Foraging in Washington

3 locations in Washington checked against the rules of the agency that manages each one: 2 allowed, 1 need a permit. Each page gives the permit requirements, limits, restrictions and penalties, with the primary sources it was checked against.

Rules last checked between June 2026 and July 2026

2 Allowed

1 Permit Required

Loading map…

All 3 Foraging Sites in Washington at a Glance

Site	Verdict	Key condition	Checked
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National ForestSnohomish	Permit Required	Free-use permit required before harvesting — must be obtained in person at a ranger district office	2026-06-29
Okanogan-Wenatchee National ForestChelan Okanogan Kittitas Yakima	Allowed	Personal-use collection limited to 1 gallon per day per species under 36 CFR § 261.10 — no permit required	2026-07-01
Olympic National ForestJefferson	Allowed	Personal-use limit: 1 gallon per person per day; no permit required for personal use	2026-06-22

Site Guides

Permit Required

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Washington, Snohomish·Foraging

Foraging in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest requires a free-use permit obtained in person at a ranger district office before harvesting. Personal use is capped at 5 gallons per household per year; all designated wilderness areas within the forest are closed to collection.

Free-use permit required before harvesting — must be obtained in person at a ranger district office
Personal use limit: 5 gallons per household per year across the entire forest

Allowed

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Washington, Chelan Okanogan Kittitas Yakima·Foraging

Foraging is allowed on Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest under standard USFS personal-use rules: 1 gallon per day, no advance permit. Unlike the adjacent Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF to the west, no in-person permit is required before harvesting.

Personal-use collection limited to 1 gallon per day per species under 36 CFR § 261.10 — no permit required
Commercial harvesting requires a free special-use permit from the relevant ranger district before collecting

Allowed

Olympic National Forest

Washington, Jefferson·Foraging

Foraging is allowed in Olympic National Forest with a 1-gallon/day personal-use limit; no permit required for personal use. The adjacent Olympic National Park prohibits all collection.

Personal-use limit: 1 gallon per person per day; no permit required for personal use
Commercial harvest requires a free Special Use Permit from the applicable ranger district — obtain before collecting

Laws That Apply to These Sites

USFS Personal-Use Foraging Rules: What You Can Pick in National Forests

The US Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forest land, and personal-use foraging of mushrooms, berries, nuts, and greens is allowed on most of it without a permit. The framework comes from 36 CFR § 261.10(a), but each forest sets its own quantity thresholds — and there are real exceptions that catch foragers off guard, from wilderness area bans to the Florida saw palmetto felony that applies even on federal land.

Other Hobbies in Washington

Sea Glass & Beachcombing in Washington(3)