What changed in Michigan foraging and collecting for 2026

Updated June 2026. The lightest what-changed page on the site — these rules are old and stable, and the calendar does the work.

The 2026 notes

• MDARD’s spring reminder, issued again this May: wild-foraged mushrooms may reach restaurants and retailers only after inspection by a certified mushroom identification expert. That’s the Food Code requirement, and certification programs are the path. Public-land mushrooms remain unsellable regardless.
• Fuelwood permits and maps reset annually. Confirm the current fee and mapped areas at the DNR before fall cutting.
• Metal-detecting designated areas are maintained park by park — each park’s page is the list.
• The bedrock rules are unchanged, as they have been for decades: the 25-pound rock limit, take-the-fruit-leave-the-plant, the artifact line, and the Ginseng Act.

The real calendar

This hub runs on seasons. Morels late April through May — the burn-area map refreshes with spring. Berries in July. Beach stones all summer (squirt bottle weather). Yooperlite nights in the fall shoulder. Fuelwood in September, before the snow. Re-read accordingly.

The signpost

The DNR’s foraging pages and MDARD’s food-safety guidance are the official word. Start with the foraging pillar — and see the season’s other changes at hunting, fishing, ORV, camping, boating, and wildlife.