Great mushroom forage 101 for the beginner! Will definitely recommend to friends in the area! read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

If someone had told me a year ago that I'd spend 2 hours and 15 minutes on a cold November morning willingly learning about mushroom identification and foraging, I would have laughed... and yet here we are. This experience with Forage Seattle (booked through Airbnb Experiences) was the perfect blend of education and exploration, and our guide Vassilissa made what could have been a dry lecture into a genuinely engaging forest adventure. We arrived promptly at 9:30am on November 9th at Bridle Trails State Park (you'll need a Discover Pass to park, which costs $45 annually). The Google Maps pin was accurate, and the only minor hiccup was that the portable restroom was being serviced that morning - so plan accordingly. Our group of seven joined four other participants, making it an intimate 11-person experience that still felt personal and interactive. What struck me immediately was how knowledgeable Vassilissa was - until she casually mentioned (at the very end!) that she was relatively new to guiding, we would have NEVER known. She demonstrated her expertise through every identification, every answer to our random questions, and every teaching moment when we stumbled upon something unexpected.We spent the first hour at the picnic tables. The setup was beautiful - black tablecloths, mushroom identification guides, jars of foraged specimens, and all the tools we'd need spread before us. She walked us through essential safety tips (the most memorable being "when in doubt, throw it out"). We learned about the seasonality of mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest (you can forage 10 months out of the year!), how to identify a mushroom by examining the cap, stem, and gills/pores, and how to use the specialized foraging knife with its curved brush. She explained each tool: the perforated basket (to redistribute spores as you walk), the UV flashlight (which she demonstrated on fluorescent mushrooms - SO cool), the lighter (for the maple syrup smell on candy cap mushrooms), and the identification guide.One of my favourite revelations? The mushroom emoji is actually a poisonous mushroom (Amanita muscaria). Who knew?! After our classroom session, we crossed into Bridle Trails State Park's forested trails. Vassilissa explained what to look for when hunting edible mushrooms: ideal conditions, the importance of "duff" (that thick layer of decomposing organic matter on the forest floor), and how to identify both edible and inedible specimens. We got INCREDIBLY lucky with the weather - a dry, sunny fall day that was cold but not uncomfortably chilly. Fun fact: if the forest is more than 50 percent red cedar, you won't find edible mushrooms! We primarily hunted for chanterelles but also found Zellers bolete mushrooms along the trail. While our collective bounty wasn't massive (each person walked away with a handful), the process of learning to spot them was incredibly satisfying. Every time someone found a mushroom, Vassilissa would get visibly excited and turn it into a teaching moment - examining characteristics, explaining what made it identifiable, and sharing fascinating facts. One memorable moment was when Vassilissa offered us homemade reishi tea that she'd brewed from mushrooms she personally foraged. The earthy, slightly bitter taste was fascinating (and apparently packed with immune-boosting properties).Beyond the practical skills, I learned genuinely surprising things. Did you know that ANY dog can be trained to be a truffle dog (chihuahuas and Burmese mountain dogs were examples)? Vassilissa's approach meant we could ask random questions and she'd thoughtfully explain her perspective (she's a self-proclaimed plucker!). The experience felt less like an educational lecture and more like a fun field trip with an enthusiastic friend who happens to know EVERYTHING about fungi. That's the magic of good teaching - you don't even realize how much you're absorbing because you're genuinely engaged. After foraging, we headed back where Vassilissa shared information about group trips, foraging permit requirements, and the best PNW spots (Mount Rainier but NOT the North Cascades!). She demonstrated how to properly clean mushrooms. As a parting gift, we each received a goody bag of cultivated King Oyster mushrooms grown in Seattle. There was also an opportunity to purchase the Opinel foraging knife or the tabbed identification book. We were complete beginners, and Vassilissa met us exactly where we were with patience and enthusiasm. If you've ever been curious about mushroom foraging, or you're looking for a unique outdoor activity that combines education with gentle adventure, Forage Seattle delivers in every possible way. Just bring your curiosity (and maybe use the restroom before you arrive). read more

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I had a great experience with girl friends. Instructions to get to the site were very clear. Angela was very good at answering questions when I called in. Ben, our guide was very informative, giving us great reminders for mushroom safety. read more

had an amazing time! Ben is the best. Definitely definitely do this class don't miss it

Super awesome class, lots to learn and appreciate about nature and mushrooms. Angela is an amazing host and teacher; gets you to love and appreciate all that nature has to provide. It was our first time foraging and the whole experience was outstanding! Super fun to come alone or with friends, all ages and love/knowledge experience. The cooking class was super fun too, learned so many things about cooking mushrooms that I now realized I have not been doing. This is your sign to book the class and forage some fun! Definitely recommend! read more

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Such a fun informative class. Highly recommend !!! Can't wait to use my skills to forage on my own

I had an absolute BLAST doing the Chef-Led Intro to Gourmet Mushroom Foraging & Cooking class with Angela. Despite the rain, she was super prepared (even providing hand warmers, tea/coffee) and we stayed nice and dry during the cooking experience. She is super hilarious, entertaining, and really knows her stuff. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone! read more

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I booked the Seattle Mushroom 101 tour in late September. The booking process was clearly communicated and the location was fairly accessible (note that there was an option to pay for parking) I found the interactive portion of the class to be the most interesting and we were able to see a variety of mushrooms! Bring a notebook to take notes! I do communications and workshop facilitation in my day job and so I might make a few recommendations about improving the structure and flow of the sit-down learning portion, but overall it was a good starting point for future learnings. read more

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Incredible class- very comprehensive program led by an experienced forager. V started us with a beautiful appetizer and was able to explain dishes from every mushroom we encountered on the trail. She absolutely nailed it on her organization and preparedness! read more

I learned so much about local mushrooms! We did not forage a lot, but learned the skills to go back again on our own. Thank you, Ben! read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

Such a fun and educational experience! The mushroom forage group was incredibly well organized, and the guide was both knowledgeable and passionate about fungi. I learned so much about identifying different species safely while enjoying a beautiful walk in nature. Highly recommend it to anyone curious about mushrooms or just looking for a unique outdoor activity! read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

Amazing experience! The guide Ben was super knowledgeable and friendly, and we found some beautiful mushrooms. Great way to spend a weekend morning -- highly recommend for anyone who loves nature and good company. read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

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Such an awesome experience! Absolutely obsessed! V and Angela were both so knowledgeable and fun to learn from! Can't recommend this enough! I will be taking more classes from them in the future! read more

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What a fun time! Angela was a knowledgeable and entertaining guide/host. We did a walk where she told us about everything we saw, including greens we used for a salad, then had a snack back at the tables. I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in mycology or just cooking w shoots. read more

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Such a nice experience. Although we went in not peak season, we foraged Turkey tail, saw baby oyster mushrooms, and an off season death cap mushroom. V was a great host. I enjoyed her vibes and her passion for mycology. read more

Ben was fantastic - so knowledgeable and so personable! Had a wonderful time with my friend Sharon!

Such an amazing experience with Angela! We found some really cool mushrooms and went on a nice short hike with our group. Some cooking tips for mushrooms that I had never known before! We got to try some mushroom jerky which was marinated & double dehydrated and even reishi tea. The mushrooms that we cooked were matsutake that Angela foraged on Monday in Packwood and black pearl. Delicious. We also tried some of her famous nettle shortbread cookies. Also, Angela might secretly be a stand up comedian because I laughed the entire event. So fun! Thanks Angela. Highly recommend this experience. read more

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Fun 101 class for mushroom identification and some foraging. Ben was a great teacher! read more

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Super fun event! Angela is so funny, attentive and an expert at everything related to mushroom. The tour includes learning about mushrooms, foraging, cooking and tasting the goods. Super fun, engaging and educational the whole way through. read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

Ben was great, very knowledgeable and provided many details on every mushroom found. He's great if you're a beginner and just starting it an expert looking to talk about the deeper aspects of mycology. The given mushrooms are a great final treat for the visit! read more

We attended the chef led mushroom foraging class with Angela and had a fantastic time! She was super knowledgeable, showed us how to cook mushrooms, and where to find them. Would highly recommend anyone to attend this if they're looking to get into mushroom foraging! read more

Couldn't recommend the Savor the Wild tour for learning about mushrooms enough - I came in with very minimal knowledge of mushrooms and came out with a whole new level of appreciation and enjoyment of them. There are delicious and tasty samplings of ways to prepare mushrooms as well as a small hike through the woods to uncover the vast world of mushrooms out there, and there's a LOT. Highly highly recommend if you have a spare weekend. read more

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Forage Seattle delivers an unforgettable outdoor experience, and Ben is a major reason why. He's knowledgeable, welcoming, and passionate about wild foods, making the tour both fun and genuinely educational. His ability to explain foraging in a clear, engaging way helps everyone feel confident and excited. If you want a unique, nature-focused Seattle adventure, a tour with Ben is an easy recommendation. read more

Angela was an amazing guide! We found parasol, reishi, and oyster mushroom during our into to mushroom foraging! Very informational and fun experience. Can't wait to start hunting for mushroom read more

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Had a great time learning with Ben. Saw a lot of cool mushrooms and learned a ton along the way. If you're interested in learning more about mushrooms, check this program out! read more

We had the best time with Ben! Thank you for showing us what you know and getting us started. Highly recommend!

Super fun and educational experience! Started with some mushroom tea/coffee, and a demonstration of small bite prep and tasting. Spent around an hour in the woods finding mushroom and learning about them. Came back to the table and started cooking some mushrooms ‍ we also took home some Reishi tea at the end :) *Chef-lead experience read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

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So much fun! Ben was knowledgeable and made it lots of fun. I feel much more equipped for hunting mushrooms.

V was very informative during our mushroom forage 101! I learned a lot during our forage and was able to forage some lobster and oyster mushrooms during the hike! It was a fast class and we were able to eat some mushrooms after! read more

Ben was an amazing instructor and this was a great event. We learned a lot and found lots of yummy shrooms. read more

Forage Seattle - Edibles - Food Tours Near Me

Did the forage beginner and cooking class with Vassilissa on a rainy and cold day. Highly recommend! She did a great job keeping everyone engaged with foraging and ID'ing, and my favorite part was eating what we cooked lol read more

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Had a wonderful time foraging, learning and collecting mushrooms. Achieved the goal of getting on step closer to not dying. Thanks again, Ben! read more

Amazing experience! So informative and we found Oyster mushrooms that we are taking home. Ben was the best!

We had a very educational and fun experience with Forage Seattle! Highly recommended if you're a beginner forager. You'll be introduced to the basics of ID mushrooms and will get to take home your finds. read more

Booked the oyster and clam digging tour for a couple friends and I. We've never tried anything like this before and were excited to try it. Before the actual tour day, Angela sent out text messages reminding us of the important details. It kept us very prepared. The actual tour itself started with an introduction, a raw oyster tasting, then we were given supplies, and we set out to hunt for shellfish. The entire time, we felt very well taken care of. Our guide, Ben, was super knowledgeable about shellfish and you could tell he was super passionate and loved the job. I mainly focused on digging for clams, so the guides came around to give me some oysters as well. We then took some time to clean our catch, shuck the oysters, and then went home. Overall, a super fun experience. I'd definitely recommend it if you've never dug for oysters/clams before and want a little taste of the experience. It is a bit pricey but with the guides' expertise and provided supplies, I think it was a reasonable price to pay. read more

Super interesting! Gets a good whiff in getting into foraging shroomies! It goes by very fast but super fun and informative! read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

This was my first time foraging, and I'm so glad I gave it a try. There was no need to worry about lack of experience - our guide Ben was incredibly thorough in going over the essentials before we even hit the trail. And the tea/coffee provided was very welcome as a way to warm up and awaken our senses before it was time to browse the woods. We didn't gather much, but the experience was more about learning how to pursue specific mushrooms and learning their appropriate habitats. The cooking demo and the bag of cleaned, prepared mushrooms to take home were both a nice touch as well. The cost seemed reasonable for the group size and the level of attention we each received, but it is important to note that an experience like this is an investment supporting a high quality small business. I look forward to trying other offerings from this company after I've saved up for them! read more

Forage Seattle - Food Tours Near Me

Took the educational mushroom class and it was such a wonderful and unique experience! Living in the PNW there are a lot of mushrooms and it's great to have some knowledge as to what some of them are! Definitely recommend taking the class! read more

Forage Seattle - Yellow Coral Mushrooms! - Food Tours Near Me

V was great! Learned a lot about local mushrooms and safe foraging tips with the foraging/cooking class. Also did the chanterelle trip and it was great!!! read more

Really fun and informative! V was a great guide and really knowledgeable. And the food was delicious.