Shawnee NF

Good

Shawnee National Forest in southern IL. Oak-hickory forest with tulip poplar and sycamore in drainages. Sandstone bluffs create unique microclimates. Old apple orchards scattered throughout. Among the best morel territory in IL.

Trees:White Oak Hickory Tulip Poplar

Updated Oct 11, 5:07 AM MT

AI Conditions Report

AI-generated · verify in field

Shawnee NF is rated Good for fruiting: soil is sitting at 62.6°F with no drought, the moisture trigger is met, and nearly every species on the list has cleared its thresholds for a full 7 days. Moisture is the limiting factor. Only 0.32" fell in the last 7 days and 1.08" over 14, with soil moisture at 0.17 VWC today against a 0.20 weekly average, so it's drying down. That's enough to carry established flushes, but not enough to kick off big new ones. The best bets are the fall woody-substrate species: Hen of the Woods, Chicken of the Woods, Lion's Mane, Honey Mushroom, Jack-o-Lantern, Beefsteak Polypore, and Bear's Head Tooth. Blewits, Shaggy Manes, Wine Caps, and puffballs are also viable in the open ground. Black Trumpet is the only moderate call: the mycelium is waking up with just 3 of 7 days above threshold, so expect sparse or early fruitings. Elegant Stinkhorn is also less sustained, at 5 of 7 days. Watch the forecast for a soaking rain of 0.5" or more. It would push this from Good toward Excellent and trigger a fresh flush within about 5-10 days. If no rain comes, expect fruiting to taper as the soil dries, with ground-dwelling species fading first. Woody-substrate species hold moisture longer. Several deadly species are fruiting right now alongside the edibles, including Death Cap, Destroying Angel, Deadly Galerina, and Green-Gill Lepiota. Pay close attention to ID on any small brown mushrooms or white-gilled lawn and woodland species. Hot tip: With moisture marginal, hunt north-facing slopes, drainage bottoms, and the bases of large oaks, where the moisture holds longest, and prioritize hardwood stands for hen and chicken.

Generated by Claude (Anthropic) from the structured weather, soil, and phenology data on this page. The LLM can misread edge cases — treat this as a starting hypothesis, not a guarantee. Always verify conditions on the ground before committing to a long drive.

Foraging Potential80/100

✅Moisture

✅Soil Temp

✅No Freeze

✅No Drought

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Nearby Camping

Within(24)

Teal Pond Campground

dispersed

~0.7 mi from centerFree/night

Red Bud Campground

~9.4 mi from center

Reserve →

Group

developed

~9.7 mi from center

Oak Point Campground

developed

~9.8 mi from centerFee required/night

toiletshower

Reserve →

⚠ Road Access Notice

Always verify road access is public before following GPS directions to mountain areas. Many forest roads are seasonal, gated, or require 4WD. Dispersed camping follows USFS/BLM rules (typically 14-day limit). Check ranger district offices for current road and campground conditions.

Viable Species

Confidence × Primordia state

HIGHPrimed

Chicken of the WoodsLaetiporus sulphureus

All conditions met (soil 63°F, sustained 5/7 days above threshold, today 0.17 VWC, 7d avg 0.20)

HIGHPrimed

Hen of the WoodsGrifola frondosa