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6,500–11,400 ft · AZ🚗 Directions
Apache-Sitgreaves NF. Arizona's highest forested range. Spruce-fir and mixed conifer at high elevations, ponderosa lower. Excellent king bolete territory during monsoon.
Updated Oct 11, 5:01 AM MT
The White Mountains are in prime shape for an Excellent grade: soil sits at 51.9°F, and it has held above threshold for seven straight days for nearly every species on the list. Moisture is sustained too, with 3.3" over 14 days and a steady 0.27 VWC both today and on the 7-day average. Last week was nearly dry (0.03"), but the soil moisture is carrying the flush, and there's no drought. Mycorrhizal species are the headline: matsutake, hedgehog, saffron milk cap, chanterelles, and the full bolete lineup (bay, painted, chicken-fat, admirable) are all rated high, with lobster, slippery jack, coral, and tooth fungi right behind them. Cauliflower mushroom and devil's cigar are the only marginal species, since soil is 52°F against their 58°F and 55°F minimums, so expect sparse or patchy fruiting from those two. There's no limiting factor otherwise, though the dry week means the flush will start to taper if rain doesn't return. Watch soil temps over the next several days, because any further cooling will shut down the warmth-dependent species first, and watch for a fresh moisture pulse to extend the run. Snowpack is irrelevant at these elevations, with snowlines above 13,500 ft. Hot tip: Prioritize north-facing mixed-conifer slopes in the mid-elevation band, where moisture holds longest through the dry stretch, and hunt matsutake and hedgehogs there first.
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.
Precip 7d
Log your find on iNaturalist to help the community and get expert ID assistance. Photos, location, and habitat notes all help with identification.
100 sites
Apache-Sitgreaves NF at 9,000 ft. Spruce-fir zone. Excellent bolete habitat.
13 sites
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Dispersed camping near Greer. Spruce-fir meadows and mixed conifer.
14 sites
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
6 sites
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
8 sites
Along South Fork of the Little Colorado. Ponderosa and mixed conifer.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
⚠ 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.
0.03"
PRISM 4km · thru 10-09
Precip 14d
Observed precipitation from PRISM 4km gridded analysis, sampled at the region centroid through 2026-10-09. Used when no SNOTEL/SCAN station is mapped to this region.3.30"
PRISM 4km · thru 10-09
Soil Temp
52°F
SWE
Snow Water Equivalent — how much water is in the snowpack vs. normal. Declining SWE means snowmelt is adding moisture to the soil.10%
Drought
None
Snowmelt
steady
soil temp marginal (52°F vs 58°F min, 0/7 days above), today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
soil temp marginal (52°F vs 55°F min, 0/7 days above), today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
All conditions met (soil 52°F, sustained 7/7 days above threshold, today 0.27 VWC, 7d avg 0.27 — moisture sustained)
Primordia readiness: Cold = mycelium dormant. Activating = soil warming, primordia building. Primed = 5+ sustained warm days at species threshold; fruiting imminent if moisture cooperates. Based on Schmidt 1983 / Mihail 2007.