Gollum's Journey Map: Gladden Fields to Mount Doom

Gollum began as Smeagol, one of the Stoor hobbits who lived on the banks of the Anduin near the Gladden Fields. Around TA 2463 his cousin Deagol pulled a gold ring out of the river while fishing, and Smeagol killed him for it on his own birthday. His family cast him out, and he went up into the Misty Mountains and down into the roots of them.

He lived there for nearly five hundred years, eating fish and goblins, until Bilbo Baggins stumbled into his tunnel in TA 2941 and walked out wearing the Ring. Gollum followed as far as the back door, gave up, and brooded for three years before leaving the mountains to hunt for the thief. That hunt took him south down the vale of the Anduin, into Mirkwood near Dol Guldur, and eventually all the way to Mordor, where he was caught and tortured. The names Baggins and Shire were dragged out of him, which is what sets the Nazgul on the Shire.

Released as bait, he was tracked down in the Dead Marshes by Aragorn and handed to Thranduil's people for safekeeping. He escaped from the Wood-elves on June 20, TA 3018 and went west and south again, took refuge in Moria, where he picked up the Fellowship's trail, and followed them to Lothlorien and then down the Anduin, paddling after their boats on a log.

From the Emyn Muil onward his journey becomes Frodo's. He is caught, swears on the Ring to serve its master, and guides the hobbits across the Dead Marshes to the Black Gate and then south to the one way in he knows. At Cirith Ungol he leads them to Shelob, having promised her the hobbits in exchange for the Ring.

He follows them across Gorgoroth even so, attacks Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin, and at the last moment bites the Ring from Frodo's finger and dances over the edge with it. The Ring is destroyed by the one creature who never once let it go willingly.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Gollum find the One Ring?

In the Anduin at the Gladden Fields around TA 2463. His cousin Deagol pulled it out of the riverbed while fishing, and Smeagol killed him to take it.

How did Gollum get from the Misty Mountains to Mordor?

He left the mountains about TA 2944 hunting for Bilbo, wandered south along the Anduin and through the edges of Mirkwood, and eventually reached Mordor around TA 3017, where he was captured and tortured.

How long did Gollum have the Ring?

About 478 years, from TA 2463 until Bilbo picked it up in TA 2941. He lived under the Misty Mountains for most of that time.

Route, stop by stop

01 · TA 2430s to 2463

Stoors of the Gladden

Smeagol grows up among the Stoors of the Gladden, a river-dwelling people with a grandmother who rules the family. He is already the kind of hobbit who prefers roots and beginnings to hilltops and leaves.

02 · TA 2463

Gladden Fields

Deagol finds a gold ring in the riverbed on Smeagol's birthday. Smeagol strangles him for it, hides the body, and begins to use the Ring to spy and steal until his own family drives him out.

03 · TA 2470 to 2944

Goblin-town

He works his way into the roots of the Misty Mountains and lives on an island in a cold lake for nearly five hundred years. In TA 2941 Bilbo finds the Ring in a tunnel, wins the riddle game and escapes, and Gollum follows him only as far as the back gate.

04 · TA 3017 to 3018, June 20

Mirkwood

After his capture and torture in Mordor, Gollum is caught in the Dead Marshes by Aragorn and delivered to the Wood-elves of Thranduil. He is kept under guard in the forest until orcs attack a guarded outing and he escapes on June 20, TA 3018.

05 · TA 3018, summer

Dol Guldur

The southern eaves of Mirkwood under Dol Guldur, where three of the Nazgul have held the fortress since TA 2951, are country he already knows from his long wandering. He moves west again from here toward the Anduin and the mountains, hunting for Baggins.

06 · TA 3018 to 3019, January 15

Moria

Gollum wanders into the dark of Moria, and when the Fellowship passes through he picks up their trail, pads after them out of the East-gate, and follows them to Lothlorien and down the Anduin on a log.

07 · TA 3019, February 26 to 29

Emyn Muil

When Frodo and Sam cross the river alone he tracks them into the hills and climbs down the cliff after them in the dark. They seize him at the bottom, and he swears by the Precious to serve its master.

08 · TA 3019, March 1 to 2

Dead Marshes

Having trailed the Fellowship down the river and caught up with Frodo and Sam in the Emyn Muil, Gollum now leads them through the drowned battlefield. He knows the paths between the candles because he has crossed them before.

09 · TA 3019, March 5

Black Gate

He brings them to the Black Gate and is horrified when Frodo proposes to walk up to it. He offers the secret way instead, and at Henneth Annun a few days later Faramir's men nearly shoot him in the forbidden pool.

10 · TA 3019, March 10

Minas Morgul

Gollum hurries the hobbits past the dead city as the Witch-king's army marches out, then turns them onto the long stairs cut into the cliff above the valley of the wraiths.

11 · TA 3019, March 12 to 13

Cirith Ungol

He leads them into Shelob's tunnel and slips away, having bargained the hobbits to her in return for the Ring. Sam drives the spider off, and Gollum is left to follow the lit trail of orcs and wait.

12 · TA 3019, March 25

Mount Doom

He attacks Frodo on the mountain path and again in the Sammath Naur. When Frodo claims the Ring and vanishes, Gollum bites the finger from his hand, holds it up in triumph, and steps backward into the fire.