The Appalachian Trail Forager's Guide

Backcountry Medical Emergency Protocol

1. 1. Stop Eating Spit out any remaining mushroom. Stop all meal consumption immediately.
2. 2. Secure Evidence Place raw specimens, cooked scraps, or vomit into a paper/cloth bag. Medical staff need the physical sample to identify toxins.
3. 3. Signal for Help Call 911 or Poison Control (1-800-222-1222). In dead zones, immediately trigger a satellite SOS (Garmin, ZOLEO, Apple SOS).
4. 4. Track the Clock Note ingestion time and symptom onset. Early symptoms (<2 hours) usually mean stomach upset. Late symptoms (6-24 hours) indicate deadly liver toxins.

Universal Safety Protocols

1. 1. The 100% Rule If you are 99% sure, it is a 100% NO. Never guess.
2. 2. Identify Host Trees Fungi absorb compounds from hosts. Never eat edibles growing on toxic trees like Hemlock, Yew, or Conifers.
3. 3. Sample Conserve Method First time eating a species? Cook and eat a tiny bite, wait 24 hours. Keep one raw specimen safe as backup.
4. 4. Always Cook Thoroughly Raw wild mushrooms contain heat-sensitive toxins. Cook completely to destroy stomach irritants.

Trailside Glossary

Substrate

The specific material a mushroom grows on (e.g., hardwood logs, living trees, soil, or moss).

True Gills

Thin, knife-like, separate blades underneath the cap that split cleanly when touched.

False Gills

Blunt, shallow wrinkles or folds molded into the mushroom body that cannot be cleanly separated.

Volva

A cup-like sac buried in the dirt at the very base of a stem. Universal sign of the deadly Amanita family.

Spore Print

A powdery color pattern left behind overnight by a mushroom cap used to confirm its family tree.

Leave No Trace Foraging

Essential Skill: On-Trail Spore Print Test

1. Slice stem flush with the cap bottom.
2. Place cap gills-down onto paper or a large dark leaf.
3. Cover with a camp cup or bag to lock in humidity.
4. Wait 6 to 12 hours (overnight works best).
5. Remove cap to read the distinct powdery color footprint left behind.

Southern Region (GA, NC, TN, VA)

Humid cove hardwood & oak-hickory forests

EDIBLE

Golden Chanterelle

Cantharellus cibarius

• Yellow-orange coloring
• Apricot aroma
• Grows scattered on dirt
• Underside: false gills (blunt folds forking down the stem)
• Flesh: white internal flesh

VS

TOXIC LOOK-ALIKE

Jack-O'Lantern

Omphalotus illudens

Toxicity: Severe gastrointestinal illness.

• Dense, fused clusters
• Grows directly on wood logs
• Underside: true gills (sharp, knife-like blades)
• Flesh: orange internal flesh

EDIBLE

Meadow Mushroom

Agaricus campestris

• White/brown cap
• Open grassy fields only
• Fragile ring on stem
• Underside: gills start bright pink, aging to deep chocolate-brown
• Spore print: chocolate-brown

VS

TOXIC LOOK-ALIKE

Destroying Angel

Amanita bisporigera

Toxicity: Lethal liver/kidney failure.

• Deep woods near trees
• Skirt-like ring on stem
• Grows from a buried cup (volva)
• Underside: gills remain stark, pure white for life
• Spore print: pure white

Mid-Atlantic Region (WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY)

Transitional oak forests & rocky river valleys

EDIBLE

Chicken of the Woods

Laetiporus sulphureus

• Bright orange top, yellow edge
• Overlapping shelves on hardwood logs
• Meaty texture
• Underside: smooth pore surface (microscopic holes, no gills)

⚠️ WARNING: Only gather from hardwoods. Conifer or Hemlock specimens cause severe vomiting.

VS

TOXIC LOOK-ALIKE

Velvet-Footed Pax

Tapinella atrotomentosa

Toxicity: Severe stomach poisoning.

• Fuzzy dark brown stem base
• Dull, faded color shades
• Underside: true gills underneath

New England Region (CT, MA, VT, NH, ME)

Northern spruce-fir & birch boreal forests

EDIBLE

Honey Mushroom

Armillaria mellea

• Massive tight base clusters
• Tiny hair scales on cap center
• Tough, solid stem
• Spore print: white/cream

VS

TOXIC LOOK-ALIKE

Deadly Galerina

Galerina marginata

Toxicity: Lethal amatoxins.

• Small loose groups on logs
• Smooth, bald wet cap
• Fragile, hollow stem
• Spore print: rusty-brown

EDIBLE

Hedgehog Mushroom

Hydnum repandum

• Creamy orange cap
• Grows on dirt near birch trees
• Snaps like chalk
• Underside: spines/teeth (fragile needles scraped off easily with a fingernail)

✓ FOOLPROOF: No dangerous look-alikes possess spines or teeth along the AT.

✓ No Toxic Look-Alike

No toxic variants carry needles or spines under the cap in this ecosystem.

EDIBLE

Black Trumpet

Craterellus cornucopioides

• Deep gray to pitch black
• Hollow horn/trumpet shape
• Highly camouflaged in dead leaves
• Underside: smooth to slightly wrinkled skin (completely gill-less)

✓ FOOLPROOF: Total hollow shape and color leave zero room for toxic look-alike errors.

✓ No Toxic Look-Alike

No poisonous species display a completely hollow, dark funnel frame.