How to Find a Mineshaft in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Mineshafts are the most common structure in the Overworld - 3x3 tunnel networks underground in any biome except the deep dark. Cave into one by accident, or find dark oak ones on the surface in badlands.

What you need

Pickaxe and torches
Milk bucket (cave spider poison)
Shears (cobwebs)

Step by step

Dig anywhere: mineshafts generate underground in every Overworld biome except the deep dark - they are the most common structure in the game, attempted in 0.4% of chunks.
Listen while caving: cave spider hisses, rails and wooden support beams mean a mineshaft - they intersect caves and canyons constantly.
Check badlands: mineshafts often generate on the surface there, built from dark oak with more complete railways above ground - and the badlands' extra gold ore makes them doubly worth it.
Or follow a map: in 26.3, abandoned camp secret chests can hold explorer maps leading straight to a mineshaft.
Raid the minecart chests: rails, torches, melon and pumpkin seeds, name tags, enchanted books, diamonds and even enchanted golden apples ride in minecarts with chests.
Beware the cave spiders: cobweb-filled sections hide cave spider spawners - their poison drains health fast, so bring milk or keep your distance.
Loot the supports too: a mineshaft is hundreds of free planks, fences and rails - strip it as you explore.
Watch your step: corridors bridge over voids with plank walkways suspended by chains or supported by log pillars.

Java vs Bedrock

Generation and loot are the same in Java and Bedrock. One convenience in this world's 26.3: mineshaft explorer maps appear in abandoned camp secret chests, pointing straight to one.

Versions: One of the oldest structures in Minecraft: added in Beta 1.8 (pre-release, September 2011), with pumpkin seeds joining the loot in Beta 1.9 and plank bridges over voids in 12w05a.

Frequently asked questions

Where do mineshafts spawn in Minecraft?

Underground in every Overworld biome except the deep dark - they are the most common structure in the game. In badlands they often break the surface as dark oak mineshafts with open-air railways.

What loot is in mineshaft chests?

Minecarts with chests scattered through the tunnels hold rails, torches, melon and pumpkin seeds, name tags, enchanted books, iron, gold, diamonds and rarely enchanted golden apples.

How do you deal with cave spiders in a mineshaft?

Cave spider spawners sit in cobweb-filled corridors - the poison cannot kill you outright but drains you to half a heart. Break the spawners or light them up, cut cobwebs with shears, and carry a milk bucket to clear poison.