Windswept Hills

The Windswept Hills biome is a common biome you will run into often, generated in the Overworld dimension and classed as a beach & special biome. Its climate is cool, so the Windswept Hills gets rainfall. In technical terms the game tracks it with a temperature value of 0.2 and the biome ID minecraft:windswept_hills.

Its defining terrain features are steep hills, exposed stone, gravel patches and dramatic elevation changes. Previously called Extreme Hills. Emerald ore generates naturally here. Llamas and goats can spawn. Infested stone blocks contain silverfish.

The Windswept Hills biome was added to Minecraft in Alpha 1.2.0 and is still generated in version 1.21. Like all Overworld biomes it is shaped by the surrounding temperature and humidity, so the exact borders of any Windswept Hills you find will shift from world to world.

The Windswept Hills biome only generates in the Overworld. It commonly borders Windswept Forest, Windswept Gravelly Hills, Forest and Plains, so finding any of those is a good sign you are close.

Look for steep, rocky hills with exposed stone and gravel; it was formerly called Extreme Hills.

If cheats or operator permissions are available, the fastest method is the command “/locate biome minecraft:windswept_hills”, which points you to the nearest Windswept Hills and gives its coordinates. Without commands you have to explore for the Windswept Hills on foot: because it is common, ordinary travel through the Overworld will usually reveal one before long.

On the peaceful side, the Windswept Hills biome is home to Cow, Pig, Sheep and Chicken. The Cow, for example, drops leather and beef and can be milked with a bucket. Together they make the Windswept Hills a useful place to gather food, leather and other animal drops.

On the dangerous side of the Windswept Hills biome, watch for Llama and Goat. The Llama spits at attackers and can be linked into caravans with leads, while the Goat rams entities off ledges and drops a goat horn when it charges into a block.

The blocks that give the Windswept Hills biome its character include Stone, Gravel, Emerald Ore and Infested Stone. Within the Windswept Hills, Stone, Gravel, Emerald Ore and Infested Stone are the most useful to gather early, whether for building, crafting or decoration.

In terms of mining, emerald ore generates here and almost nowhere else, and infested stone hides silverfish.

No generated structures are tied to the Windswept Hills biome, so exploring it rewards you with its steep hills and scenery rather than buildings to loot. Generation that ignores biome boundaries, such as mineshafts, dungeons and the occasional stronghold, can still be dug up beneath the Windswept Hills.