Skyward Sword: Lanayru Desert

Sources reviewed: 2026-11-10

Third surface. Learn the timeshift stone before you care about the mining facility door.

The desert used to be a worked green. A timeshift stone rewinds a patch so ancient robots and the mine’s machinery exist again for a moment. The Temple of Time stands in this province, and its Gate of Time is the door Impa and Zelda use. You do not clear a boss on this approach. Moldarach is inside the facility, which is the next chapter.

Bring the habit of striking a stone and watching the color of the sand change, then walk the mine carts and power routes the facility will test. The Sand Sea and the ship come much later. If you are hunting the thunder dragon, his bones are in the gorge, also later, after the life tree fruit. This visit is the first rewind.

Route and checkpoints

• Place the Amber Tablet on Skyloft, then descend into Lanayru Mine. Strike Timeshift Stones to turn the nearby ruined machinery into its working past form.
• Move the mine carts through active time fields and reach the desert. Free the robot threatened by enemies; it upgrades the Beetle into the Hook Beetle, which can carry Bomb Flowers.
• Follow the Temple of Time route. Since the entrance is blocked, use the map and dowsing to locate the three power nodes in the desert. Ancient map paths show solid ground beneath the sinksand.
• Power each node through its Timeshift and power-cell puzzle. Return to the central generator and set its three dials using the marked map positions. The Lanayru Mining Facility rises from the sand.

These are the main progression checkpoints. For detailed room diagrams, use the Zelda Central chapter guide. Related collectible and boss pages below cover the optional rewards and combat details.

Official overview trailer

Play video