Anyone to have ever played Skyrim will be aware of how incredibly vast the world inside the game is, not only in terms of the sheer amount of space that you get to travel across but also in terms of the number of decisions you get to make, the detail inside the world, the endless character dialogues and so much more! Even once you put several hundreds of hours into the game it is very likely that many Skyrim secrets have been left unexplored and opportunities untamed!

This is one of the key reasons why Skyrim is still one of the most popular games in the world today, well more than 7 years after it was initially released. Of course, it is also akin to the amazing updates and DLC’s that have been helped maintain the quality of the game. However, it is beyond any reasonable doubt that what gave the game its notoriety is the incredible aura of exploration and seemingly endless activities within. Whether you are a seasoned player or someone just getting into the game there are plenty of Skyrim secrets for you to uncover! Here’s a quick summary of what you can expect to find below:

1 – A map rendered in real time

2 – How to tell which mammoths are wild?

3 – Riding bugs and hawks

4 – Hidden Peaks of Solstheim

5 – Ride a horse across the water

Now let’s get on to the essence of it all, here’s everything you need to know about these secrets!

A map rendered in real time

How much attention do you usually pay to the map when playing Skyrim? If this is the first time you hear of the feature, you obviously haven’t been attentive enough, which is not terrible only because that means there are plenty more Skyrim secrets for you to discover! Either way, take a better look at the map whenever you play the game. It isn’t just a picture with some buttons to press, it is a real-time rendition of the actual Skyrim world!

skyrim map

While it may not be overly informative, it is a neat little thing to look at, noticing minor changes every time you load up the map after a little break. One of the neatest little tricks you can do once you uncover this gem amongst other Skyrim secrets you can actually go dragon spotting in the night! Open up the map during hours of darkness and you may be lucky enough to see a small breath of fire pop up. These are the places where dragons reside, so you know where you can go for your next adventures!

How to tell if mammoths are wild?

Many players will know that more often than not, the stunning woolly mammoths that roam the land of the game are accompanied by incredibly hostile giants armed with massive clubs. However, with minimal knowledge of Skyrim secrets, you will be able to tell the wild mammoths apart from those that are tamed by giants that will attack as soon as they see you, sending you flying through the air.

skyrim mammoth

Once you know one simple trick, telling them apart is easy. The tusks on the wild mammoths are as you’d expect – smooth and yellowish white. The ones that giants own, however, have been carved out in what looks like some traditional symbols. If you see one with the surface of its tusks carved out, you better keep clear, as giants are bound to be roaming nearby! Unlike any of the other Skyrim secrets in the list, this one may actually end up saving your life!

Riding bugs and hawks

Unlike most other animals in the game, the flying bugs and hawks are not treated like actual NPC’s, which means interacting with them is quite a lot different. If you manage to jump on top of a firefly or a butterfly while it is in flight, it will actually carry you on its back! The only thing stopping you from taking upon an eternal journey on the back of a firefly is the fact that it often bumps into objects around the map, knocking you off in the process.

This bit of Skyrim secrets are not limited to flying bugs, as you can even fly on top of a massive hawk in the game! Doing so may prove to be a little more difficult, however, because they rarely fly low enough for you to jump on. Therefore, you should find a hawk’s nest, wait for it to land there, jump on top and get ready for takeoff!

Hidden peaks of Solstheim

Solstheim is an island that you unlock with the purchase of the Dragonborn DLC and it features four of the highest mountains you’ll find in the world. These mountains hold one of Skyrim secrets you might have missed. You can climb up these mountains and once you reach the top you unlock the mountaintop as a point to fast travel. However, climbing these mountains is strenuous work so you better be prepared!

skyrim environment

There is no other way to unlock those fast travel points, so they are well worth the fuss, not even using any of the in-game codes! Even if there is very little use for any of them, as the only real reason to get there is to enjoy the beautiful landscape, it is still one of the neat little Skyrim secrets that only adds to the incredible depth of the game!

Ride a horse across the water

Horses are one of the best means of traversing the vast lands of Skyrim, however, not many of the players know that riding a horse is actually the fastest way to traverse the waters as well! And it isn’t by sitting on it’s back while it swims. Instead, get into the water on a horse and once it starts to swim – jump off! Get back on its back immediately and there you go – the horse is now walking instead of swimming, it can even run if needed! Unlike many other Skyrim secrets, this one is not only incredibly fun but also useful, as it will save your time while you make your way across the water with a horse equivalent of Jesus running on the water!

If you haven‘t been awed by the mind-boggling amount of content that is found within Skyrim, you ought to be now! The main quests do not even begin to cover everything at your reach in the game, therefore, it leaves it up to you to explore the world and find everything out on your own! Now it is time for you to go out and test the new Skyrim secrets you’ve learned of and maybe even find some of your own along the way!