How do I get to Blackthorn City in Pokemon Gold and Silver?

Blackthorn sits east of Mahogany Town through Route 44 and Ice Path. After the Rocket Hideout, Pryce, and Radio Tower arc, cross Route 44, solve Ice Path's ice slides and Strength boulder puzzles, grab HM07 Waterfall on 1F, and exit the cave into Blackthorn. There is no south land shortcut that skips Ice Path in original GBC Gold and Silver.

Where is HM07 Waterfall in Gold and Silver?

HM07 Waterfall is a visible item ball on Ice Path 1F at tile (31, 7). You can pick it up on the way through. Outdoor Waterfall only works after Clair awards the Rising Badge (after Dragon's Den).

Why am I stuck on Ice Path ice tiles?

Ice tiles force you to slide until you hit a wall, rock, or non-ice floor. Push the B1F Strength boulders through the holes first; they fall to B2F and become fixed stoppers for the B2F ice route. They are not simply positioned as B1F stops.

Do I need Strength for Ice Path?

Yes. Strength boulders sit on Ice Path B1F and are required to open the path toward Blackthorn. Teach HM04 Strength (Olivine Cafe) and make sure Whitney's Plain Badge already enables outdoor Strength.

What Pokemon should I catch on Ice Path before Clair?

Jynx (Ice/Psychic) and Swinub (Ice/Ground) are the core Clair prep catches. Silver also rolls Delibird in several Ice Path slots where Gold has Zubat. Golbat is common in both versions.

How to Get to Blackthorn City in Pokemon Gold and Silver - Ice Path, Waterfall

Stuck point · Ice Path · HM07 · Original GBC

How to get to Blackthorn City

Blackthorn is Johto’s eastern dragon city. In original Game Boy Color Gold & Silver (not HeartGold/SoulSilver) the only story path is Mahogany → Route 44 → Ice Path → Blackthorn. This page is the navigation tool: story prerequisites, floor-by-floor cave flow, HM07 Waterfall pickup, Strength / ice puzzles, wild Ice-types for Clair, and deep links into the map, walkthrough, gym, and item tools.

Route 44 east Ice Path maze HM07 on 1F Strength boulders Clair next

Composite guide art for Blackthorn path: Route 44, Ice Path floors, Blackthorn City, Waterfall HM, Strength, Jynx, Swinub, Delibird, and Clair — Route 44 · Ice Path · HM07 · Clair prep

Fast answer

One-sentence route

Finish Mahogany (Red Gyarados → Rocket Hideout → Pryce → Radio Tower) → east on Route 44 → Ice Path (grab HM07 on 1F, Strength boulders, ice slides) → exit into Blackthorn. Recommended window Lv.30–36 for the cave, then train toward Lv.37–41 before Clair. Outdoor Waterfall waits for the Rising Badge after Dragon’s Den—not the moment you pick up the HM disk.

Lv. 30–36Ice Path window

5 floors1F + B1–B3 chain

HM07Ice Path 1F ball

Gym 8Clair next stop

Before Route 44

Prerequisites

Walkthrough · Hideout Radio Tower guide

Story flags that open the east path

Catch or defeat the Red Gyarados at Lake of Rage and meet Lance.
Clear the Mahogany Rocket Hideout for HM06 Whirlpool.
Beat Pryce for the Glacier Badge (opens outdoor Whirlpool).
Liberate Goldenrod Radio Tower—the mid-Johto Rocket arc ends here before the Ice Path push.

Field-move kit

Strength — required for Ice Path boulders and later Blackthorn Gym. Free HM04 in Olivine Cafe; outdoor use needs Whitney’s Plain Badge.
Surf — already online from Ecruteak; useful on later League water, not required to enter Ice Path.
Escape Rope / Dig — panic exit if you mis-slide deep in the cave.
Optional legendary detour (Tin Tower / Whirl Islands) is available after Radio Tower but is not required to reach Blackthorn.

Requirement	Where	Why it matters	Tool
HM04 Strength	Olivine Cafe sailor	Ice Path boulder chain	Items · HM guide
Plain Badge	Whitney · Goldenrod	Outdoor Strength gate	Whitney guide
Glacier Badge	Pryce · Mahogany	Outdoor Whirlpool; story progress	Gym tool
Radio Tower clear	Goldenrod	Continues Johto story into late badges	Radio Tower

Do this in order

Full Blackthorn approach path

Walkthrough · Pryce Walkthrough · Ice Path

Mahogany hub. Center, Mart, confirm Hideout + Pryce are done. Stock Super Potions, Full Heals, and Repels if you want a quieter cave.
Route 44 east. Leave Mahogany toward the mountains. Trainers and items sit on the grass route; the Ice Path cave mouth is at the east end.
Ice Path 1F entry. From the Mahogany side, walk the first floor ice. Collect the HM07 Waterfall ball at marker icepath1f-5 (tile 31, 7) plus nearby PP Up.
Descend B1F → B2F Mahogany side → B3F. Use Strength on boulders, ride ice slides carefully, and pick optional items (Iron, Max Potion, Nevermeltice, Full Heal, and hidden heals).
B2F Blackthorn side → 1F exit. Climb toward the eastern exit ladder chain. Grab TM Rest and the hidden Ice Heal on the Blackthorn-side B2F if you want them.
Blackthorn City. Heal at the Poké Center, shop, set the Fly point, then challenge Clair when levels approach the high 30s.
After Clair. Dragon’s Den test for the Dragon Fang, then Rising Badge + TM24 DragonBreath—outdoor Waterfall finally turns on for Tohjo Falls / League water.

Approach road

Route 44 into the cave

Map · Route 44 Catch checklist

Route 44

East of Mahogany. Heal before the long Ice Path stretch—there is no Center until Blackthorn.

Open map Max Revive pin

What to grab on Route 44

Max Revive and Ultra Ball visible pickups for late-Johto stocks.
Hidden Elixer for PP recovery before Clair / League.
Trainers (Fishers, Cooltrainers, Bird Keeper, Psychic, Pokémaniac) sit on the grass—optional EXP if you are underleveled for Ice Path.
Enter the cave at the eastern mountain mouth labeled Ice Path on the map tool.

No alternate road

You cannot fly into Blackthorn until you have visited it. Route 45 south of Blackthorn is an exit route later—not an early bypass from Mahogany.

Dungeon core

Ice Path floor flow

Map · 1F Walkthrough step

1F · Waterfall ball

Mahogany entrance, HM07 item ball, ladders into the basement chain, Blackthorn exit later.

Open 1F HM07 pin

B1F · Strength ice

Boulder markers and holes. Push each rock through its hole so it lands on B2F as a fixed ice-slide stopper.

Open B1F

Blackthorn City

Cave exit lands you in the dragon city. Center first, then gym when ready.

Open city

Must-collect

HM07 Waterfall on 1F

Visible ball on Ice Path 1F · marker icepath1f-5 · tile (31, 7).
Teaches Waterfall: Water · Power 80 · Acc 100 · PP 15.
You can teach it immediately for battle power; field Waterfall stays locked until Clair’s Rising Badge after Dragon’s Den.
Full item page: Items · HM07.

Puzzle rule

Ice slides + Strength

Ice tiles auto-slide until a wall, rock, or non-ice tile stops you.
Push the B1F Strength boulders through the holes; they become artificial stoppers on B2F.
If a slide loops you wrong, Escape Rope / Dig out of the cave and re-enter from Mahogany.
Use the interactive map floors: B2F Mahogany side, B3F, B2F Blackthorn side, then the 1F exit ladder.

Floor	Focus	Notable pickups	Map
Ice Path 1F	Entry, HM07, final exit	HM07 Waterfall, PP Up	IcePath1F
B1F	Strength boulders, long ice	Iron, hidden Max Potion	IcePathB1F
B2F Mahogany side	Mid descent	Full Heal, Max Potion, hidden Carbos	B2F Mahogany
B3F	Deep ice pocket	Nevermeltice	IcePathB3F
B2F Blackthorn side	Climb toward exit	TM Rest, hidden Ice Heal	B2F Blackthorn

Waterfall is not a gate to leave

You do not need field Waterfall to finish Ice Path or enter Blackthorn. The HM is collected here for later Tohjo Falls / Victory Road water after the Rising Badge.

Nevermeltice for Jynx

The B3F Nevermeltice held item boosts Ice moves—great on a freshly caught Jynx before Clair’s Dragonair stack.

Low encounter rate

Ice Path grass tables use a 2% encounter rate. Repels help, but the real time sinks are ice slides and boulder placement, not fights.

Clair prep + dex

Ice Path wild encounters

Jynx dex Swinub dex Catch tool

Ice Path grass encounters run at 2% morn/day/nite. Gold and Silver share Swinub / Jynx / Golbat cores; Delibird replaces several Zubat slots on Silver.

Species	Levels (1F band)	Role	Version notes
Swinub IceGround	~21–23 (deeper floors higher)	Common Ice/Ground; evolves toward Piloswine bulk	Both versions · high slot weight
Jynx IcePsychic	~20–22	Best pure-Dragon answer for Clair’s three Dragonair	Both · better day slots
Golbat PoisonFlying	~22	Common filler; friendship Crobat later	Both
Zubat PoisonFlying	~22	Gold filler slots	Gold has more Zubat slots
Delibird IceFlying	~22–23	Silver exclusive Ice Path slots	Silver-only here

Clair counter tip

Ice is 2× vs pure Dragon, so Jynx or Swinub shreds the three Dragonair. Kingdra is Water/Dragon: Ice and Electric are both neutral, and Dragon is its only super-effective weakness in Gen II. Full strategy: How to beat Clair.

Live tools

Team Planner — slot Ice for Dragonair plus Dragon/strong neutral damage for Kingdra.
Catch checklist — mark Ice Path species for the Johto dex.
Version differences — Delibird / exclusives overview.

On arrival

Blackthorn City essentials

Map · city Gym tool

Hub services

Center, Mart, Move Deleter

Poké Center — heal after Ice Path; sets Blackthorn Fly point.
Mart — restock Full Heals before Clair’s Thunder Wave spam.
Move Deleter’s house — remove unwanted HM moves from mules.
Dragon’s Den entrance sits north of the city (post-Clair test).

Center map Move Deleter

Gym 8 · Dragon

Clair · Rising Badge (after Den)

Dragonair 37 ×3 · Kingdra 40

Dragonair · 37 ×3

Dragon

Thunder Wave pressure
Ice STAB answers

Kingdra · 40

Water Dragon

Ice only neutral
Dragon is 2×; Electric is neutral

Gym uses Strength + ice tiles—same skills you practiced in Ice Path.
Clair withholds the badge until you clear Dragon’s Den for the Dragon Fang.
Full fight page: How to beat Clair · live data Trainers.

Common blockers

FAQ

Why can’t I go east from Mahogany?

Finish the Lake of Rage → Rocket Hideout → Pryce sequence first, then clear Goldenrod Radio Tower. The story and level curve expect that arc before Ice Path.

I keep sliding past ladders on ice.

Enter ice tiles only from angles that stop on non-ice floors or against walls/rocks. On B1F, push each Strength boulder through its hole; use the resulting fixed rocks as planned B2F stoppers.

I grabbed Waterfall but can’t climb waterfalls.

Field Waterfall is badge-gated. Defeat Clair, complete Dragon’s Den for the Dragon Fang, receive the Rising Badge, then outdoor Waterfall works (Tohjo Falls and beyond).

Is this the same as HeartGold/SoulSilver?

No. Remakes change some routing, trainers, and side content. Maps, HM placement (Ice Path 1F Waterfall), and levels here match original GBC Gold and Silver.

Can I skip Ice Path via Route 45?

Route 45 runs south from Blackthorn after you already have the city. It is not an early bypass from Mahogany; Ice Path is the required approach tunnel.

Where do I go after Blackthorn?

Clear Clair + Dragon’s Den, then head toward the League via Routes 45–46 or Fly back and take the New Bark / Tohjo Falls water path. See the walkthrough and Elite Four / Lance guide.

Keep going