Guided Mushroom Tours — Greenwater Foraging the forests along SR-410, on the northeast side of Mount Rainier
Greenwater is a small community on SR-410, 30 minutes east of Enumclaw, where the White River comes down off the northeast side of Mount Rainier, and the Greenwater River descends from the Cascades. The nearby forests are a mix of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and Pacific silver fir.
Greenwater is also the closest tour area for anyone driving up from Tacoma, Puyallup, or Olympia — a little over an hour, most of it on good highway.
Upcoming Dates
- Saturday, November 148:30 am – 11:30 am
- Saturday, November 1412:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Don't see a date that works? Request a day and time. Tours are scheduled around conditions, so new dates go up through the season.
See every upcoming tour, class and event on the full calendar →
What the Day Looks Like
Reading the Habitat
Why we stop where we stop: the trees, elevation and moisture that make a patch worth walking into, and the signs on the ground that back it up.
Hands-On Identification
We work through every find in the field. You'll learn which features matter, which don't, and how to get from "some mushroom" to a confident name.
Taking Some Home
Bring a basket or breathable bag. Whatever you pick is yours to keep, whether that's dinner or a single specimen to study, and I'll cover how to clean, store and cook it.
Staying Safe
The poisonous species to know on sight, and the edible mushrooms they can be mistaken for.
What We Find Is Up to the Forest
Mushroom foraging is unpredictable, and that's just as true with a guide. Some tours come home with enough for dinner. Some find a handful. Some don't turn up any of the choice edibles at all. We're often walking an area for the first time that season, and I don't know what conditions will be like until we get there.
The places I can take a group have their limits, too. They need to be on public land, a reasonable drive away, and easy enough walking for a mixed group. That means other foragers can reach them as well, and sometimes a good patch is picked before we arrive.
What doesn't depend on the day is what you learn: how to read the forest, how to identify what we do find, and how to go looking on your own afterwards.
About This Area
The forest along the White River drainage is classic mid-elevation Cascade country — Douglas-fir and western hemlock giving way to Pacific silver fir as you climb, with the kind of mossy, well-drained slopes that reward patient walking. Much of it sits inside the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and the forest roads off SR-410 open up a lot of ground.
Because we start high, this area runs on its own calendar. Early fall is usually the sweet spot here, and by the time the lowland areas are hitting their stride, Greenwater may already be shutting down for the winter. If you’re trying to time a first tour of the season, this is often the one.
What Guests Say
From guests at my in-person mushroom class, which is listed on Airbnb.
“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
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. If you have a group, ask about scheduling a date 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 3 days before the tour. The general area is Greenwater, WA.
Cancellations: Cancel at least 3 days before the tour for a full refund. That's when the exact meeting location goes out, so bookings can't be refunded after that point.
Roads: Forest service roads are passable in low-clearance vehicles, but expect potholes and the occasional rock — just pick your line carefully.
Parking: Roadside pull-outs don’t need a pass, but many trailheads do. Where we park changes from tour to tour and isn’t always settled until the day, so if you have a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass, bring it for your dashboard. Day passes are sold at recreation.gov and at ranger stations.
Restrooms: There will not be a public toilet once we’re in the forest. Bring some toilet paper and a plastic bag to pack it out.
Weather: Tours run rain or shine in typical Pacific Northwest conditions. If unsafe weather is forecast we reschedule or refund in full.
Dogs: Sorry, no dogs on tours in the national 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.
Age & fitness: Suitable for teens and adults comfortable with off-trail walking. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Other Tour Areas
Greenwater not the right drive for you? I guide in other parts of the Cascades too, each with its own timing.
Or see every upcoming tour date across all the areas in one list.
Keep going after the tour
Forayz maps burn perimeters, soil moisture, snow cover and tree species across the Pacific Northwest. Use it to turn what you learned about habitat on the tour into places to check on your own.