Skinning
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.
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
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.
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
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.
180-220 The Cape of Stranglethorn Any Beast
Southern Barrens Any Beast
220-250 Eastern Plaguelands Any Beast
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
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.
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, Beasts in Any of the Zones (there are a lot)
Blades Edge Mountains,
Netherstorm
This step can be done in Northrend if you wish to, any starting area will work
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.
350-405 East of Westguard Keep Shoveltusks, Rams
West of Ford Wildervar,
Howling Fjord
375-405 South of Fizzcrank's Airstrip, Mammoths
Borean Tundra
405-430 Grizzly Hills Deer, Bear, Wolves, other beasts
430-450 Sholazar Basin Giraffes, Crocolisks, Gorillas, etc
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.
485-525 Twilight Highlands Any Beas
