The Last of Us Episode 8: David’s town Silver Lake explained

In The Last of Us Episode 8, we meet David, the leader of a town called Silver Lake – but where is it, is it a real place, and is it in the game?

In our review, we said Episode 8 is “a total knockout, bringing the game’s scariest villain to life with a complex, brilliant performance by Scott Shepherd and Bella Ramsey at the peak of her powers.”

It follows Ellie as she’s forced to take Joel’s rifle and hunt for food while he recovers. After shooting a deer, it lands at the feet of David (Shepherd) and James (Troy Baker), two survivors part of a larger community in a nearby town.

So, where is Silver Lake, and is it even a town at all? Here’s everything you need to know.

Where is Silver Lake in The Last of Us?

Silver Lake is a town in Colorado. In fact, it’s not really a town at all – it was formerly a resort. This links back to the original game, with this part of the story known as the “Lakeside Resort” chapter.

In the show, it appears to be home to a functioning community. It’s led by its preacher, David, and everyone huddles in the town hall to eat dinner. It’s normally a meat-based stew with tomatoes – on some nights it’s venison, on others it’s human, as a result of low food supplies.

As Joel tracks his way to the town, he stumbles on a house with headless, hanging bodies, kept fresh with the freezing temperatures and far enough away to not arouse any suspicion with the locals.

In the game, Joel and Ellie find the welcome sign to Silver Lake, which reveals it was first settled in 1882.

Is Silver Lake a real place?

Yes – there are actually three places across real-life Colorado known as Silver Lake.

Specifically, the Silver Lake in The Last of Us is believed to be the lake west of Boulder, given the location of the University of Eastern Colorado in the game.

Another Silver Lake can be found in the city of Loveland. It’s a small lake surrounded by houses and cul-de-sacs, with residents describing it as an ice-skating hotspot in the winter. The third is located near Telluride, described as “a high alpine hike located above the Bridal Veil Basin. It’s a moderate to difficult hike, though it can be done in just a few hours.”

The Last of Us Episode 9 will be available to watch on March 12 in the US and March 13 in the UK. Check out the rest of our coverage here.