Finding Maps

[Titus05]

Hello everyone,
I am a new DM playing D&D 4E with my players. I am trying to build a new adventure for tonight and am stuck with an area. I enjoy them finding reasons, ways, and paths to take to get to the dungeon/combats I have prepared. However, I am sick of them just attacking a bandit camp, or Kobalds, etc. and finding a map to the area. One time I used a dying archaeologist who had notes and I made them role History checks, but other than that I'm stumped. What are some creative ways to let players find their way to dungeons besides just giving them maps.

Story thus far (if it helps)
They discovered from the archaeologist that an ancient talisman of the fire goddess Joramy was hidden in a dungeon. They recovered it and, though some pain, found out it was cursed with burning all but those with the blood of the goddess in them. Once they brought it back they discovered their leader was not burned by the talisman. A mage of the adventurer's guild they are in was summoned and determined that he could break the curse with the blood of an heir of Joramy. A traitor's son was rescued in another adventure.
My story thus far for this session is that they discover the traitor's son is our leader's (Samantha) child as well. The son is captured and the talisman stolen by Elves. This will make the talisman seem way more important. It's power is sought by all. They will choose whether to save the talisman or the son.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Mandrake]

Well, many. I'll just name some.

In game One is a puzzle or a skill challenge, where the PCs have to navigate the wilderness and keep track of their prophecy or similar. After successfully realizing on multiple occasions what is the thing in question, they finally reach the entrance. Also, it can be a search for the map (reading through ancient texts, contacting bards with the lore of yore, arranging with some duke to give away the battle maps of his long dead ancestor's ancient kingdom etc).

Fluff like If you have a primal character, especially a caster, a spirit of the forest might guide a way. Similar can be done with a cleric contacting a divine instance that points the way.

DM provides This one is pretty similar to just giving them a map, though it can break the boredom of map-giving. A certain NPC has seen/has been to/knows/has dreamed of/is currently running away from the thing the PCs are looking for. He and PCs somehow meet and he provides them with directions.

Rituals I don't know the level of your party, but locate object can easily shift them. Also, a simple Sending or even Animal Messenger can be used to come in contact with the kidnapped person, who can in turn reveal the location.

There are other ways - just be creative, involve new variables that solve this problem, but lead to some other problems, a fun way to keep the campaign going (I will tell you where the talisman you seek is, mortal, but that dept must be payed once in the future, said the Devil).

[Ashdate]

Assuming the party is actively looking for dungeons to plunder, then just having the "plot" hand them maps seems fine to me. If you want to be sneaky, just have them try something (Ask locals? Street wise check. Search dusty tomes? History check. etc.) and magically, the first success you can work with leads them to the map in question.

Don't make this hard on yourself; if the PCs have enough motivation to seek out these dungeons, then they probably will be perfectly happy to have them land on their laps. Use whatever you can think of; NPCs they trust, spies they find and capture, summons from the local king, etc. They go a way you didn't plan for? If you can adapt the combat to their new "location", let them. Drop hints that the "best" way to their goal is through the treacherous swamp.