Region
Dale and Erebor
The dwarf-kingdom under the Lonely Mountain and the town of Men beside it, in the far northeast
This corner of the Middle-earth map is small but crowded. Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, stands by itself on the plain northeast of Mirkwood, with the River Running rising at its southern feet as the Front Gate pours out. The city of Dale sits in the valley just south of the mountain, and further downstream the river widens into the Long Lake, where Lake-town, also called Esgaroth, is built on wooden piles out over the water. East of Erebor the Iron Hills stretch away, and northwest the Grey Mountains curve back toward Gundabad, with the desolate Withered Heath among them where dragons bred. Far to the southeast the River Running meets the Carnen at a confluence marked on most maps, and beyond that lies Rhun.
Durin's folk came here in TA 1999 after abandoning the Grey Mountains, and under Thror the kingdom under the Mountain grew rich. Dale grew with it as a market town famous for its toys and its bell-like voices. In TA 2770 the dragon Smaug came out of the north, burned Dale, drove out the Dwarves and took the treasure. Thror was later killed at Moria, which began the War of the Dwarves and Orcs and ended with the Battle of Azanulbizar in TA 2799.
The Hobbit is the story of the return. Thorin Oakenshield, Thror's grandson, brings his company and Bilbo Baggins here in TA 2941. Smaug is killed over the Long Lake by Bard of Esgaroth using the black arrow, and the treasure is claimed at once by Men, Elves and Dwarves. Dain Ironfoot marches from the Iron Hills, and the quarrel is broken up by the arrival of goblins and wargs from the north. In the Battle of Five Armies, Thorin is killed, Dain becomes King under the Mountain, and Bard rebuilds Dale.
The region has its own war in TA 3019. While Frodo crosses Mordor, an army out of Rhun attacks the north. King Brand of Dale and King Dain Ironfoot are both killed before the gates of Erebor on March 17, and the survivors hold the mountain until news of Sauron's fall reaches them. Bard II and Thorin III Stonehelm rule afterwards, and the north is at peace for the rest of the Fourth Age.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Erebor on the Middle-earth map?
Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, stands alone in the northeast of the map, north of the Long Lake and east of the northern end of Mirkwood, with the Iron Hills further east.
Where is Lake-town on the map?
Lake-town, or Esgaroth, is built on piles in the Long Lake, about twenty miles south of Erebor where the Forest River and the River Running meet the lake.
What is the difference between Dale and Erebor?
Erebor is the mountain and the dwarf-kingdom inside it. Dale is the city of Men in the valley at its southern feet. They were destroyed together by Smaug in TA 2770 and rebuilt together after TA 2941.
Did Dale fight in the War of the Ring?
Yes. Easterlings from Rhun attacked in March TA 3019. King Brand and King Dain Ironfoot fell before the gate of Erebor on March 17, and the defenders were besieged until Sauron's fall.