Morel's Out of the Bag: Map Shows Where to Find Mushrooms

If you want to get your hands on some Michigan morel mushrooms, the state’s Department of Natural Resources has developed an interactive map to assist in your search. (Photo courtesy of Michigan DNR)

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Can this be?

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering interactive map that will guide morel mushrooms hungers to prime habitat for the elusive springtime delicacies?

Are they new? Don’t they know that where the spring delicacies lurk is as carefully guarded a secret as, say, the location of a key to a strongbox filled with gold bars?

If you’re a morel mushroom aficionado, you have to love government transparency.

The map highlights sites 10 or more acres where wildfires and prescribed burns occurred in 2014.

“Morel mushrooms are often found in locations where large fires occurred the previous year,” Paul Kollmeyer, resource protection manager for the DNR Forest Resources Division said in a news release. “Each spring we get calls from people who are seeking details on those sites to hunt morels. We’ve created this map to give our customers the information they are looking for in a mobile-friendly, easily accessible package.”

The interactive MI-Morels includes forest covertype information, latitude and longitude coordinates, and state land boundary information. They’re more likely to be found under the forest canopy than grassy areas with open sunlight.

See Also:

• Morel Mushrooms Sprouting in Michigan: Share Your Photos
• Magic of the Mushrooms: Family Memories Spun Around Morels

Even with the maps, a successful hunt isn’t guaranteed. Finding mushrooms is often dependent on the right fusion of atmospheric conditions, pollen counts, location and plain good luck. With rain and temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s in the forecast through Monday, conditions could be perfect to find morels.

“While the map may provide details on the covertype that was burned, it’s up to the user to investigate whether morel mushrooms are growing at any location on the map,” Kollmeyer said. “Just because a spot is marked on the map, it doesn’t mean morels will be growing at the area identified. We’re providing a resource, but it’s up to the hunters to head out to the forest and see what’s available.”