Guided Mushroom Tours — Snoqualmie Pass Foraging the I-90 high country around Keechelus Lake
This is the one area I guide that sits east of the Cascade crest. You drive up I-90 through the pass, drop down the far side toward Keechelus Lake, and the forest changes on you within a couple of miles — the hemlock and the deep west-side moss give way to lodgepole, Douglas-fir, and a lot more open ground between the trees.
That single fact is why this area is on the list. Everything on the wet side of the mountains works on roughly the same calendar; the east slope does not. It dries out faster, it catches different weather, and it fruits a different set of species — which makes it the most interesting day I run if you have already been out with me once.
Upcoming Dates
- Saturday, September 261:30 pm – 4:30 pmSold out
Don't see a date that works? Request a day and time — this area runs earlier than the rest, so its dates go up first.
What the Day Looks Like
Reading the Habitat
Why we stop where we stop. Tree associations, elevation, moisture, and the ground signs that tell you a patch is worth walking into — the part most guides skip.
Hands-On Identification
Every find gets worked through in the field: the features that actually matter, the ones that don’t, and how to move from “some mushroom” to a confident name.
Taking Some Home
Bring a basket. What you find is yours to keep, along with notes on cleaning, storing, and cooking it once you’re back in your kitchen.
Staying Safe
The poisonous species worth knowing cold, the look-alikes they get confused with, and the habits that keep a new forager out of trouble.
About This Area
Keechelus Lake sits at about 2,500 feet in the rain shadow of the crest, and the ridges above it run higher. Coming off the west side you are used to reading moisture as a given — here it is the limiting factor, and where the water sits is most of what decides whether a slope is worth walking. Learning to read that is the real skill this area teaches.
The season also runs on its own clock. Snowmelt comes through earlier at this elevation than it does in the high country further south, and the ground dries out well before North Bend does, so this area tends to open the season and close it early rather than carry the tail end of the fall. If you are trying to get out before the lowlands have woken up, this is usually the first place worth driving to.
It is easy to reach for how remote it feels: the whole area is within a few minutes of an I-90 exit, so there is far less forest-road driving than Darrington or Greenwater. Cell service is patchy once you are off the interstate, and it disappears entirely in the drainages.
What Guests Say
These tours are among the Pacific Northwest’s top-rated Airbnb experiences — and booking directly here costs less than booking them there.
“Jeremy’s workshop was fantastic! We walked away feeling confident being able to pick out chanterelles and porcini.” — Sarah, Seattle WA · October 2024
“Jeremy is so personable and knowledgeable. You can tell he has a passion for mushrooms!” — Jenelle, Seattle WA · June 2024
“He was so informative and answered all of our wide ranging questions. Highly recommend!” — Katheryn, Glen Ellyn IL · March 2024
Same tour, same guide — booking direct through this page costs less than on Airbnb.
Request a Date or Get Notified
Nothing on the calendar that works for you? Tell me roughly when you’d like to get out and I’ll let you know as soon as this area has dates — or if you have a group, ask about scheduling one around you.
Gift certificates are available, and private tours can be arranged.
Before You Go
Meetup: The exact meetup point is sent to registered guests 24–48 hours before the tour. The general area is the I-90 corridor around Keechelus Lake, east of Snoqualmie Pass.
Elevation: We walk between roughly 2,500 and 3,500 feet. It runs noticeably cooler and windier than the lowlands — bring a layer more than you think you need, even in late summer.
Roads: Access is short and close to the interstate, but the forest roads on this side are rougher and rockier than the west-side areas. Low-clearance vehicles are fine; take it slowly.
Weather: Tours run rain or shine in typical Pacific Northwest conditions. Snow can linger into early summer and return early in the fall at this elevation — if conditions are unsafe we reschedule or refund in full.
Dogs: Sorry, no dogs on tours in the national forest.
Which forest: This area is in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Cle Elum Ranger District — not the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie forest the other tour areas sit in. The tour itself is permitted, so there is nothing for you to arrange on tour day.
Coming back on your own: Personal harvest here is free up to five gallons a day, but this forest requires you to carry a free Incidental Use Mushroom Information Sheet while you collect. It is not something you buy — pick one up at the Cle Elum district office, 803 W. 2nd Street, (509) 852-1100, or download it before you drive out. That rule is specific to this side of the crest, and the contrast is worth knowing: drive back west over the pass into the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie forest and the free allowance drops to five gallons per household per year. Same highway, same afternoon. More on permits by forest.
Bring: Shoes for off-trail walking, weather-appropriate clothing, a charged phone with offline maps, a basket or breathable bag, and water and snacks. A small folding knife and a hiking pole are nice to have. Cell service is unreliable here, so download your maps before you leave.
Age & fitness: Suitable for teens and adults comfortable with off-trail walking. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Start in the Classroom
Not ready for a full day in the woods yet, or want the tour to land harder? A two-hour evening intro class covers the species worth learning and the look-alikes to avoid, so on tour day you already know what you are looking at.
Want a classroom head start before the tour?
- Intro class — EastsideSee Dates & Book
Other Tour Areas
Want to stay on the wet side of the mountains? I guide in other parts of the Cascades too, each with its own terrain and its own timing.
Or see every upcoming tour date across all the areas in one list.
Keep going after the tour
Forayz overlays burn perimeters, soil moisture, snowline, and habitat data on a map of the Pacific Northwest, so the habitat reading you learn on the tour turns into actual spots to check.