Morel Mushroom Hunting

Hike through the beautiful woods in the Charlevoix area to locate the elusive and delicious morel mushroom. There are many accounts on where and how to find them and most seasoned hunters will never give out information on their "spot". You may find them near dead or dying elms, old apple orchards, old ash, and poplar trees. It truly can be a hit-and-miss adventure at times, so don't get discouraged and try again in another area or another day.

Morels thrive in or near wooded areas. Look for oak, ash, or elm trees. You will often find them on south-facing slopes and hills in fairly open areas early in the season, and on north-facing slopes later in the season. They tend to grow in well-drained soil-like sand and river beds and will often be found near water. Begin your hunting when temperature highs are in the 60s and lows stay above 40 degrees. 

When hunting for morels it's important to keep safety in mind; there are a lot of look-a-likes that are toxic and harmful. Morels are generally light beige in color (but get yellower as the season progresses), with darker browns in the folds of the caps. The stems are light in color, sometimes white, and hollow. Avoid mushrooms with long stems and darker, smaller caps, as these, can sometimes cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Look for patterns. Where you find one morel, you will often find more. And once you find a good spot, look for other spots with similar features on your subsequent hunts. 

If you want to try morel flavored cuisine, local restaurants also have an amazing selection of food: 

• Grey Gables
• Terry's Place
• Stafford's Weathervane