2025Retreat Dates:
Hiles Foray (Hiles, WI) - 2025 dates: July 17-20 - Signup not yet available
Tri-County Foray (Cumberland, WI) - 2025 dates: August 28-31 - Signup not yet available
Northwoods Foray (Cable, WI) - 2025 dates: Sept. 4-7 - Signup not yet available
Rustic Camping Foray (Bayfield, WI) - 2025 dates not yet determined- Signup not yet available
Hiles Foray (Hiles, WI) - 2025 dates: July 17-20 - Signup not yet available
Tri-County Foray (Cumberland, WI) - 2025 dates: August 28-31 - Signup not yet available
Northwoods Foray (Cable, WI) - 2025 dates: Sept. 4-7 - Signup not yet available
Rustic Camping Foray (Bayfield, WI) - 2025 dates not yet determined- Signup not yet available
Event Descriptions
Hiles Foray in Hiles, WI of Forest County
Chanterelles! Photo by Hiles foray leader & mycologist, Tavis Lynch
Tri-County Foray in Cumberland, WI of Barron County The 3 counties of the "Tri-County" Foray are Washburn, Barron and Burnett. Tri-County foray is located in the home-region of mycologist, mushroom farmer, NorthWestern MycoEnthusiasts organizer and noted Russula guy, Tavis Lynch. What began as a privately-run event is now organized with the Wisconsin Mycological Society, still with NWME and Tavis very much on board and sharing some of his local spots. Tri-County Foray has ranged from a 60-100 person event based in the past, and has been held in Barronett, WI and Cumberland, WI. This upcoming year (2024) we are set to hold it in Cumberland, WI. Tri-County is a favorite for fungi-loving foodies. We have held catered dinners, food demos and hosted foraging experts as speakers and leaders for special foraging events. This foray also has a focus on youth mycology, with kids' activities and a legacy of naming Junior Mycologists who demonstrate exemplary early learning in mycology and give a table talk to the group about our finds. This event has also featured mycology presentations, plant ID walks and UV Night hikes in addition to our fungi forays and scientific inventory of the fungi species found. 2025 dates: August 28-31 |
This ~30-60 person event is centered around the Hiles Town/Fire Hall where we collect our specimens, have table talks about what we found, use the kitchenette to prepare for any potlucks and generally mill around talking fungi. We have a slideshow presentation on a mycological topic by one of the mycologists or a guest.
Hiles is in a beautiful area with a lot of mycological activity and diversity. What we find as always depends on the weather, but they don't claim to be the "Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin" for nothing. We have well-loved foraging spots for chantrelles and both red and green "lobster" mushrooms among other interesting edible species, and trails in unique habitats that are more geared toward being myco-diversity forays, which are wonderful for the scientists and artists among us. Having a fungi foray centered in Hiles started with Dr. Britt Bunyard many years ago and picked up by WMS as an event to support, help run, and keep going. Britt is an Amanita expert and is editor of Fungi Magazine. Thanks Britt! And thank you to all foray leaders, event organizers, local people we work with and lovely attendees who make Hiles foray happen. Hiles 2025 will be the 17th Annual Hiles Foray. 2025dates: July 17-20 
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Northwoods Foray in Cable, WI of Bayfield County
There is very good reason that this foray has been host to the North American Mycological Association annual foray in 2017, and again the regional NAMA foray last year in 2022. This foray has ranged from 80 to over 200 participants and like Hiles began as an event by Britt Bunyard. The forests in Bayfield County have tremendous diversity of plants and mushrooms. Some of the largest amounts of fungi have been historically collected at this event in years past, with some years bringing in upwards of 400 unique specimens. The Laurentian Mixed Forest, also known as the Northwoods, is a transition zone between the true boreal forest to the north and Big Woods to the south, with characteristics of each. Our foray regions may includes areas of broadleaf and conifer forest cover, as well as dry sandy barrens, conifer bogs, and swamps. 2025 dates: September 4-7 
Foray leader Bruch Reed finds happiness (Craterellus species)
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Dr. Patrick Leacock of the Field Museum: a frequent chief mycologist for WMS at the Northwoods Foray
Rustic Camping Foray in Bayfield, WI of Bayfield County
Bayfield County is the northern most county in Wisconsin, right on Lake Superior. This foray has been a 20-40 person event in the past and is a favorite for those who love camping in a secluded location. We stay on private land as guests of the Martinsons. Not so into camping but want to attend? No problem. Some attendees have stayed in hotels in the lovely nearby town of Bayfield, and meet us at the Martinsons each day. A word used often to describe the rustic camping foray experience is "magical". We find quite a lot even in drought years, and when conditions are favorable? You can take a nap in a bed of black trumpets while everyone else collects, wake up, and still find there is enough left for you to pick. We have nightly campfires with fresh-foraged wild mushrooms sizzling for taste tests, a cooking demo on-site, UV night hikes and table talks with the foray leaders to take you on a tour of the mycological diversity & answer your questions. 2024 will be our fourth year of putting on a Rustic Camping foray in Bayfield. 2025 dates: not yet detemrined These photos from Bayfield Rustic Camping 2022 taken by: Jessica Wolff (including one photo from a drone!)
Her Vimeo page with film projects can be seen here: vimeo.com/jessicakempken 
Prepare for overflowing baskets of edible fungi! Our foray leaders really know this area. Especially Bayfield's own local mushroom expert, Arne Martinson. Featured here: Lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, & black trumpets. Photo taken by Jessica Wolff.
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