Hunting for chanterelle mushrooms in New York is one of the most rewarding experiences for a forager. These golden mushrooms are prized not only for their flavor but also for being a great source of vitamin D.

Chanterelles have been part of the human diet for thousands of years, making them one of the oldest-known wild foods. Their long history adds an extra layer of meaning to every find, especially when you stumble across a patch in just the right kind of terrain.

Not every forest floor has the right conditions to grow these mushrooms, but the right combination of trees, moisture, and elevation can make all the difference. It helps to know which kinds of terrain tend to give better results after a good summer rain.

Some places in New York yield not just a handful of chanterelles, but a whole basket filled with different types of edible mushrooms. The difference between a good day and a great one often comes down to knowing exactly where to look.

What We Cover In This Article:

• What Chanterelle Mushrooms Look Like
• Mushrooms That Look Like Chanterelles But Aren’t
• How to Find Chanterelles
• Where You Can Find Chanterelles
• Additional Locations to Find Chanterelles
• When You Can Find Chanterelles

What Chanterelle Mushrooms Look Like

Chanterelles are among the most popular wild edible mushrooms in North America. Here are some of the main types of chanterelles found across different regions of the country:

Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius group)

Golden chanterelles are one of the most recognizable wild mushrooms, with bright yellow to deep orange caps shaped like trumpets. They have thick, wavy edges and shallow ridges underneath instead of true gills.

These mushrooms are known for their fruity, apricot-like scent and a rich, nutty flavor when cooked. They grow in hardwood forests across the eastern, central, and southern United States, often near oaks, beech, or birch trees in late summer through fall.

Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus)

The Pacific golden chanterelle has a bright orange cap with a flared, uneven shape and shallow, blunt ridges underneath. Its sturdy stem is usually pale to light yellow, and the whole mushroom has a smooth, velvety feel.

It has a mild, nutty taste with a hint of fruitiness when cooked. These mushrooms are mostly found in the damp forests of Oregon, Washington, and northern California, often growing under Douglas fir and other conifers in fall and early winter.

White Chanterelle (Cantharellus subalbidus)

White chanterelles are large, heavy mushrooms with a smooth, off-white cap that can look almost golden after rain. The stem is thick and solid, and the surface may feel slightly waxy when fresh.

They have a subtle earthy taste with a gentle, fruity smell that gets stronger in the pan. These mushrooms grow in moist conifer forests along the West Coast, especially in Oregon and northern California, often hiding under thick layers of fir needles.

Smooth Chanterelle (Cantharellus lateritius)

The smooth chanterelle has a soft orange to pale yellow cap with an almost completely smooth underside instead of well-defined ridges. Its cap often blends right into the stem, giving it a rounded, seamless appearance.

It has a mild, slightly peppery flavor and a firm texture when cooked. This mushroom is common in the eastern and southeastern United States, especially in hardwood forests with oak and beech during warm summer months.

Red Chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus)

Red chanterelles are easy to spot thanks to their vivid coral to crimson coloring and compact size. They have a smooth, wavy cap with soft ridges that flow down a short, sturdy stem.

Their taste is delicate and slightly sweet, with a faint fruity smell when fresh. These mushrooms grow in leaf litter across eastern and southeastern forests, often appearing in large groups during warm, wet periods in summer.

Mushrooms That Look Like Chanterelles But Aren’t

Chanterelles have several lookalikes that can confuse even experienced foragers. This is why learning to recognize easy-to-identify wild mushrooms is one of the most important skills for any mushroom hunter. Below are a few mushrooms often mistaken for chanterelles, with details on how to tell them apart.

False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca)

The false chanterelle has a bright orange to orange-brown cap with a fuzzy surface and rolled-in edges. Its gills are thin, crowded, and more regular than true chanterelles.

This mushroom shows up in many parts of the U.S., especially in conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, and the Southeast. It prefers mossy or needle-covered forest floors and often grows on decaying wood.

While not dangerously toxic, it can cause stomach upset and isn’t considered a good edible. Its bitter taste and texture make it unappealing.

Jack-o’-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus illudens, Omphalotus olearius, Omphalotus subilludens)

These mushrooms are often bright orange, grow in clusters, and have true gills that run down the stem. They are best known for their eerie greenish glow at night due to bioluminescence.

Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms are found in hardwood forests throughout the eastern U.S., the Midwest, the Gulf Coast, and parts of California. They typically grow on decaying stumps or buried wood.

All three species are poisonous and can cause severe vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea. They should never be eaten under any circumstances.

Scaly Vase Chanterelle (Turbinellus floccosus)

This mushroom has a thick, vase-like shape with a scaly orange to brownish cap and ridged, wrinkled undersides. Unlike chanterelles, it has a tough texture and a strong, unpleasant odor when mature.

It’s widespread in western states like California, Oregon, and Washington, especially in conifer-heavy mountain forests. Scaly vase chanterelles often grow near pines or firs and appear in summer through fall.

While not deadly, they can cause nausea and gastrointestinal issues and are not considered edible. Their coarse texture and poor flavor also make them undesirable.

Orange Mock Chanterelle (Gomphus clavatus, sometimes called Pig’s Ears)

Despite its nickname, this mushroom is shaped more like a funnel or ear than a true chanterelle. Its surface is wrinkled rather than gilled, and the color ranges from lavender-gray to dull orange-brown.

Orange mock chanterelles are mostly found in higher elevations of the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Rocky Mountains. They grow in coniferous forests, often appearing after rainfall.

Some people report eating them without issues, but others experience stomach upset. The flavor is mild but not especially enjoyable.

Chanterelle Waxy Cap (Hygrocybe cantharellus)

This waxy cap species is small, orange to yellow, and often found in grassy fields or forest edges. It has widely spaced gills and a shiny, moist surface that can be confused with young chanterelles.

It’s more common in the eastern U.S., especially in the Southeast and Midwest during the warmer months. Unlike chanterelles, it thrives in open lawns, meadows, and disturbed soil.

While it is not toxic, it’s considered inedible due to its soft, watery texture and lack of flavor. Its fragile structure breaks down quickly after picking.

How to Find Chanterelles

Chanterelles don’t just grow anywhere. These mushrooms are tied to very specific forests, trees, and soil conditions. Once you learn how to read the land, you’ll start spotting the signs that indicate that chanterelles are likely nearby.

Before you head out, make sure you’re equipped with the right tools by checking out the ultimate forager’s toolkit.

Look Under Mature Hardwood Trees

Chanterelles grow in the ground beneath living trees, especially older hardwoods. In the eastern US, they are most often found under white oak, red oak, and American beech. These trees provide the stable root systems chanterelles need to form their underground mycorrhizal networks.

The best forests are ones that haven’t been logged or heavily disturbed for decades. Look for areas with a mostly closed canopy, scattered light, and a soft carpet of fallen leaves from previous seasons. Avoid young mixed forests with patchy cover or aggressive undergrowth.

Seek Out Mossy Forests with Douglas Fir and Hemlock

In certain places in the country, chanterelles grow in conifer forests dominated by Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock. They favor dense stands of older trees where the ground is covered with needles, moss, and woody debris.

Look in upland areas that stay moist but not wet, especially slopes or forest benches. Avoid low flood-prone areas or ridges that dry out quickly. The most productive patches are often in stands where tree age is consistent and the understory is sparse.

If you’re foraging in suburban greenbelts or wooded edges near neighborhoods, these tips on suburban foraging may help you find promising patches close to home.

Look on Slopes with Soft Soil and Good Leaf Litter

Chanterelles grow in loose, aerated soil that stays moist for days after rainfall but doesn’t turn soggy or compact. The best soil is loamy or sandy loam, with a soft texture and good leaf litter coverage.

You’ll often find them on sloped terrain where water moves through slowly without pooling. Check the uphill edges of stream drainages, old animal trails, or natural shelves on the side of a ridge. Rocky or clay-heavy soil usually means fewer or no chanterelles.

Focus on Cool, Shady Areas with Dense Tree Cover

These mushrooms thrive in shaded woods that stay cool and damp even during warm weather. Ideal spots are under thick canopy cover with limited sunlight hitting the ground during midday.

Moss, ferns, and even scattered patches of clubmoss or Indian cucumber root can be good indicators. If the air feels noticeably cooler and more humid than other parts of the forest, slow down and look closer. Avoid sunny openings, grass-covered clearings, or areas with dense shrubs.

You might also find other simple foods to forage in spring when you’re scouting for early signs of chanterelles.

Search Two to Three Days After a Soaking Rain

Chanterelles fruit after sustained rainfall followed by warm, humid nights. A steady soaking rain rather than short bursts or drizzle is what triggers them to push up through the soil.

Once the ground has been wet for two to three days, and nighttime lows stay above 55 degrees, check likely patches within 48 to 72 hours. Foggy mornings, overcast skies, and mild daytime temperatures in the 60s or 70s are all promising signs. Avoid hot, dry stretches or cold snaps that stall growth.

Keeping track of local conditions and having a system to harvest wild foods effectively makes a big difference during short fruiting windows.

Check Older Forests with Soft, Moist Organic Cover

Chanterelles prefer to grow in areas where the ground is covered with a soft, undisturbed layer of leaf litter or conifer needles. This natural mulch helps maintain consistent soil moisture and creates a stable surface for fruiting.

Forests with years of built-up organic matter tend to be more productive than recently disturbed areas. Avoid spots where the ground is bare, compacted, or covered in grass and brambles, which can signal poor conditions for chanterelles.

Search for Moss Growing at the Base of Mature Trees

Patches of moss are often a good sign, especially when growing near the base of mature trees or across soft, sloping ground. Moss helps retain humidity and indicates soil that holds moisture without being soggy.

Look for green moss around shallow roots, exposed tree bases, or near decomposing wood that still has structure. These microhabitats suggest just the right balance of shade, moisture, and airflow that chanterelles prefer.

Scan the Area Carefully for Other Mycorrhizal Mushrooms

Seeing other mushrooms in the area can be an important clue that the ecosystem is supporting underground fungal networks. Species like russulas, amanitas, or boletes often fruit in the same conditions as chanterelles.

While they don’t always grow together, their presence means the soil and tree relationship is active and healthy. If you notice several types of mushrooms fruiting near hardwoods or conifers after rain, slow down and scan the area carefully.

Many of the same areas also produce easy-to-identify wild roots and tubers during the same season.

Where You Can Find Chanterelles

These are some of the best locations in the state where chanterelles have turned up:

Catskill Park

Catskill Park covers over 700,000 acres and includes some of the oldest forest preserve land in New York. Within that vast, wooded landscape, there are several places where the conditions line up just right for chanterelle mushrooms to grow.

Kaaterskill Clove, with its mix of hardwood forest and deeply shaded ravines, has long been known for its lush, damp undergrowth. That combination of moisture and tree cover creates a promising environment for chanterelles, especially in the wooded slopes along the creek and near the base of Kaaterskill Falls.

Over near the Escarpment Trail, particularly in the forests east of North-South Lake, the ground stays cool and mossy through much of the summer. This area is rich with beech and birch, and the forest floor often has the kind of thick leaf litter where chanterelles can fruit after rainfall.

Further south, the Stony Clove Notch area between Hunter and Plateau Mountains has steep, shaded terrain and dense mixed forest. Along the Stony Clove Creek and on the lower ridges nearby, the soil tends to stay moist enough to support scattered patches of chanterelles beneath the hardwood canopy.

Adirondack Park

Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. Within that enormous expanse, there are several forested, moist, and shaded areas where chanterelle mushrooms are likely to appear after summer rains.

Along the trails near Black Pond in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness, the mixed hardwood forest stays damp thanks to nearby water and thick tree cover. You’ll find broad patches of leaf litter beneath beech and birch—exactly the kind of terrain where chanterelles thrive.

Moose Pond near Saranac Lake is another area with the right blend of forest density and seasonal moisture. The woods along the shoreline and nearby trails have loamy soil, rolling elevation, and just enough sunlight filtering through to support a healthy fungal ecosystem.

Further east, the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness offers miles of spruce-hardwood forest and old logging roads where chanterelles are often found fruiting in mossy, shaded clearings.

Pay attention to the lower slopes near Grizzle Ocean and the trails around Crab Pond—these spots hold moisture well and have a solid mix of older trees and open understory.

Finger Lakes National Forest

Finger Lakes National Forest is the only national forest in New York, nestled between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Nestled among its woodlands are several pockets where the conditions line up just right for chanterelle mushrooms to thrive.

The Interloken Trail stretches nearly 12 miles north to south through a variety of forest types, including mature hardwood stands that offer the leaf litter and shade chanterelles prefer.

Sections of this trail near Burnt Hill Road pass through moist low slopes and old growth patches that are especially promising during peak fruiting season.

Just off Chicken Coop Hill Road, the Backbone Trail cuts across forested ridges and dips into fern-covered hollows. These hollows are fed by seasonal runoff and remain damp well into the summer, creating ideal ground for chanterelles to emerge along the trail’s shaded segments.

At the southern end of the forest near Potomac Road, the Blueberry Patch Campground area includes several unmarked paths that weave through oak and beech woods. The natural leaf cover and gentle terrain here have the kind of ground conditions where chanterelles are often found pushing up through mossy soil.

Allegheny National Forest

The New York portion of Allegheny National Forest stretches into the state just north of the Pennsylvania border, where the terrain becomes more rugged and the canopy thickens with mature hardwoods.

Northwest of Quaker Lake, the Bear Caves Trail winds through old-growth areas with abundant leaf litter and well-drained slopes—prime conditions for chanterelle growth. The trail’s proximity to seasonal runoff channels and mixed oak stands makes it a reliable bet during wet spells.

Along the southern edges of Stoddard Hollow, a shaded tributary of Bay State Brook, you’ll find mossy banks and groves of beech and birch—two tree types commonly associated with chanterelles.

The terrain here stays cool and damp even during dry weeks, helping keep the duff layer just moist enough to support mushroom emergence.

Further east, near the Beck Hollow area, scattered clearings along old logging tracks create partial sunlight conditions beneath a patchwork of maples and hemlocks. These semi-open spots often have enough ground cover and humidity to support chanterelles without being overly dense or shaded out.

Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park is often called the “Grand Canyon of the East” thanks to its deep gorge carved by the Genesee River. With its rugged terrain, dense forests, and mixed hardwood stands, it also happens to offer the kind of environment where chanterelle mushrooms tend to grow.

Along the Trailside section near Wolf Creek, the shaded woods and gentle slopes create an ideal mix of leaf litter and moisture. The combination of hemlock groves and beech trees there gives you a good shot at spotting golden chanterelles tucked into the forest floor.

The area around Deh-ga-ya-soh Falls, near the southern end of the park, stays humid in the summer and supports a healthy understory. Chanterelles have been found in similar conditions nearby, especially where oak and birch trees dominate the upper canopy.

Portions of the Big Bend overlook loop trail, particularly the wooded edges leading down toward the river, also pass through zones that match typical chanterelle habitat. You’ll notice mossy ground, filtered sunlight, and patches of decaying leaves—all signs you’re in the right kind of place.

Additional Locations to Find Chanterelles

Here are even more spots across New York where chanterelles have been found growing in the wild:

When You Can Find Chanterelles

Chanterelles are one of the most prized wild mushrooms in North America, and knowing when to find them is just as important as knowing where they grow.

Their season depends heavily on rainfall, temperature, and the type of forest they grow in, which can vary across the United States. They often grow alongside other seasonal favorites like easy-to-identify wild fruits and berries, especially in wetter climates.

In the southeastern states, chanterelles often appear in early summer, especially after steady rains in May or June. They can continue fruiting through August or even into September in cooler, shaded areas. Southern Appalachian forests are known for producing long chanterelle seasons when the weather stays damp.

In the Midwest and Northeast, chanterelle season usually starts a little later. Most fruiting begins in late June or early July, following heavy summer storms. The season typically peaks in July and August, especially in mixed hardwood forests with plenty of leaf litter.

On the West Coast, the timing changes again. In California and the Pacific Northwest, chanterelles generally show up in the fall, especially after the first soaking rains of October or November. They can continue into January if the weather stays cool and wet.

Elevation also plays a role. In mountainous areas, you might find chanterelles at lower elevations early in the season, with higher elevation patches coming in a few weeks later. This can stretch the season out over several months if conditions are right.

The key is to track rainfall and watch local temperatures. Chanterelles thrive when the ground is moist but not soggy and the air is warm but not hot. If you pay attention to those patterns, you’ll start to notice the window when they reliably appear in your area.

While you’re planning your next outing, take a moment to read up on wild seeds, nuts, and berries that are easy to identify—they often grow in the same forest ecosystems.