Elite area

Elite areas (aka non-instanced dungeons, micro dungeons, and half dungeons) are areas in a non-instanced zone full of elite creatures. These usually require a group to complete and are often the focus of group quests.

As of Patch 2.3 most of these areas are no longer filled with elite creatures, but rather with normal mobs.

With the current rarity of elite mobs, the terms mentioned above could be used to refer to any non-instanced questing area that is separated from its surroundings (caves, crypts, buildings, etc). In Mists of Pandaria, many areas like this with a distinct interior were given maps. See Micro dungeon maps.

Current non-instanced dungeons include, by zone:

Kalimdor

 * Ashenvale: Bough Shadow
 * Azshara: Lake Mennar
 * Bloodmyst Isle: Vector Coil
 * Dustwallow Marsh: Alcaz Island
 * Feralas: Dream Bough, Jademir Lake, Oneiros, Isle of Dread
 * Tanaris: Valley of the Watchers
 * Un'Goro Crater: Terror Run
 * Winterspring: Darkwhisper Gorge, Frostwhisper Gorge, Mazthoril


 * Barrens: Northwatch Hold
 * Dustwallow Marsh: Wyrmbog
 * Silithus: Hive'Ashi, Hive'Regal, Hive'Zora
 * Stonetalon Mountains: Talon Den
 * Tanaris: Land's End Beach, Sandsorrow Watch

Eastern Kingdoms

 * Badlands: Lethlor Ravine
 * Blasted Lands: Tainted Scar
 * Eastern Plaguelands: Tyr's Hand
 * Westfall: Mortwake's Tower
 * Hillsbrad Foothills: Purgation Isle
 * Hinterlands: Seradane
 * Redridge Mountains: Render's Valley
 * Silverpine Forest: 7th Legion Base Camp, Gilneas Liberation Front Base Camp
 * Wetlands: Dragonmaw Gates


 * Alterac Mountains: Ruins of Alterac
 * Arathi Highlands: Stromgarde Keep, Tower of Arathor
 * Badlands: Maker's Terrace
 * Burning Steppes: Draco'dar, Terror Wing
 * Hillsbrad Foothills: Dun Garok
 * Hinterlands: Jintha'Alor
 * Loch Modan: Mo'grosh Stronghold
 * Redridge Mountains: Stonewatch
 * Searing Gorge: Firewatch Ridge
 * Silverpine Forest: Pyrewood Village
 * Stranglethorn Vale: Mosh'Ogg Ogre Mound, Vile Reef
 * Swamp of Sorrows: Sorrowmurk
 * Western Plaguelands: Hearthglen, Ruins of Andorhal
 * Wetlands: Dun Modr


 * Ghostlands: Deatholme


 * Blasted Lands: The Dark Portal

Outland

 * Blade's Edge Mountains: Gruul's Lair (Large outdoor area)
 * Hellfire Peninsula: Fallen Sky Ridge, Stair of Destiny, Abyssal Shelf, Throne of Kil'jaeden
 * Nagrand: Forge Camp: Fear, Forge Camp: Hate, Twilight Ridge
 * Netherstorm: Arklonis Ridge, Netherstone
 * Shadowmoon Valley: Eclipsion Fields, Crimson Watch, Path of Conquest, Ata'mal Terrace, Invasion Point: Cataclysm


 * Blade's Edge Mountains: Death's Door

Broken Isles

 * Suramar: Sashj'tar Ruins

Trivia

 * Gjalerbron was planned to be an elite area, but it wasn't done.