Mushroom and Herb Hunting in Northern Georgia

Fungi fans can find obscure mushrooms such as Bear’s Head Tooth, Chicken of the Woods, Hedgehog, and The King Bolete at Northern Georgia’s Barnsley Resort. Situated 60 miles outside of Atlanta, the 1840s 150-room estate keeps Southern sensibilities at every turn. Among the outdoor offerings is a 28-station sporting clays course; a wing-shooting area; and a robust mushroom and herb hunting program, including chickweed, wild garlic, watercress, bamboo shoots, grape leaves, muscadine, wild mint, ginger, mayapple, elderberries, red clover, and huckleberries.

During the two-hour experience ($250/person), guests find ingredients for their lunch among creeks, ponds, and wooded areas across the estate’s 3,000 acres with resident chef and certified mushroom guide Evan Babb. “A forage is like a thrilling hunt where you find something in an unexpected place, making it feel like a new discovery,” says Babb. A cooking demonstration follows, using the found mushrooms and herbs to prepare a meal served either in the living room of the Outpost store or outside in the beer garden. Bonus: Participants leave with a grow-your-own-mushroom kit. barnsleyresort.com