Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest 2026 Guide
A guide to some of the most popular foraged mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest and suggestions on how to find them
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Finding Morels in Washington — 2026 Season Guide & Map
Finding Morels in Washington Where, when, and how to hunt the Pacific Northwest’s most prized spring mushroom Morels are the mushroom that gets Pacific Northwest foragers out of winter hibernation. From landscape woodchips in March to high-elevation burn sites in July, morel season in Washington stretches across four months and multiple distinct habitats. This guide…
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PNW Boletes
I just finished the first version of a PNW Boletes illustration. It sorts our boletes into general groups by genus, which should help simplify things. Beginners interested in edible boletes should start with Boletus, the king boletes, which are common, tasty, and among the easier boletes to identify. The admirable bolete (Aureoboletus mirabilis) is another…
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What is a toadstool?
Toadstool is an informal, folk term for a mushroom, usually one with an umbrella-like cap on a central stem, and often one that is inedible or poisonous. It has no scientific meaning and does not refer to any specific mushroom or group of mushrooms. Since about 1800 the word has been “popularly restricted to poisonous…
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Tools for finding mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest
Learning to forage and identify mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest takes time. I would like to share some of my favorite sites and apps to help speed up your learning. Even experienced mushroom foragers would likely find a few surprises in here. The best time to pick mushrooms Chanterelles, boletes, morels, and other edible mushrooms…
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Spring Kings in the Eastern Cascades
A group of us met up in the Lake Wenatchee area on Saturday to look for spring kings (Boletus rex-veris). Both morels and spring kings are found predominently in the eastern Cascades. Morels are the first to show up in early May and boletes later in the month and into June or even July at…
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Are Morels Toxic with Alcohol? | What the Evidence Says
Are Morels Toxic When Consumed with Alcohol? What the evidence says about morels, wine, and adverse reactions This is one of the most common questions we hear during morel season. You’ve got a bag of fresh morels and a bottle of wine — should you be worried? The short answer: most people can safely eat…
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Meriwether Lewis on eating morels
June 19, 1806 – Lewis, Meriwether “Cruzatte (Cruzatte, Pierre) brought me several large morells which I roasted and eat without salt pepper or grease in this way I had for the first time the true taist of the morell which is truly an insippid taistless food. our stock of salt is now exhausted except two quarts which…
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Where to find mushrooms on the Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is a wonderful place to look for mushrooms due to the expansive forests and ease at finding mature forests in some breathtaking river valleys. It can be difficult to find the specific boundaries and rules for different types of public land. I hope this map helps. Here is a link to another…
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What to bring mushroom foraging
Packing for a foraging trip involves preparing for your safety, comfort, and pleasure. Much of this list is built around personal preference, length of trip, and local weather conditions. The basics What to wear Mushroom foraging is often in cool, damp forests. Dress for the weather, and be prepared for changing conditions. I typically wear:…
