Mining

WoW Mining Leveling Guide 1 - 450

If you want to level mining with smelting only, you should check out my Smelting Guide 1 - 450! You can level mining a lot faster, but it will also cost you a lot more gold.
First, visit any trainer in the main cities of old Azeroth - just ask a guard, and learn Apprentice Mining.
Download the following addon: Gatherer
This addon shows you every Mining node location on your map, like you will see on the pictures in the guide. The addon and the databse can be found here.
I recommend you to get the following enchant: [Formula: Enchant Gloves - Advanced Mining] you can just buy any low level gloves from a vendor and enchant that one with this Enchant, equip the gloves when you level your mining. Check the Auction House and if there is any [Scroll of Enchant Gloves - Advanced Mining] available, buy it.

1 - 65

You will mine [Copper Ore] in this section.
When you have around 30 copper Ore, go and smelt them then repeate the cycle, go mine ores then smelt them. Save the Copper Bars, you will need them.
Durotar
Dun Morogh
Alternative Maps:
Elwynn Forest, Darkshore, Tirisfal Glades, Mulgore, Eversong Woods.

65 - 125

Learn Mining Journeyman.
You will mine the following ores: [Tin Ore], [Silver Ore]
At 75 you can learn how to smelt Silver Ore. This will help you get your skill to 125. Silver Ore and bars sell for rougly the same. Buy the ores, smelt them and sell the bars at the Auction House. If you find any Silver Vein, smelt the ores before you reach 115 in Mining, because it's better to smelt them while they are still yellow or orange and Smelt Silver turns green at 122.
Hillsbard Foothills Hillsbard Foothills is just simply the best place to farm Tin. If you are an alliance player you should still go there, but Northern Stranglethorn is a great alternative. You will see a red zone on the map, that zone is filled with Tin, it's everywhere. When you mined all of it, just go outside of the zone where you can see the little yellowish arrows, mine a few Tin and head back to the red zone, because it's most likely that the Tin Veins there are already respawned.


Northern Stranglethorn
Alternative maps:
Ashenvale, Duskwood.

125 - 175

Learn Mining Expert.
You will mine the following ores: [Iron Ore], [Gold Ore]
At 155 you can learn how to smelt Gold Ore. Buy 30 Gold Ore and smelt them, that should get you around 175. Same as with Silver Ores, buy them if they are not expensive, smelt them and sell the bars at the Auction House.
Western Plaguelands
Feralas
Alternative map:
The Cape of Stranglethorn.

175 - 230

You will mine the following ores: [Mithril Ore], [Truesilver Ore]
Felwood and Burning Steppes are the best places to farm because the mining route is just so simple in these two zones. Badlands is also a really good place, but I found a bit more Mithril in the other zones.
When you reach 225, don't forget to visit your Mining trainer!
Felwood
Burning Steppes Don't go into Dreadmaul Rock. There is plenty of Mithril at the corner of the map, you will just get dismounted if you go into the cave and it will slow you down.

Alternative Map:
Badlands.

230 - 300

You will mine [Thorium Ore].
Buy Thorium Ores and smelt them until you reach 255 (250 if you have the Mining Enchant on your gloves), the reason for this is that with 255 Mining skill, you will be able to mine Rich Thorium Veins, not just the small ones. You can actually smelt Thorium up to 275 if you want to, as you can see it in my smelting guide. Sell the Thorium Bars at the Auction House if you don't need them.
When you reach 275, you could go to Hellfire Peninsula and mine Fel Iron, but I don't recommend it. You will level your mining faster if you are staying in Azeroth. To be honest, my recommendation would be to mine Thorium up to 325, and then you can go to Nagrand.
Un'Goro Crater
Winterspring


Alternative Maps:
Silithus, Swamp of Sorrow, Blasted Lands

300 - 325

Visit your trainer and learn Mining Master.
You will mine [Fel Iron Ore]. You can mine Fel Iron up to 350 if you want to and you can skip the Nagrand section of the mining guide.
Hellfire Peninsula

325 - 350

You will mine [Adamantite Ore]. Often you will find Rich Adamantite Deposits, but unfortunately you won't be able to mine them until you reach 350. The red zones are caves and you should go into them, because there is a lot of Adamantite in those.
Nagrand

350 - 400

Visit your trainer and learn Mining Grand Master.
You will mine [Cobalt Ore]. I found Borean Tundra to be the best place to farm Cobalt, however you can go to Howling Fjord if you want to, there is plenty of Cobalt there too.
Borean Tundra

400 - 425

You will mine [Saronite Ore]. Wintergrasp is simply the best place to farm Saronite, you will find a few Rich Saronite Deposits, but you won't be able to mine them yet. If the battle is on, you won't be able to use flying mount for a few minutes.
Wintergrasp

425 - 475

Learn Mining Illustrious
You will mine [Obsidium Ore].There is a lot more Obsidium in Hyjal than in Vashj'ir, but there is also a lot more players. Hyjal beats Vashj'ir if there isn't anyone else farming the zone, else the zones are pretty similar. If you go to Vashj'ir, you will also have to do the starting quests until you get your underwater mount.
Mount Hyjal Vashj'ir Mining Map

475 - 525

You will mine [Elementium Ore].
Twilight Highlands There will be some Pyrite Deposit, but you won't be able to mine them until you reach 525. Rich Elementium Vein also requires a mining skill of 500, please don't get angry for not being able to mine these yet.