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Hold it right there, outlaw!
This article is littered with spoilers, so I reckon
you might ought'a mosey on down the road
if you don't want to read any plot details.

“Civilization in all its glory.”

–John Marston

West Elizabeth is one of three states (or territories) in Red Dead Redemption.

DescriptionEdit

It is the smallest of the three states and is composed of two constituent regions, Tall Trees and the Great Plains. The landscape progresses from rolling grasslands in the Great Plains region through snowy, impassable mountains around the edges of Tall Trees.

New Austin is situated to the Southwest, and separates West Elizabeth from the Northern Mexican territory of Nuevo Paraiso. The territory is characterized as possessing the most modern and industrialized settlements in the West, such as the thriving port town of Blackwater, which is also the capital. The territory is distinguished from others as having a uniformed police force.

The territory is also home to extensive coniferous and deciduous forests, boasting a wide variety of fauna.

StorylineEdit

The game's opening cinematic begins with John Marston arriving in the region by means of a steamboat, escorted by Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham. The cinematic then transports the story to New Austin before giving control to the player. The player does not gain access to West Elizabeth again until the third chapter in the game's storyline, following completion of the mission "An Appointed Time". The focus of the game remains in West Elizabeth through the conclusion of the main storyline.

Locations in West ElizabethEdit

The following fifteen locations are found in the West Elizabeth territory:

Great PlainsEdit

Tall TreesEdit

TriviaEdit

This is the only region not to have any Gang Hideouts that the player can attack. There are still gang members that can be captured via Bounty Hunting, however. Cochinay is considered a gang hideot but plays only a story-based role and cannot be revisited to eliminate the gang in the area.
As with the boundary between New Austin and Nuevo Paraiso, the transition of the music when the player moves between New Austin and West Elizabeth can take some time to register.
The landscape is reflective of various states in the Western United States. The eastern portion of West Elizabeth resembles, and is named after, the Great Plains while the western portion (Tall Trees area) resembles the front range states along the Rocky Mountains.
This region is host to a wide variety of game for hunting, as the player can hunt for Bear, Wolf, Cougar, Elk, Bighorn, and Boar along with many other species in Tall Trees.
West Elizabeth is the first county seen in the whole game, as the game technically begins in Blackwater when John departs the Morningstar at the very beginning of Exodus in America.
West Elizabeth is the only of the three territories to have native Americans; the vast majority of whom are members of Dutch's gang and are, therefore, extremely hostile.
West Elizabeth is the most developed territory as it has Blackwater, a fully developed city and a heavy government influence. However, there are still many untamed elements to this land such as the natives, the wildlife and there are even small settlements such as Manzanita Post formed by natives/frontiersmen

GlitchesEdit

Early Access to West Elizabeth Edit

Be sure to have a fast horse such as the War Horse, Kentucky Saddler or the Hungarian Half Breed and look for a cliff near the waterfall north of the MacFarlane's Ranch. A display reading "Tall Trees" will pop up when at the edge. From there, walk over to the other side of the railroad tracks nearby, staying as close as possible to the West Elizabeth border. Pitching camp as near to the water as possible will place the player in West Elizabeth; this method works in the GOTY version. See this in action here.
Another simple way over is to just follow this video. Once over the river, head to the Pacific Union Rail Road Camp and walk over to the stagecoach so it is marked on the map (earlier version of Red Dead - not GOTY)
If the player is arrested at this cliff the player will be transported to Blackwater (earlier version of Red Dead - not confirmed for GOTY).
To get back to New Austin, auto-save the game and then die. However, if one buys the Manzanita Post property, the stagecoach is an option to return: this exploit still works as of 2013. Go to Thieves' Landing and use the stagecoach to go to any stagecoach marked on the map in West Elizabeth or follow the videos (depending on which Red Dead version the player has).
Another sure option to return is to use that fast horse to jump the unfinished bridge north at Thieves' Landing at a full gallop: if careful, the other side of the bridge or land will be reached and safety achieved. Mason's bridge will also allow the player to return by hitting land underneath the bridge on the way down after leaping at a full gallop (but the fall may kill the horse and the player too if one is not careful). The Thieves' Landing bridge and Mason's bridge both work in the GOTY version.
A very simple solution to get in and out freely without unlocking through the story line is to get arrested like mentioned above. Once out of jail, earn enough cash to buy the house in Manzanita Post, buy all the maps for the West Elizabeth towns (Great Plains, Tall tress, etc..) then save at the newly bought house. After you do this, you can come and go as you please without having to go through the story line.