Skyrim can stand to be improved a little bit in the environment department. Sometimes, the snow, vegetation, and animals aren’t very immersive, so, that’s why I’m here today to tell you about our top 10 Skyrim environmental mods. 

10. Lightning During Storms 

A video showing the lightining

 Right off the bat, we’ve got a storm mod. There are SO MANY of these considering the climate of Skyrim, but this one stands out to me. This mod adds lightning to storms, and, unlike some other storm mods, it’s compatible with every other storm mod that we know of!

 How Lightning During Storms makes things more fun:

• Adds lightning to storms
• Uses sound effects from real-life thunder 
• Works with all other storm mods

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/8778

9. Lanterns of Skyrim

A video that showcases the lanterns

 I covered a mod like this in my article about the best Oblivion mods, and it seems that someone has given the community a lantern mod for Skyrim as well! This one is virtually the same as Lights Of Oblivion, adding lanterns around major roads, villages, farms, wood mills, settlements, wheat mills, and towns so it’s not so dreadfully dark at night. 

 How Lanterns Of Skyrim makes things more fun:

• Adds lanterns around the world of Skyrim 
• Intentionally leaves some spots without lanterns to make the game feel more immersive

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2429

8. Wtaerplants

 A video showing the mod 

 Aquatic vegetation is something that Skyrim is definitely lacking in. Even in warmer regions of Skyrim, you don’t really see any plants in the water despite the weather being warm enough for them to grow. Waterplants aims to fix that with some very pretty plants.

 How Waterplants makes things more fun:

• Adds plants to the water in Skyrim
• Has variety in the colors, shapes, and sizes of the plants
• Makes lakes and rivers look much more realistic

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6092

7. Ducks And Swans For Skyrim

A video that shows the cute little water birds 

 Ohhhh my gosh, I literally screamed when I saw this mod, I love it so much. This mod adds ducks and swans to the lakes and ponds in Skyrim, and it gives the female ducks quack sound effects (female ducks are more talkative than male IRL).

 How Ducks and Swans for Skyrim makes things more fun:

• Adds ducks and swans to the game
• Adds duck nests that you can harvest eggs from
• Adds quacking sound effects
• It’s ducks and swans, need I say more?

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2149

6. Oblivion Gates Remade

A mod showing the gates 

 This one brings in some reminders of the dark time in which Oblivion took place. Despite Oblivion taking places in Cyrodiil, Oblivion gates were opened all over Tamriel, and this mod aims to bring that to light. 

 How Oblivion Gates Remade makes things more fun:

• Adds Oblivion gates to Skyrim as a reminder of the Oblivion crisis
• Makes the gates fit in with Skyrim so it doesn’t pull you out of the game

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/9040

5. Convenient Bridges 

A video talking about the mod

 Skyrim has a pretty good amount of rivers and lakes, many of which can be in some annoying places. I’ve found myself needing to cross over a wide river countless times, and it’s always annoying to have to slowly swim across. Well, this mod aims to fix that.

 How Convenient Bridges makes thighs more fun:

• Places bridges in locations where you’ll often need to cross a river
• Makes Skyrim more accessible and immersive

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2715

4. Rorikstead Basalt Cliffs

The cliffs

 This one isn’t a mod that affects the entire game, but it’s still good. Rorikstead Basalt Cliffs adds, well, cliffs around Rorikstead to give it a much more unique feel.

 How Rorikstead Basalt Cliffs makes things more fun:

• Adds really pretty cliffs around Rorikstead
• Makes Rorikstead feel like a distinct part of the Whiterun hold
• Works with every Rorikstead overhaul

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/25718

3. Inside The Nebula

A video discussing and appreciating the mod

 This one is a purely aesthetic mod, but it’s REALLY good. Have you ever noticed how, unless you’re in a high place, the night Skies in Skyrim are kinda just big black voids? Inside The Nebula fixes that by adding some stunning graphics to the night skies.

 How Inside The Nebula makes things more fun:

• Adds a nebula to the night sky, giving it a very pretty, colorful appearance
• Has 3 versions of the nebula
• Makes Skyrim feel more fantasy-like

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/29556

2. Morgenstern’s Mushroom Circles 

A video showing off the mushrooms

 Mushrooms! The cute little fungi that have a whole aesthetic dedicated to them. Skyrim kind of neglects mushrooms, unfortunately, there aren’t really as many of them as I would like,  outside of the ever-abundant glowing mushrooms. Morgenstern’s Mushroom Circles fixes that.

 How Morgenstern’s Mushroom Circles makes things more fun:

• Adds 8 new mushroom circles to Skyrim
• Gives you something to hunt for when you get bored

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/9732

1. Illuminated Blue Palace Dome 

A photo of the dome

 Last one! This one is also an aesthetic mod, but this time, it’s for a building. The Blue Palace in Solitude is a little less flashy than I would expect. I mean, it is the biggest palace in the game and the home of the high queen, so you’d expect it to be much more flashy than it is. This mod makes those expectations come true. 

 How Illuminated Blue Palace Dome makes things more fun:

• Adds a blue light to the palace dome
• Makes for a very pretty, almost ethereal look at night
• Makes the Blue Palace truly look like the home of a queen

 Click here for download: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/24090

 We’re done! That was our top 10 environmental mods for Skyrim, I hope you enjoy these mods, go download some and give them a try!