Mountains

Mountains are terrain forms with elevated and jagged terrain, containing unique biomes and terrain characteristics.

Description

Typical mountain terrain generates before biome placement in the world generation. The highest peaks, usually passing the cloud height, are generated in areas with very low erosion values, and mountains can cover larger areas further inland. Smoother mountain peaks can generate at slightly higher erosion values, and at medium erosion values they are replaced with flat, elevated plateaus. When mountainuous areas border oceans, the surrounding land is cut off by large stone cliffs, exposing many caves inside. Mountainuous terrain at high continentalness replaces rivers with middle biomes, often in deep valleys surrounded by tall peaks. Rivers that do generate close to mountains are much deeper and the surrounding terrain is very steep, resembling fjords.

Mountain peaks, but also plateaus, often generate in circles of a single peak range, with enclosed valleys with medium biomes inside. When peaks generate without circles at lower erosion values, they cover an area large enough to reach the maximum generation of Y=256, where they are cut off and form plateaus. At higher erosion, they usually form single peaks or longer ranges surrounded by various valleys. All mountain peaks have very steep and jagged terrain, exposing stone, caves, and various ores, but they rarely generate floating islands.

There are six biomes that can generate on the tallest mountain peaks, and there are other biomes that typically generate on the slopes or plateaus near mountains. All peaks can generate pillager outposts and some of these biomes are the only places where goats can spawn in the game. Just like the windswept hills, windswept gravelly hills, and windswept forest, emerald ores can be found in mountain biomes, especially at higher altitudes, and both coal and iron ores are commonly found in the mountains. Underground, below the sea level, infested block blobs naturally generate in mountain biomes. The only surface features in mountain peaks are calcite strips in stony peaks and oak trees in wooded badlands, but other structures and features are commonly found in neighboring slopes and plateaus.

Cave biome generation is also affected by mountain generation, with deep dark generating deep below the biggest mountain terrain at low erosion, and dripstone caves above the deep dark, or surrounding the mountainuous terrain at higher continentallness values. Lush caves can sometimes also generate below mountains where other cave biomes do not generate.

Most temperate and cold peak biomes and slopes have lower temperatures to allow snowfall at any height. Other cold but rainy biomes such as old growth taigas and meadows, however, may reach high enough elevations close to mountains to allow snowfall on the surface as well. The warmer stony peaks only have rainfall and badlands do not have precipitation at all. Exposed dripstone caves in elevated mountain terrain are also covered with snow in Bedrock Edition, even in warm or dry biomes, or on grassy slopes.

Biomes

There are seven biomes unique to mountains.

Slopes

These are the biomes that only generate on the slopes of mountains or standalone as plateaus. They usually generate in high altitudes beneath the peaks and hilltops, with groves and snowy slopes generating above meadows and cherry groves. These biomes only generate in snowy, cold, or medium temperature zones. In cold areas and medium areas with high humidity, forested biomes such as forests, taigas, old growth taigas, and birch forests can generate on the slopes and plateaus replacing meadows and cherry groves. In warm temperature zones, forests, jungles, and savanna plateaus replace them as well as groves and snowy slopes. All biomes are replaced by badlands in dry temperature zones.

Savanna plateaus and pale gardens are exclusive to plateau and slope biomes.

Meadow

The meadow is a grassy biome filled with a specific type of flowers defined by the flower gradient, along with wildflowers and turquoise-green grass and tall grass, where sheep, donkeys and rabbits spawn. All small flowers generate except blue orchids, tulips, lilies of the valley, eyeblossoms, or wither roses. Rarely, a lone oak or birch tree of any size can generate and always has a bee nest. Both pillager outposts and plains villages can generate in this biome, making this the only mountain biome where villages can generate. In Java Edition, unlike most overworld biomes, sugar canes and pumpkin patches cannot generate here. This biome can generate on both mountain slopes and plateaus, mainly next to plains, but also various forested biomes. It is separated from cherry groves by rivers.

Cherry grove

Cherry groves are similar to meadows, but featuring pink petals and cherry trees identified by their striking pink leaves that drop petal particles. The cherry trees can generate densely enough create a cover of leaves. Bee nests with bees generate somewhat commonly on the side of the cherry trees. Cherry groves are mainly next to plains and separated from meadows by rivers.

Grove

The grove creates a forest of spruce trees on the sides of a mountain, reminiscent of a snowy taiga but the surface is covered with snow layers, snow blocks, dirt and strips of powder snow instead of grass blocks. Rabbits, snowy wolves and snow foxes can spawn in this biome. This biome generates next to all other slope biomes, and temperate, cold, and snowy forested biomes as well as snowy slopes. In snowy areas with low erosion, groves typically cover entire climate zones stretching over thousands of blocks, whereas they are very small in other temperature zones.

Snowy slopes

The snowy slopes is almost the same as grove except that no trees generate, making it similar to snowy plains. It is a mostly barren biome covered in snow, multiple layers of snow blocks and strips of powder snow, with steep sides to the north or east also having stone cliffs covered with snow layers. Goats spawn in this biome alongside rabbits and polar bears.‌^{[BE only]} This is the only mountain biome where igloos can generate. This biome generates similarly to groves but in lower humidity areas next to snowy plains, ice spikes, plains, sunflower plains, and flower forests. Like groves, they can cover thousands of blocks in snowy climate zones with low erosion.

Peaks

There are six peak biomes that generate in areas with low erosion, high PV value, and high continentalness value, which means they generate only at the tops of the mountains that are tall enough to generate them. Biomes generated on peaks cannot border any other biomes than the slopes listed above. Jagged peaks and frozen peaks often generate on the peaks on different sides of large valleys.

Jagged peaks

The jagged peaks biome is more likely to generate in taller and more jagged and pointy peaks that often pass the clouds and can peak at Y=256. Goats spawn in this biome, and in Bedrock Edition, rabbits and polar bears also spawn here. Jagged peaks generate in temperate, cold, and snowy biome temperature ranges. Jagged peaks generate in negative weirdness, meaning they can border cherry groves but not meadows.

Frozen peaks

The frozen peaks are covered by snow, snow blocks, with glaciers of packed ice and occasional small blobs of ice. Packed ice cliffs can generate in steep sides to the east or north with only a layer of snow covering them. Because this biome generates in positive weirdness, this biome usually generates in smaller and smoother hills, but it can also generate on taller and more jagged and pointy peaks but less compared to the jagged peaks biome. Frozen peaks generate in temperate, cold, and snowy biome temperature ranges. Frozen peaks generate in positive weirdness, meaning they can border meadows but not cherry groves.

Stony peaks

The stony peaks are a warmer variation of both the jagged peaks and the frozen peaks biomes that generates when a mountain peak is in the lukewarm biome temperature range. It generates in savannas, some forests, some plains, and jungles, and it doesn't generate snowy slopes, groves, meadows or cherry groves in the slopes of the mountain, instead, savanna plateaus, forests, and jungles often generate around it. It is mainly covered by stone with large strips of calcite and exposed ores. Stony peaks are the second rarest Overworld biome, making up around 0.1% of the Overworld by area.

Badlands

All types of badlands replace other peak biomes in warm temperature zones. This occurs when badlands and all variants generate on very low erosion. Like other peak biomes, they can generate up to Y=256. At higher elevations, the stained terracotta layers generate as usual and more different colors are visible because of the steep cliffs. Eroded badlands don't generate their hoodoos at the mountain peaks, making them indistinctable from regular badlands. Wooded badlands generate with coarse dirt, leaf litter and oak trees, making this the highest biome with trees, which may peak up to Y=263. Because badlands also generate as slope and plateau biomes, the highest mountain peaks are often isolated from other biomes. They can sometimes border stony peaks, and the lower parts can also border rivers, deserts, and lukewarm biomes.

Achievements

Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other
		Sound of Music	Make the Meadows come alive with the sound of music from a jukebox.	Use a music disc on a jukebox in the Meadow biome.	10	Bronze

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Sound of Music	Make the Meadows come alive with the sound of music from a Jukebox	Use a music disc on a jukebox that stands within a meadow biome.
	Light as a Rabbit	Walk on Powder Snow... without sinking in it	Walk on powder snow while wearing leather boots.

Videos

History

Development

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Minecraft Education

Issues

Issues relating to "Mountains", "Meadow", "Snowy Slopes", "Grove", "Frozen Peaks", "Jagged Peaks", or "Stony Peaks" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

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  Large mountains.
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  A mountains generated right next to a badlands biome in Bedrock Edition.
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  A perspective shot of an updated mountain with the moon above it.
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  A screenshot from a tall mountain peak. Note the elevation.
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  Preview of mountain generation.
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  Preview of mountain generation.
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  A tall birch with bee nest generated in meadow.
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  Jagged peaks and ice spikes.
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  A ruined portal generated in a meadow hill.
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  Mountains seen in Minecraft Live 2020.
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  Snowy mountain biomes would generate directly next to hot biomes in early caves and cliffs development - this is why the stony peaks biome was added.

Mojang screenshots

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  Meadow showcase from Minecraft.net website.
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  Mountains rising above the clouds.
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  Frozen and stony peaks surrounded by cliffs and forests.
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  Frozen and stony peaks surrounded by cliffs and forests.
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  Frozen and stony peaks surrounded by cliffs and forests.
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  A river valley flanked by groves.
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  Extremely huge cliff from Caves & Cliffs development.
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  A small snowy mountain biome.
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  Very large mountains covered in spruce trees and snow.
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  A snowy peak in the distance.
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  A mountaintop sunset.
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  High mountains in the distance.
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  A mountain with several large cave entrances on its side.
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  A lake in a crater surrounded by mountains.
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  Stony peaks near stony shores and jungles.
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  Mountains with taiga slopes.
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  Mountains in development.
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  A jagged peaks biome in java and bedrock.
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  Mountains next to a frozen ocean.
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  A sunset in a mountain valley.
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  A frozen peaks mountaintop.
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  A small patch of greenery surrounded by foreboding peaks.
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  A cabin in a forest surrounded by mountains.
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  The same mountains in java and bedrock.
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  Stony peaks at sunset.

In other media

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  Early concept art designed for A Minecraft Movie from 2016.

See also

• Windswept Hills

• Windswept Forest
• Windswept Gravelly Hills
• Gravelly Mountains+
• Windswept Savanna
• Snowy Taiga
• Stony Shore
• Cave

References

External links

• "Around the Block: Meadow" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, April 14, 2022.
• "Around the Block: Frozen Peaks" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, October 11, 2022.
• "Around the Block: Jagged Peaks" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, May 6, 2022.
• "Around the Block: Snowy Slopes" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, October 6, 2023.

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