This WoW Forever Skinning leveling guide will show you the fastest way to level Skinning from 1 to 300. You will also find every trainer location and the best places to skin for each skill range.
This guide is aimed at higher level players who want to switch their profession, but it's good for lower level players too. Leveling Skinning is easy but really boring, you will have to run around and skin hundreds of mobs. Skinning goes well with Leatherworking because you can use the leather you skin, so check out my Forever Leatherworking leveling guide if you want to level Leatherworking.
Skinning Trainer Locations
Every capital city has a Skinning trainer. You can also ask a guard, then it will be marked with a red flag on your map.
Capital cities:
- Orgrimmar:
Thuwd - Undercity: Killian Hagey
- Thunder Bluff: Mooranta
Starting zones:
| Race | Zone | Closest trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Orc, Troll | Durotar | Kagil in the Valley of Trials (only up to 75), then Thuwd in Orgrimmar |
| Tauren | Mulgore | Nawka Wildsong in Camp Narache (only up to 75), Yonn Deepcut in Bloodhoof Village |
| Undead | Tirisfal Glades | Margaret Weaver in Deathknell (only up to 75), Rand Rhobart in Tirisfal Glades |
| Skyborne | Zephras Isle | There is no trainer in Thendal Village, where you start, but you don't need one. The trainers on the island are Ishlee Breezewhisper in Valanaar and Mendalass Tattermend in Shen'dar Village. |
Harvesting Windstones
Pelt Collecting for BeginnersCapital cities:
- Stormwind City:
Maris Granger - Ironforge: Balthus Stoneflayer
- Darnassus: Eladriel
Starting zones:
| Race | Zone | Closest trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Elwynn Forest | Riley Peltskinner in Northshire Valley (only up to 75), Helene Peltskinner in Goldshire |
| Dwarf, Gnome | Dun Morogh | Brighid Stormflayer (only up to 75), then Balthus Stoneflayer in Ironforge |
| Night Elf | Teldrassil | Terunne Bearshaper at Aldrassil in Shadowglen (only up to 75), Radnaal Maneweaver in Teldrassil |
| Skyborne | Zephras Isle | There is no trainer in Thendal Village, where you start, but you don't need one. The trainers on the island are Ishlee Breezewhisper in Valanaar and Mendalass Tattermend in Shen'dar Village. |
You can find every Skinning trainer for Horde and Alliance on my WoW Forever Skinning Trainers page.
Skinning Skill Requirements
You need 5 times the mob's level in Skinning to skin it, so a level 30 mob needs Skinning 150. Below level 20 it's less, if you follow the guide you don't have to worry about this.
| Mob level | Skinning needed |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 |
| 11-19 | 10 for a level 11 mob, 10 more for every level (level 15 needs 50, level 19 needs 90) |
| 20 and up | 5 times the level |
If you enchant your gloves with 
Enchant Gloves - Skinning, you can skin mobs 1 level higher than normal.
1-75
In WoW Forever you can skin the mobs in the starting areas, and they give skill points all the way up to 75.
Any starting zone is good for this. If you are leveling a new character, you can skin any mob in your starting zone, so you don't need a recommendation until around level 10, when you leave the zone. The two places below are for players who already have a higher level character and want to catch up on Skinning. A lot of players will be leveling new characters there, so there is always something to skin.
Don't forget to buy a 
Skinning Knife! The Leatherworking Supply vendors near your trainer and most General Goods vendors sell it. You don't have to equip it, but you can't skin without one in your bags.
75-150
Visit your trainer and learn Journeyman Skinning if you haven't yet, it requires Skinning 50. The new Junior Skinning Trainers in the starting areas won't teach you Journeyman Skinning.
To train past 150, visit your trainer again and learn Expert Skinning when you reach 125.
Kill and skin Sunscale Scytheclaw, Zhevra Charger, Ornery Plainstrider.
Go to the small raptor camp just west of Northwatch Hold. Skin the level 16-17 ones until 80, from 80 you can skin the level 18 ones too. Stay here until 150, the last 10 points are green but the respawn is fast.
Mob level: 16-18
75-125 Loch Modan
Kill and skin Elder Mountain Boar, Black Bear Patriarch.
Loch Crocolisk are also skinnable, make sure to pull them when you get to the shore.
Stay here until around 125, then head north to the Wetlands, it is on the way to Hillsbrad.
Mob level: 16-17
125-150 Wetlands
Kill and skin Mottled Scytheclaw, Mottled Razormaw.
There are always a few of them at Whelgar's Excavation Site, so you never run out of mobs to kill.
Mob level: 25-27
150-225
From 150, go to the Foothill Caverns in Hillsbrad Foothills, the yeti cave on the border of Alterac Mountains, or to the Rotting Orchard in Duskwood.
Both factions can get there, Horde from Tarren Mill and Alliance from Southshore.
Kill and skin Cave Yeti, Ferocious Yeti.
The yetis respawn so fast that you can stay inside the cave the whole time.
Mob level: 30-32
Duskwood is an Alliance zone, but Grom'gol is close, so Horde players can get there too.
Kill and skin Nightbane Worgen, Nightbane Shadow Weaver, Nightbane Dark Runner.
Start at the area marked with 1, clear the mobs outside and inside Roland's Doom cave, then go to the Rotting Orchard until the mobs respawn.
Mob level: 26-29
225-280
Visit your trainer and learn Artisan Skinning, it requires Skinning 200.
Mount up and go to the yeti cave at Feral Scar Vale in the south of Feralas. Both factions can get there, Horde from Camp Mojache and Alliance from Feathermoon Stronghold.
Kill and skin Feral Scar Yeti, Enraged Feral Scar, Hulking Feral Scar.
Mob level: 43-46
280-300
From 280, fly to Marshal's Refuge and skin the dinosaurs in the western part of Un'Goro Crater.
Kill and skin Diemetradon, Pterrordax, Elder Diemetradon, Frenzied Pterrordax.
Mob level: 50-55
