What’s the quickest way to get to the other side of the river? Why, jumping, of course!
Your Animal Crossing island is divided into sections because of rivers, and early in the game, you’re probably wondering how you can jump across it to get to the other areas of your island.
Let me help you get over this problem (heh) in four simple steps!
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Learn How to Jump Over Rivers in Four Steps
Step 1: Get Blathers To Move In
On your first day in the game, you’ll immediately notice that you have nothing in your pockets at all—no tools, food, or money.
Don’t worry, because Tom Nook has a plan for you and your new island life (loan included).
After sleeping in your tent, talk to Tom Nook the next morning to get a NookPhone and learn how to craft things.
After a quick crafting lesson, you’ll get the recipes for Flimsy Fishing Rod and Flimsy Net. Use these tools to catch bugs and fish and give them to Tom Nook.
To take these tools out, press ‘y’ to open your inventory, pick the tool you want to use, press ‘a’ and choose ‘hold.’
If you redeem the Tool Ring from your Nook Stop, you can use the d-pad on your controller to quickly get your favorite tools out.
TIP: For catching bugs, hold ‘a’ as you slowly inch closer to a bug. Release ‘a’ when you’re near enough to swing your net and catch the critter.
TIP: For fishing, know that fish will attempt the big bite between one to five tries. The big bite happens when your fishing line gets pulled underwater. If the fish nibbles at your line four times, the fifth attempt should be a big bite.
After giving Tom Nook five critters, his museum-curating friend will call and talk about the wildlife on your island. This particular friend is Blathers!
Set up his tent so he can stay on your island. After picking a location for his tent, you’ll have to wait until the next day to talk to him.
IMPORTANT NOTE: A new day in the game starts at 5:00 AM. Midnight doesn’t actually reset the day or register it as the next day. Night owl players who like to play the game late can still roam around past midnight without any worries.
Step 2: Unlock the Vaulting Pole Recipe
The very next day, go talk to Blathers in his tent. He’ll tell you he wants more bugs and fish, as well as fossils.
He knows these things are in other parts of your island and can’t be reached without crossing rivers.
With your island in a bridge-less state right now, it’s not that easy to just skip and hop over there.
Oh, but it is! Blathers presents you a DIY recipe for a Vaulting Pole!
With this tool, you can simply jump over rivers and ponds to go to unexplored areas of your island.
Since you can’t make bridges right now, this will make exploring the rest of your island possible.
Step 3: Collect the Materials and Craft It
Open your NookPhone and go to the crafting app to see the Vaulting Pole recipe. There, you’ll see that it needs five softwood to make. Time to chop some trees!
Take out your Flimsy Axe and press ‘a’ in front of any tree to start chopping. Each tree will drop three wood materials per day.
If you want to harvest more from that tree, you will have to wait until the next day.
These wood materials can either be regular wood, softwood, or hardwood. Since we need softwood for the Vaulting Pole, keep chopping trees until you have enough for the recipe.
TIP: If you chopped all your trees already and sold all the wood materials prior to crafting the Vaulting Pole, no need to panic. Your airport should now be open as well, and that means you can go to a Mystery Island to get more wood.
You need to redeem a Nook Miles Ticket from your Nook Stop, talk to the dodo bird inside the airport, and fly to a Mystery Island with your ticket.
If you plan on chopping a lot of trees, bring extra tools!
Got all the materials? Go inside Resident Services to use the crafting table or use your own workbench to make your new Vaulting Pole!
Step 4: Vault + Press ‘a’ + Jump
Now that you have your pole, take it out from your pocket (press ‘y’) and let your character hold it (press ‘a’ and pick ‘hold’).
Face a river you want to cross and press ‘a’ to jump.
When the river is crossable or when done and positioned right, you should see the Vaulting Pole jumping animation happen with your character.
Now that you can easily jump and cross rivers, exploring the rest of your island should be easy-peasy.
Check all the corners of your island to find new fish, bugs, and fossils for Blathers.
I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to know that his Vaulting Pole recipe is being put to good use.