutes!" Our guide to Scrambled Coordinates covers the treasure hunt keys.
Research stations. The Central Lake, Overgrowth and Community Farms Research Stations are all here, and Field Research has you complete your first set at one of them. Our Loftia research stations guide lists every set and reward.
Contribution bins. The Floating Village Bin takes daily fish. The game describes its three levels as the Floating Village, the Central Lake and the Overgrowth's "secluded ponds and streams", where "daily fish contributions keep the delicate balance of species in check."
Datapads. The district also has datapads to collect, short notes about places such as the Grove, the Central Lake and Windmill Island.
What the Hanging Gardens unlock
| Unlock | How you get it |
|---|---|
| Fishing and the Collector Rod | Kassim's quest Fish Are Friends |
| Research stations | Kassim's quest Field Research |
| Your first pet, a dog | Joanna's quest Notes From the Fauna |
| Flower Pot recipes | Hazel's quest Notes From the Air |
| Hammer Lv.2, and with it the Overgrowth | Kun's quest Notes From the Land asks you to craft it; the recipe comes from the Central Lake Research Station |
| Bounce Shoes | Recipe from the second page of the Central Lake Research Station; craft at a level 2 Project Station from 2 Aluminium Bar, 10 Resin and 2 Banana Leather |
| Bigger Seed, Fashion and Carpentry shops | A Call From the Gardens |
| Flower Mixer recipe | Hazel's side quest Ivy Investigation |
| Cauliflower and Onion Seeds | Herb's side quest Food for All |
The first pet is covered in our guide to getting your first pet, and the sets behind the Hammer Lv.2 and Bounce Shoes recipes are on our Central Lake Research Station list. You don't need any Secret Lake fish for the Bounce Shoes: the four cave fish only go to a set at the Overgrowth Research Station.
What the Bounce Shoes are for here. The district has Bouncy Mushroom launch pads, and residents hint at them: "There are some mushroom launchpads around here that can help you get to hard-to-reach places. I hope you brought your Bounce Shoes with you!" Another says "There's a nice shortcut back up to the Grove over by the cliff. Just make sure you've got some Bounce Shoes handy." You also need the shoes before the story sends you on to the Gridfall.
Getting into the Overgrowth and up to the Secret Lake
The Overgrowth. Kun's quest Notes From the Land is the way in. Its description: "Craft a stronger hammer to venture into the Overgrowth and test his theory!" That hammer is Hammer Lv.2; how to make it is in our Hammer Lv.2 guide. Several Overgrowth gathering spots also need Pruners Lv.2. Residents call the Overgrowth "pretty maze-like" and suggest looking at it from higher up to get your bearings.
The Secret Lake: the Propeller way. The Secret Lake holds the four blind cave fish. Residents talk about "a secret cave up there with the craziest fish. I'll have to look for a Propeller if I expect to reach it", and about a Gridfall device that "makes you jump twice as high". The Propeller is an extension to the Glider that, in the game's words, "lets you reach higher places you couldn't before". Its recipe is the reward of Mending What's Broken, the last Gridfall story quest, and you craft it at a level 3 Project Station from your Glider, 2 Hard Lumber, 2 Aluminium Bar and 10 Resin.
The Secret Lake: without the Propeller. Players report reaching it earlier by climbing up from inside the Overgrowth with Bounce Shoes, upgraded tools and the Glider; the YouTube creator faelunia posted one such route on November 4, 2026. It takes a few attempts, and a patch could close it, so if it doesn't work for you, carry on with the story to the Propeller.
Which fish live there, and what they are for, is on our guide to rare fish and the Secret Lake.
More Hanging Gardens guides
The Hanging Gardens lead straight into the next district: Everything Is Connected, the quest after Field Research, has you craft the Bounce Shoes and take the Airtram on. Our Loftia Gridfall guide covers how that district opens and what's there.
Version notes and limits
The game files name the places but do not say where they are on the map, so this page gives no directions. They also have no Community Farms timetable or player cap; those come from player reports. We will reread the map, quest and recipe tables when an Early Access patch changes the Hanging Gardens.
Loftia Hanging Gardens FAQ
How do I get to the Secret Lake in Loftia?
Residents say you need the Glider's Propeller, whose recipe is the reward of Mending What's Broken at the end of the Gridfall story. Players also report climbing up from the Overgrowth with Bounce Shoes and the Glider before that.
How do I get into the Overgrowth?
Craft Hammer Lv.2. Kun's quest Notes From the Land asks for it, and its recipe comes from the Central Lake Research Station.
When does the Community Farm event start?
The game calls you over 5 minutes before each round, and sign-ups with Arlo open then. Players report a round every hour with limited places.
Where do I get the Bounce Shoes?
The recipe is the reward for the second page of the Central Lake Research Station. Craft them at a level 2 Project Station from 2 Aluminium Bar, 10 Resin and 2 Banana Leather.
Do I need Secret Lake fish to make the Bounce Shoes?
No. The Bounce Shoes come from the Central Lake Research Station; the Secret Lake's cave fish only go to the Sightless Seekers set at the Overgrowth Research Station.
Which contribution bin is the Hanging Gardens one?
The Floating Village Bin, which takes daily fish.
Where is the Treasure Hunt in the Hanging Gardens?
When the hourly Treasure Hunt comes to the Hanging Gardens, the game announces it at the Grove, 5 minutes before the half hour.
Sources and version history for this guide: Loftia sources and versions.
Spot an error or a post-patch change? See how we label evidence and handle corrections in the Editorial Policy.