Maps of Movies
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Where The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers says it takes place, and where it was really shot.
Middle-earth is a made-up map, but every place on it is somewhere in New Zealand: a Fiordland bog, a desert in a national park, and a hill-town that no longer exists.
View on the map
Scenes and places
Frodo and Sam lost in the Emyn Muil (2002)
Frodo and Sam wake lost among the crags of the Emyn Muil, with Mordor ahead and no way down. They find Gollum is tracking them, and Frodo chooses to spare him and use him as a guide.
Set in Emyn Muil — The rocky wasteland near Mordor where Frodo and Sam are lost and Gollum begins to follow them.
A maze of bare rock hills east of the Anduin, in sight of Mordor.
Aragorn's trio meets Éomer on the plains of Rohan (2002)
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli chase the Uruk-hai across Rohan and are met by Rohirrim riders. Éomer explains that he has been exiled by King Théoden and gives them horses.
Set in The plains of Rohan — The grasslands where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli run into the exiled Rohirrim leader Éomer.
Open grassland of the horse-lords' kingdom, between Isengard and Edoras.
Filmed at Poolburn Reservoir, Central Otago — Wikipedia says Poolburn Reservoir was used for Rohan scenes; the page does not say which scenes are from this film. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Gandalf the White returns in Fangorn Forest (2002)
Merry and Pippin slip into the forest, and Aragorn's group follows. Inside, they confront a figure who turns out to be Gandalf, back from the Balrog fight to help save Middle-earth.
Set in Fangorn Forest — The ancient forest where Merry and Pippin escape and Aragorn's group meets Gandalf again.
A dense old forest on the edge of Rohan, home of the Ents.
Filmed at Snowdon Forest, Southland — A campervan travel company says Fangorn is known as Snowdon Forest in New Zealand and links it to the Gandalf the White reunion. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Gandalf frees King Théoden at Edoras (2002)
Gandalf leads the trio to the king's hall and frees Théoden from Saruman's hold. Aragorn stops Théoden from executing Wormtongue, who flees.
Set in Edoras — Rohan's hilltop capital where Gandalf heals Théoden and Aragorn stops the execution of Wormtongue.
A thatched hill-town above the plains, seat of the kings of Rohan.
Filmed at Mount Sunday, Canterbury — The exterior of Edoras, including its thatched roofs, was built on Mount Sunday; the set is no longer there. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Through the Dead Marshes with Gollum (2002)
Gollum leads Frodo and Sam across a drowned battlefield toward Mordor. Frodo keeps trusting him although Sam does not.
Set in Dead Marshes — The flooded battlefield that Frodo, Sam and Gollum cross on the way to the Black Gate.
A swamp of old graves and pale lights in front of Mordor's gate.
Filmed at Kepler Mire, Fiordland — Wikipedia says Kepler Mire was filmed by helicopter for the Dagorlad Battlefield or Dead Marshes; a travel company repeats that it was partly filmed there. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The refugees leave Edoras for Helm's Deep (2002)
Théoden evacuates the citizens toward Helm's Deep. Warg-riding orcs attack the column, and Aragorn falls and is presumed dead before his horse Brego finds him.
Set in The road from Edoras to Helm's Deep — The route the people of Edoras take to the mountain fortress while Warg-riders attack.
A rough road across the hills of Rohan.
Gollum shows Frodo and Sam the Black Gate (2002)
Gollum leads Frodo and Sam to the Black Gate but recommends they enter Mordor by another route.
Set in The Black Gate — The gate of Mordor, which Gollum warns is too heavily guarded to enter.
The huge entrance to Mordor, in a barren plain.
Filmed at Rangipo Desert, Tongariro National Park — Wikipedia's Rangipo Desert page says the desert was used for the Black Gate scenes (2000); in snowstorms the scene was shot in Manapouri Hall. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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The Battle of Helm's Deep (2002)
Aragorn arrives at Helm's Deep to warn Théoden. Outnumbered, Théoden prepares for battle and a company of Elves arrives to help just before the Uruk-hai attack.
Set in Helm's Deep — The mountain fortress where Théoden's people shelter from Saruman's Uruk-hai army.
A stone fortress with a gate, wall and keep, built into a mountain valley.
The Ents storm Isengard (2002)
Pippin asks Treebeard to take them toward Isengard, where they see the forests felled for Saruman's war. Enraged, Treebeard and the Ents storm the fortress and flood the workings.
Set in Isengard — Saruman's tower fortress, ringed by the deforestation that enrages Treebeard and the Ents.
A ring-wall around the tower of Orthanc, once green and now scarred.
Faramir takes Frodo and Sam through Osgiliath (2002)
Faramir takes Frodo and Sam to Gondor and they pass through besieged Osgiliath. A Nazgûl nearly captures Frodo, and Sam reminds him that they are fighting for the good still left in Middle-earth.
Set in Osgiliath — The besieged ruined city where Faramir brings his captives and a Nazgûl nearly takes Frodo.
A ruined riverside city of Gondor, held against Sauron's attacks.
Filmed at Waitarere Forest, Manawatū-Whanganui — A travel article names Waitarere Forest as the 'Osgiliath Wood'; no source locates the ruined city set itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps
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Characters
- Frodo Baggins — A young hobbit carrying the One Ring toward Mordor, with Sam and Gollum.
- Aragorn — The heir-in-exile to Gondor's throne, who has come to Rohan's defence.
- Gandalf the White — The wizard who fell fighting a Balrog and has now returned.
- Théoden — The King of Rohan, under Saruman's spell until Gandalf heals him.