Overview
Darrington is not very prominent on this map but it would likely be your first destination when coming to the area. Without traffic it is a 75min drive from Seattle. From there, you have a number of options. A couple of these you hit before Darrington.
NW Darrington
NW Darrington
This area may have a better name. Please send suggestions
Based on my experience and understanding of this map, there are 3 main access points to this area.
1. White Horse
White Horse is located 5mi west of Darrington. From the Shell station, drive north on Swede Heaven Rd / 378th Ave NE. Google Maps estimates a 15min drive from the highway to the national forest boundary.
2. This one North of Darrington
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cwTNLzKbN5CLHMpN8
3. Or this one a little further north
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AxwMKVZWM8WnVX3D6
These spots are located in national forest land which is open to mushroom picking.There is a free permit available from the national forest service. Contact me with questions on getting permits or anything else.
SE Darrington (FS22) – Sauk River
Drive 5min south along FS 22 (forest service road “FS”) and you enter the national forest at 48.22102, -121.57681. From here, mushroom picking is allowed almost anywhere you drive for the next 15min or more.
The white areas below show national forest area that is not also categorized as Wilderness area. Mushroom picking is mostly allowed in national forests, and is not allowed in Wilderness areas
White – National Forest – Probably ok for foraging
Shaded – City/Wilderness/Etc – Foraging ok for some, not for others
NE Darrington (FS26) – Suiattle River
Access the Suiattle River Road (Forest Service 26) from here. The area starts as DNR land, followed by mixed land ownership. You enter the National Forest at about 10mi near the Suiattle Cemetary.
Forest along the river is made of a classic lowland western Washington mix of Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock, Red Alder, Black Cottonwood, and Big Leaf Maple.
Where can you cut christmas trees near Darrington?
This map below outlines most of the areas. Contact me with questions (https://salishmushrooms.com/contact-us/)
This map is also a great overview of where mushroom picking is allowed in the area.
Mushrooms Found Near Darringon
This area is very similar to most of the other forests in NW Washington. The mountains are cold in the winter which limits most mushrooms other than the woody conks. Spring brings oysters and verpas near the rivers. Summer is dry however one can find boletes at higher elevations, and chicken of the woods will start to show up later in the summer. Peak season in the area begins with the autumn rains and lasts until the mountains freeze again.
Follow the links below for a summary from iNaturalist of mushrooms found in the Darrington area throughout the year.
Tree Profile
