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How to complete the “Lumberjack” skill in Forza Horizon 4

Like its predecessors, Forza Horizon 4 features numerous skill moves that can be completed by performing different actions on the road. Some of these are as simple as running over a fence or performing a nice jump, but others are a little more confusing. “Lumberjack” is one of them, and despite its name, you won’t be rewarded for chopping down trees. Here’s how to complete the Lumberjack skill in Forza Horizon 4.

What is the Lumberjack skill?

In order to earn the Lumberjack skill, you have to speed over fallen branches located on the dirt around trees. However, the catch is that these have to be the branches already placed on the ground in the game rather than ones you have knocked off a tree. In the image below, the branch just to the right of the car is one you can run over. Typically, they’ll have a white appearance.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

To perform the Lumberjack skill, locate one of these branches — more on their locations below — and back up your car so you can get it up to about 50 miles per hour by the time you run over the branch. Floor it, cut through the branch, and you’ll see the skill pop at the top of the screen.

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All of the spots you can perform the Lumberjack skill are in forests, often covered in mud, so you’re going to need an AWD car rather than an RWD car. The latter will spin out while driving on the dirt, making it much too difficult to actually hit the branches.

When to perform the Lumberjack skill

Lumberjack isn’t something you want to pull off in races, and it honestly isn’t the best option for building up a skill chain, as you’re likely to reset it by accidentally crashing into a bigger tree. However, it’s occasionally available as a daily Forzathon challenge.

From the “welcome back” screen upon starting up the game, select the “#Forzathon” option and the daily challenges will be located in the middle of the next screen. Here, you’ll see how long you have to complete the challenge, as well as your current progress.

Where to perform the Lumberjack skill

Despite being performed in forests, the Lumberjack skill can’t be performed in all forests. Small patches of land with trees aren’t going to cut it (literally) and even a few larger forest areas don’t contain the branches you need. However, there are a few spots on the map that are guaranteed to have fallen tree branches, and they’re accessible within a few minutes, regardless of where you happen to be.

North of Horizon Festival Site

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The easiest way to access branches is just north of the Horizon Festival site. Since you can fast travel to the location at any time, you’re only about 30 seconds away from the branches, and there are a ton in the forest here.

Lakehurst Forest

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re farther north on the map, Lakehurst Forest is full of the branches, as well. Since you can drive right from the road to the branches, it’s actually a little easier to use an RWD car at this location than it is at the others, though AWD is still recommended.

Uffington White Horse

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re located on the eastern part of the map, head to a small strip of forest called Uffington White Horse. Despite being much smaller than the other forest areas in the game, it’s absolutely packed full of branches.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
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