Alliance Skinning (Leveling 1-180)
This is the beginning section of this guide for the Alliance. Keep in mind you will have to revisit the skinning trainer in order to increase your max skill past 75 and again at 150 in order to make it to 180 in this section.Level
Zone
Mobs
1-75
Dun Morogh
Any Beast
Gnomes and Dwarves starting area.
1-75
Ruins of Gilneas
Any Beast
Worgen starting area.
1-75
Azuremyst Isle
Any Beast
Draenei starting area.
1-75
Elwynn Forest
Any Beast
Human starting area.
1-75
Teldrassil
Any Beast
Night Elf starting area.
75-130
Loch Modan
Any Beast
Good continuation for Gnomes/Dwarves
75-130
Darkshore
Any Beast
Good continuation for Worgens/Night Elves
75-130
Bloodmyst Isle
Any Beast
Good continuation for Draenei
75-100
Westfall
Any Beast
Good continuation for Humans, once you reach 100 go to Redridge Mountains for faster skillups
100-130
Redridge Mountains
Any Beast
Good continuation for Humans
130-180
Wetlands
Crocolisks, Raptors, Whelps
Good continuation for Dwarves/Gnomes/Draenei
130-180
Northern Stranglethorn
Any Beast
Good continuation for Humans
130-180
Hillsbrad Foothills
Any Beast
Good continuation for Worgen
130-180
Stonetalon Mountains
Any Beast
Good continuation for Night Elves
Horde Skinning (Leveling 1-180)
This is the beginning section for Horde of this leveling guide. Keep in mind you will have to revisit the skinning trainer in order to increase your max skill past 75 and again at 150 in order to make it to 180 in this section.Level
Zone
Mobs
1-75
Durotar
Any Beast
Orc and Troll starting area
1-75
The Lost Isles
Any Beast
Goblin starting area
1-75
Eversong Woods
Any Beast
Blood Elf starting area
1-75
Mulgore
Any Beast
Tauren starting area
1-75
Tirisfal Glades
Any Beast
Undead starting area
75-130
Northern Barrens
Any Beast
Good continuation for Orc/Troll/Tauren and possibly even Goblin
75-130
Silverpine Forest
Any Beast
Good continuation for Undead
75-130
Ghostlands
Any Beast
Good continuation for Bloodelves
75-130
Azshara
Any Beast
Good continuation for Goblins/Orc/Trolls possibly even Tauren
130-180
Hillsbrad Foothills
Any Beast
Good continuation for Undead/Blood Elves
130-180
Stonetalon Mountains
Any Beast
Good continuation for Tauren/Goblins/Orc/Troll
Cataclysm Skinning (Leveling 180-300)
At this point in the guide it is feasible that both the Alliance and Horde can do these leveling guide sections. Remember to go past skill 225 you will have to go back to the trainer in order to get to 300 in this section.Level
Zone
Mobs
180-220
The Cape of Stranglethorn
Any Beast
180-220
Southern Barrens
Any Beast
220-250
Eastern Plaguelands
Any Beast
220-250
Thousand Needles
Any Beast
250-300
Un'Goro Crater
Any of the Dinosaurs
Western area is higher level than eastern
260-300
Winterspring
Yeti,Saber Cats in North
TBC Skinning (Leveling 300-375)
Moving on to The Burning Crusade expansion we will look to progress from 300-375. Now, I'm going to point out right now that you can level past 300 in the Old World as you can also level from 350 up in WOTLK, so if you want to stay in Old World or go to Northrend around 350, have at it. Just remember you will have to go to the skinning trainer to raise your skill past 300.Level
Zone
Mobs
300-325
Eastern Plaguelands, Winterspring, Silithus
Most of Zones
If you don't want to go to Hellfire Peninsula yet, you can stay back in the high level old world zones and get up to 325ish
300-310
Hellfire Peninsula
Hellboars
Eastern to Central Hellfire Peninsula
310-330
Hellfire Peninsula
Ravagers, Boars
Western Hellfire Peninsula
330-350
Nagrand
Clefthoofs
Lots of them available in the south-central region by Oshgun
350-375
Shadowmoon Valley, Blades Edge Mountains, Netherstorm
Beasts in Any of the Zones (there are a lot)
This step can be done in Northrend if you wish to, any starting area will work
WOTLK Skinning (Leveling 375-450)
For the Wrath of the Lich King leveling guide section you can actually stay in these areas longer after they turn green and still get skilled up pretty fast, the guide is intended to move you to more optimal areas where you might actually get better leather and skills faster.You can actually start in the Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord at around 350 if you don't want to get to 375 in the Burning Crusade zones. While I was testing this guide I walked from Howling Fjord to Grizzly Hills to Zuldrak just killing things on the way and skinning them and I went from 375-450 within an hour or two.
If you are just leveling your skinning to leveling your leatherworking you may want to think again, my advice is to buy everything to save time.
Zone
Mobs
350-405
East of Westguard Keep or West of Ford Wildervar, Howling Fjord
Shoveltusks, Rams
375-405
South of Fizzcrank's Airstrip, Borean Tundra
Mammoths
405-430
Grizzly Hills
Deer, Bear, Wolves, other beasts
430-450
Sholazar Basin
Giraffes, Crocolisks, Gorillas, etc (there are a lot)
Cataclysm High End Skinning 450-525
Keep in mind you can stay in Northrend longer and skin up much longer to 475 or greater if you want, but if you're anxious to get started in Cataclysm then go ahead and head to these zones.Level
Zone
Mobs
450-470
Mount Hyjal
Stags
470-485
Uldum
Crocolisks
485-525
Twilight Highlands
Any Beast, there are Tawny Owls and Highland Worgs north of Thundermar, but any beast works.
