Oregon Mushroom Foraging

One of the local food thrills of the Pacific Northwest is mushroom foraging. The damp, rich soil around Eugene from the Willamette Valley and up into the Cascade Mountains is aptly suited for mushrooms, so much so that this area is known as a year-round mushrooming destination and a home to the acclaimed Oregon truffle. If you are curious to try mushrooms or if you are already a devout mushroom fan, here is your guide to finding and enjoying local mushrooms.

As with any wild edible foraging, it’s important to keep safety at the forefront of your plans and learning to mushroom can be a life-long process. Delve into the fascinating mycelial ecosystems and networks of the Pacific Northwest where mycelium webs connect fungi and roots in a symbiotic relationship of nutrient exchange (mycorrhizae) and discover the delicious fruiting bodies known as mushrooms.

If you are new to mushrooming, or this is your first time foraging in Oregon, reach out to Fungi For The People or the Cascade Mycological Society for local mushrooming tips and information. There are many Pacific Northwest fungi-focused books and groups that can also help you get started with identification basics and safety tips. If you’re a beginner, go with an experienced friend who is willing to pass along their knowledge.

Spring & Summer

• Cantharellus Cibarius (Chanterelle)
  September – November
  Where to find: White and Pacific Golden chanterelles live under conifer trees in second-growth forests. They especially like hiding under fir needles in the “duff layer” sometimes near salal.

• Boletus (Porcini)
  September – November
  Where to find: Fall porcinis can be found in both the Cascade and coastal ranges and are found near pines, oak, hemlocks, Doug firs, grand firs and Sitka spruce usually in new-growth forests.

• Hydnum Repandum (Hedgehog)
  September  – November
  Where to find: while sometimes occasionally found in early spring, this fall favorite can be found near Douglas fir, birch, Sitka spruce and rhododendrons.

• Hypomyces Lactifluorum (Lobster)
  October  – November
  Where to find: Coastal and Cascade ranges near old-growth hemlocks and firs, parasitic to Rusulla or Lactarius and often found near chanterelles.

• Tricholoma Matsutake (not recommended for beginners) *
  September – December
  Where to find: wet areas, with early season mushrooms at higher elevation forests of fir, hemlock and Ponderosa pine. Later in the season, spread over all forest areas including pure lodgepole pine above 4,500 feet elevation. Permits are required on federal lands.
  *Note: There are separate rules for truffles and matsutakes. We recommend only searching for matsutakes if you are an expert as there are many safety precautions to consider.

• Craterellus Tubaeformis (Yellowfoot or Winter Chanterelle)
  October – December
  Where to find: wet areas near decayed wood, Douglas fir and moss.

• Kalapuya Brunnea (Oregon Brown Truffle)
  September - January
  Where to find: underground near 20-50-year-old Douglas firs, pine, oak and hazelnuts — tend to prefer coastal ranges.

• Tuber Oregonense (Oregon Winter White Truffle)
  January - February
  Where to find: underground near 20-30-year-old Douglas firs, pine, oak and hazelnuts — tend to prefer coastal ranges.

• Leucangium Carthusianum (Oregon Black Truffle)
  October - February
  Where to find: underground near 20-30-year-old Douglas firs, pine, oak and hazelnuts — tend to prefer coastal ranges.

Planning to Forage

Start your search at state parks and on national forest lands. Different areas have different regulations including permits, procedures, seasons, limits and more, so find out what is allowed first. Do not pick in campgrounds with posted restrictions, national parks, national wilderness areas, botanical, research and scenic areas or designated non-harvest areas including H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

As always, please stay off private property and respect public land closures. Areas closed due to wildfire or landslides contain unstable and potentially hazardous terrain. 

Pick up a Northwest Forest Pass for parking on federal lands. If you are a senior (62+), you are eligible for a lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass.

Public Lands

• Bureau of Land Management

No permit required for less than a gallon, personal consumption only. Recreational Use or Commercial Use permits are required for more than a gallon. More truffle permit information (PDF). 

• Siuslaw National Forest

No permit required for one gallon or less. Permit required more than a gallon and for commercial use. Special permits and limitations required for Matsutake. More permit information.

• Umpqua National Forest

Free use permits excludes Matsutake harvests. All species must be cut in half lengthwise at the time of harvest. More permit information. 

• Willamette National Forest

No Personal Use Mushroom Permit required for up to 1 gallon (excludes Matsutake) for personal use.  No harvesting of truffles is allowed. More permit information.

• Oregon State Parks

Personal consumption harvests are limited to five gallons per person a day.

Mushrooms at the Markets

Another place to get your fungi fix is at the local farmers' markets. Foragers and cultivators with commercial permits do the dirty work and share the spoils with you. At the Lane County Farmers Market there are two top notch mushroom vendors worth wading through the throngs around their booths. 

• Rain Forest Mushroom Company
  This Oregon Coast family has been growing Oregon Tilth certified organic mushrooms for thirty years and are best known for their medicinal maitake mushrooms. They also raise shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, buttercap mushrooms, scallop mushrooms and lion's mane mushrooms. They have a selection of dried mushrooms and grow-at-home kits if you're feeling the DIY spirit.

• The Mushroomery
  The variety of mushrooms displayed by the Mushroomery is amazing. Both organically grown and ethically wildcrafted in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, these mycologists offers mushroom tinctures, mushroom powders, dried mushrooms and, of course, fresh mushrooms. Learn from them all about how to cook with mushrooms and snag some great recipes. And seasonally, there may even be opportunities to pitch in with work in their greenhouses.

Mushrooms for Dinner

The easiest way to enjoy local mushrooms, without the foraging or the market shopping and cooking, is to go out to dinner! Start with the region's best locavore restaurants that tailor their menus to the seasons. While mushrooms can't be promised every night, these local restaurants are some of your best bets for enjoying what fungi have been freshly foraged from the fields and forests. If mushrooms on the menu are the deciding dining factor for you, we recommend you call ahead for a sneak peek at the day's menu.

• Marché & Le Bar
  In the '70s, Chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel spearheaded locavore and slow dining before they were recognized movements. Today she presides over a Eugene-based culinary empire that excels in some of the finest dining around town. Her dishes are frequently focused on mushrooms from chanterelle pizzetta to grilled portobello sandwiches. If you are lucky, Marché will also be offering one of their quarterly French regional dinners sourcing primarily Oregon ingredients to replicate traditional French dishes.

• North Fork Public House
  This farm-to-fork experience at North Fork Public House makes northwest comfort food with seasonal show stoppers like wild mushroom tagliatelle, lobster mushroom pappardelle and even a truffle burger with grass-fed Oregon beef dressed with a truffle aioli. Don't miss their bacon Bloody Marys and their Oregon Duck football watch parties.

• Party Downtown & Party Bar
  Sprung up from a food cart, this special occasion and casual dining duo features locally-source ingredients in creative southern-style dishes. For example, a sweet corn polenta with summer chanterelles, greens and herbs right from the owners' garden. Delicious! While Party Downtown never aspired to be a fine dining destination (they are still the cart from the block), the quality of food dished up here makes this a go-to restaurant for visitors and locals alike.