Yes. Mushroom picking on Mt. Hood National Forest is allowed for personal use without a permit, up to a daily and yearly amount set by the Forest Service. Stay inside the open areas on the district mushroom maps, pick in a way that protects the fungus underground, and be completely sure of every mushroom you eat. Selling mushrooms takes a commercial permit.
Personal-use picking is allowed inside the usual harvest areas shown on the Forest's mushroom maps. There are three district maps: Barlow and Hood River on the east side, Clackamas River, and Zigzag. Parts of those areas can close after fires or storms, so check current alerts before you head out.
Picking is not allowed in:
Designated wilderness and the Tilly Jane Proposed Wilderness
Research natural areas and Camp Baldwin
Developed recreation areas such as campgrounds
Riparian areas along rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands
Municipal watersheds and any other area marked as non-harvest
Cut the stem or gently pluck the mushroom so the fungal network in the soil stays whole.
Use a knife or tool no wider than one inch. Never rake the ground, dig with a shovel or pull mushrooms up by force.
Press back any soil you move, fill holes, and step lightly.
An open basket lets spores fall as you walk, which helps the next crop.
Keep a rough count of how much you picked today and this year.
Never eat a mushroom you cannot identify with certainty. Many edible mushrooms on Mt. Hood have poisonous look-alikes, and a Forest Service guide warns that a single bite of the wrong one can kill. Learn from an experienced forager, carry a good field guide, and throw out anything you are unsure about.
Do
Don't
To sell, barter or trade mushrooms, or to pick more than the personal yearly amount, you need a commercial mushroom permit from a Mt. Hood district office. The fee is set by the gallon and depends on whether the permit includes matsutake, and buying more gallons adds days to the permit. Commercial pickers get a paper copy of the Forest's mushroom map along with the permit.
Not for personal use. Mt. Hood National Forest lets each person pick a limited amount for their own table without a permit, under its incidental use policy. As of November 2026, the Forest Service sets that amount at 1 gallon a day and 10 gallons a year. Selling mushrooms, or picking more, takes a commercial permit from a district office.
Yes. Matsutake may be picked for personal use on Mt. Hood National Forest within the same daily and yearly limits as other mushrooms. Picking matsutake to sell takes a commercial permit that includes matsutake, which is priced differently from a permit for other mushrooms.
No. Truffle hunting and truffle harvest are banned on Mt. Hood National Forest, for personal and commercial use alike. Truffles grow underground, and the Forest does not allow digging for them.
No. Mushroom picking is prohibited in designated wilderness on Mt. Hood National Forest, and also in research areas, developed recreation sites, riparian areas along rivers and streams, and other areas marked as non-harvest. Use the district mushroom maps to find areas that are open.
Mushrooms come up in both spring and fall around Mt. Hood. A Forest Service guide names spring as the best time for morels and oyster mushrooms, and fall for chanterelles, king boletes, matsutake and puffballs. Personal-use limits apply all year.
Burned areas carry extra risk. The Forest Service warns of falling trees and limbs, stump holes, loose rock, and a higher chance of landslides, debris flows and flash floods, especially in wind or heavy rain. Stay out of areas still closed after a fire, skip windy days, and leave at once if the wind picks up.
Rules change. These pages are the source of truth.
