Forage for Urban Mushrooms

San Francisco, California

4 hours

1 - 20 People

4 Reviews

Details

Discover the basics of mushroom hunting and identification with Alan, a mycologist who has spent the last ten years collecting and identifying mushrooms. He recently discovered a new type of hallucinogenic mushroom right here in San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park is full of mushrooms that are edible, toxic, and even psychedelic. Take a trip around the park with him to learn about the many varieties that call San Francisco home. Depending on what you're looking for other areas are also available.

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Itinerary

A brief overview of how to identify mushrooms and then a fun foraging experience with a seasoned mycologist. Many people will want to do this in Golden Gate Park, but you can also choose another destination based on what you are looking for. If you want edibles and random mushrooms, somewhere out in the woods is best around Point Reyes or the hills above Redwood City. For psychoactive mushrooms, Golden Gate Park is a good starting point.

Reviews

James N.

Alan is encyclopediacally knowledgeable about mushrooms making a great guide you will learn a lot from

Nick N.

Mushroom hunting – its weird, intriguing, and definitely awesome. Alan is the Mushroom King/Expert! He was extremely knowledgeable about every strange shroom that we came across. Whether they were edible, poisonous, or magic, Alan would immediately identify the specimen and fill us in its strange properties. When we first went out foraging, I was astounded that Alan would simply lift us an unsuspecting pile of brush only to uncover little mushroom towns! After a while I started finding mushrooms all over – everything from giant, red, Super-Mario-type mushrooms, to rust colored, spongy shrooms, to dark purple, poisonous ones. It was a one of a kind experience I would recommend to anyone curious about the amazing world around them. Not only will you walk away with some really interesting knowledge, but also a few delicious edible mushrooms that you can cook up at home – and maybe even some strange, magic ones…

Nancy Y.

Going mushroom foraging with Alan was a fun and educational experience. You can really tell he knows what he's talking about, and his enthusiasm was infectious. Definitely a good wintertime activity in the Bay Area, since it's the peak season for mushrooms. I recommend this tour to anyone who's interested in mushrooms, because Alan is a great teacher!

June L.

This tour is amazing! I went on it with tons of other mushroom enthusiasts, but it's a great experience best shared with small groups. It started off with a brief talk where he showed about 20 different types of mushrooms and taught us everything from how to read a spore print to what the laws are around picking and consumption of wild mushrooms. From gelatinous brain-like mushrooms to ones that looked like starfish to ones that have hallucinogenic properties, there are so many different types of mushrooms thriving in this cool, damp, and foggy fungal paradise that is Golden Gate Park. Every time we found a different kind of mushroom, we took it to Alan to identify. He looked at them and could tell immediately what type of mushroom it was, or with the help of some scratching (to inspect the layers) and tasting (much to our dismay). Whether you’re looking for something that has mind expanding powers or just some delicious wild mushrooms for your upcoming dinner party, Alan knows the best ways to prepare them and, more importantly, which ones not to consume. Eating the wrong type of mushroom can be deadly, so it’s best to go with an expert who knows what he’s talking about!