Crescent City Mushroom Calendar

Crescent City sits in the Coast Range and has a damp, maritime-influenced climate — about 58 inches of rain a year, most of it falling in the cool months from fall into spring. Mushroom season around Crescent City waxes and wanes with the rains but never truly closes — hard frost is rare enough here that there's no sharp start or end to the year. Through summer, localized storms can set off scattered fruitings, but widespread flushes are rare until more consistent rain returns in September.

Best months September, October, and November
Ground warms ~January
Hard frost rare
Annual rain 58"
Driest July and August
Species tracked 13

What Fruits When Near Crescent City

JFMAMJJASONDMorelregKing BoleteMatsutakeregChanterelleHedgehogOysterLobsterLion's Mane / Bear's HeadBlewitThe PrinceShaggy ManeBlack TrumpetCandy CapChicken of the WoodsYellowfoot

Shading shows when each species typically fruits within about 10 miles, not abundance. Based on iNaturalist observation trends. reg = pooled from the surrounding area where local sightings were sparse.

The Shape of the Season

All species combined — local observations within about 10 miles, by month.

Weather Through the Year

Average daily high–low (°F)

Average monthly precipitation (inches)

The Forest Around Crescent City

Dominant tree species within about 10 km — the hosts that shape which mushrooms grow here.

  • Redwood42.3%
  • Douglas-fir16.2%
  • Western Hemlock16.1%
  • Red Alder11.7%
  • Sitka Spruce6.8%

Species to Know Near Crescent City

Lobster Lobster Peaks in September Photo: Drew Henderson, Mushroom Observer (CC BY-SA)

Common Questions

When is mushroom season in Crescent City?

Near Crescent City, most mushroom activity arrives with the fall rains. The strongest months in the local observation record are September, October, and November.

When do morels fruit near Crescent City?

Morel reports in the surrounding region peak in April. Timing tracks soil temperature, so south-facing slopes and lower elevations start earlier and higher ground runs later.

What mushrooms grow near Crescent City?

13 species show up in the observation record within about 10 miles of Crescent City, including King Bolete, Chanterelle, Hedgehog, Oyster, Lobster, Lion's Mane / Bear's Head, Blewit, The Prince. The calendar above shows when each one typically fruits.

Want live conditions instead of climatology? The Forayz map layers soil moisture, soil temperature, snow cover, and recent burns over the same area.

Nearby Calendars in Northern California

Climate normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020). Season-onset timing is an air-temperature proxy, not a soil reading.