Foraging in National Forests: Rules by Forest
Personal-use foraging is allowed on most national forest land under 36 CFR 223.279, but each forest sets its own limits and decides whether you need a free permit.
16 places in 6 states: 15 allowed, 1 permit required. Rules checked between and .
Forest Service regulation 36 CFR 223.279 makes personal-use gathering of mushrooms, berries, nuts and other botanical products free, and leaves each national forest to set the amount and whether you need a free permit or information sheet. The answers differ a lot: Olympic National Forest needs no permit for 1 gallon per mushroom species a year, while Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie requires a free-use permit. Harvesting more than the personal-use level, or anything you plan to sell, needs a paid forest product permit.
Species rules apply on top of the forest's rules. Federally listed endangered or threatened plants can't be collected, and state plant-protection laws still apply on federal land, such as Florida's saw palmetto rule. Commercial harvest isn't permitted in wilderness areas, and some forests restrict personal gathering there too.
The table lists every national forest we've checked, with its verdict and main condition. See USFS personal-use foraging rules for the framework in full, and confirm the current season's rules with the ranger district.
CaliforniaAll foraging rules in California
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino National Forest | Allowed | Incidental personal-use collection of mushrooms and most special forest products is free and capped at 1 gallon per person per calendar month — an explicit numeric figure, unlike the undefined 'incidental amount' standard used at Six Rivers National Forest further north | |
| Six Rivers National Forest | Allowed | Incidental personal-use amounts of mushrooms, berries, and most special forest products are free and require no permit |
FloridaAll foraging rules in Florida
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apalachicola National Forest | Allowed | Gathering berries, mushrooms, nuts and greens for your own consumption needs no permit — National Forests in Florida says no permit is needed "when you are gathering edible material (morels, etc.) for your own consumption" (36 CFR § 223.279 lets each forest set its personal-use level; no quantity is published, so keep it to what you'll eat) | |
| Ocala National Forest | Allowed | Personal-use foraging of common edible plants, berries, mushrooms, and nuts is allowed without a permit for incidental quantities — not for commercial sale (36 CFR § 223.279) | |
| Osceola National Forest | Allowed | No permit for gathering edible material for your own consumption — National Forests in Florida says so on its permits page and publishes no quantity limit (36 CFR § 223.279 lets each forest set its personal-use level) |
MichiganAll foraging rules in Michigan
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huron-Manistee National Forests | Allowed | The forest's own permits page lists gathering edible material "(morels, etc.) for your own consumption" as an activity that needs no permit |
OregonAll foraging rules in Oregon
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deschutes National Forest | Allowed | Personal-use foraging of mushrooms, berries, and common edible plants is allowed without a permit for quantities up to 1 gallon per day (36 CFR § 223.279) | |
| Mount Hood National Forest | Allowed | Personal-use foraging of mushrooms, berries, and greens is allowed without a permit up to 1 gallon per person per day under 36 CFR § 223.279 and Mount Hood NF policy | |
| Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest | Allowed | Personal use: up to 1 gallon per day, no permit required, at no charge | |
| Siuslaw National Forest | Allowed | Personal use: up to 1 gallon per day of any mushroom species except matsutake — no permit required | |
| Umpqua National Forest | Allowed | Personal-use limit is 1 gallon per day per person — no permit required below this threshold | |
| Willamette National Forest | Allowed | Personal-use foraging of mushrooms and berries is allowed without a permit up to 1 gallon per person per day on Willamette National Forest under 36 CFR § 223.279 and Willamette Ranger District policy |
WashingtonAll foraging rules in Washington
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest | Permit Required | Free-use permit required before harvesting — request it from a ranger district; the forest lists 2 weeks to a month for processing, so apply well ahead | |
| Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest | Allowed | Morels for personal use: free, up to 5 gallons per person per day, with the forest's free Incidental Use Mushroom Information Sheet in your possession; check with the ranger district for other species and berries | |
| Olympic National Forest | Allowed | Personal use, no permit: mushrooms up to 1 gallon per species per calendar year; berries up to 1 gallon a day and 3 gallons a year |
West VirginiaAll foraging rules in West Virginia
| Place | Verdict | Main condition | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongahela National Forest | Allowed | No permit for personal use. The forest's own permits page puts gathering a reasonable amount of edible material — mushrooms, ramps and the like — for your own consumption among the activities that require no paperwork. |
The laws behind these verdicts
Sources for the summary above (3)
- 36 CFR § 223.279 — Personal use of forest botanical products (USFS)(accessed 2026-10-12)
- USDA Forest Service — Forest Products and Permits(accessed 2026-10-12)
- Wilderness Act — 16 U.S.C. § 1133, Use of wilderness areas (LII)(accessed 2026-10-12)
Each verdict covers one hobby at one place; the sources for it are on that place's page. Rules change, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. This is not legal advice. Filter every place on the site in the explorer or download the data.