Forests › Northern California

Mushroom foraging in Mendocino National Forest

15 of our 17 species have habitat in Mendocino National Forest (about 2,253 km² of public forest mapped). No species is flushing widely this week. Updated every night from the weather forecast.

Where the habitat is

5 km squares: darker green means more of the square is habitat for at least one species. The map shows the zones at 250 m.

Species and seasons

Chicken of the woods (conifer)

Laetiporus conifericola

In season, quiet this week

746 km² of habitat · season here 19 Sep – 5 Nov

Big living or dead conifers: true fir, spruce, hemlock, also pines and redwood; mountains in California, down to the coast further north.

Fall king bolete

Boletus edulis group

In season, quiet this week

556 km² of habitat · season here 23 Oct – 5 Dec

Sitka spruce and shore pine dunes, Bishop and Monterey pine, tanoak–madrone, true fir.

Spring king

Boletus rex-veris

Out of season

439 km² of habitat · season here not enough records

Ponderosa, lodgepole and white fir mixed conifer, red fir; follows the snowmelt line.

Shrimp russula

Russula xerampelina group

Out of season

385 km² of habitat · season here 15 Nov – 16 Jan

Conifer forest (Douglas-fir, spruce, pine, hemlock), mixed evergreen forest in California.

Hedgehog

Hydnum spp.

Out of season

382 km² of habitat · season here 10 Dec – 1 Feb

Douglas-fir, hemlock and spruce; in California tanoak, live oak, madrone and Bishop pine. Late: into winter.

Bear's head

Hericium abietis, H. erinaceus, H. coralloides

Out of season

378 km² of habitat · season here 29 Nov – 22 Jan

Large dead wood: true fir and Douglas-fir logs in the mountains, oak and tanoak in California.

Lobster

Hypomyces lactifluorum on Russula

In season, quiet this week

371 km² of habitat · season here 1 Sep – 9 Nov

Orange mould on short-stemmed russulas under Douglas-fir, spruce, pine and hemlock; late summer to autumn.

Matsutake

Tricholoma murrillianum

Out of season

352 km² of habitat · season here 17 Nov – 31 Dec

Lodgepole and shore pine, Shasta red fir, tanoak; sandy, acidic, well-drained soils.

Oyster

Pleurotus ostreatus group

Out of season

202 km² of habitat · season here 16 Nov – 18 Jan

Dead alder, cottonwood, maple, oak and tanoak; spring and autumn in Oregon and Washington, winter in California.

Cauliflower

Sparassis radicata

Out of season

158 km² of habitat · season here 15 Nov – 7 Jan

At the base of Douglas-fir and pines, often on the same tree year after year; autumn, winter in California.

Black trumpet

Craterellus calicornucopioides

Out of season

134 km² of habitat · season here 28 Dec – 18 Feb

Tanoak above all, also madrone and live oak; moss and deep shade. California and southern Oregon, winter to spring.

Natural morels

Morchella spp.

Out of season

62 km² of habitat · season here 1 Apr – 20 May

Riparian cottonwood, mixed conifer and red fir, aspen; also landscaping wood chips.

Candy cap

Lactarius rubidus, L. rufulus

Out of season

28 km² of habitat · season here 26 Dec – 11 Feb

Tanoak, live oak, Douglas-fir and Bishop pine in the coastal fog belt; winter in California, November further north.

Chanterelle

Cantharellus formosus, C. californicus

In season, quiet this week

14 km² of habitat · season here 3 Oct – 21 Dec

Second-growth Douglas-fir and western hemlock, Sitka spruce; coast live oak in California.

Burn morels

Morchella spp., recent fires

Out of season

1 km² of habitat · season here 1 Apr – 20 May

Conifer forest inside last year's fire perimeters; fruits the first spring after the fire.

"Flushing": at least a fifth of the species' habitat in the forest is rated good or better on one of the next 7 days. Season: the middle half of dated finds in this part of Northern California (GBIF, 2000-2026). How accurate is this?

Picking rules

Rules change: always check with the forest before you go. Wilderness areas, research natural areas and some monuments are closed to picking.

The full forage map

250 m habitat zones for 17 species, a 15-day flush outlook that follows the weather and the terrain, public-land picking rules, field mode with offline maps, picking alerts, and photo check-ins. It is in private beta: ask for an invite.

Ask for an invite

Safety

Never eat a wild mushroom unless an expert has identified it in person. Several deadly species grow in these forests.