Boulder Foraging Class: Learn Edible Plants on a Mountain Hike

Hike and identify wild plants instead of just walking past them

A guided foraging hike in Boulder's Rocky Mountains where you learn to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous plants while hiking through meadows, streams and mixed forest. The guide brings field guides and a foraging knife for each guest. You'll taste trailside edibles and take home what you find. Two hours, moderate fitness required. Children from age 3 welcome.

The experience

You start at the trailhead with introductions, then hike through a mountain meadow, cross a stream and climb into mixed pine and fir forest. As you walk, the guide points out plants and fungi, explaining which ones are edible, which have medicinal uses, which are poisonous, and the local lore around them. The guide has over a decade of teaching experience in the outdoors and brings full-color regional guides so you can start recognizing the plants yourself instead of just hearing about them.

You'll taste edible plants and fungi along the trail where it's safe to do so, and you can take home what you find and identify. The hike is easy to moderate difficulty, so it suits people with a reasonable fitness level but not extreme athletes. Light trail snacks are included, with a vegan option available. You get a foraging knife and collection bags to use during the hike, plus the field guides to keep learning after you leave.

The guide speaks English or Spanish, and children from age 3 can join. Strollers work on the terrain if you're bringing an infant. Public transportation reaches the trailhead, and the experience is wheelchair accessible.

What’s included

• Light trail snacks with a vegan option.
• foraging knife for each guest.
• full-color regional field guides to help you identify plants.
• collection bags for what you forage.
• trailside edible plants and fungi to taste where applicable.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (18 to 63 years) · Senior (64 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Rocky Mountain Foraging

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to actually learn plant identification skills you can use on future hikes, rather than just hear about plants as you walk. The guide's decade of teaching experience and the field guides mean you leave with real knowledge, not just a pleasant walk.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (3 to 9 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What plants will I actually learn to identify on this hike?

The guide focuses on local Rocky Mountain flora and fungi with an emphasis on edible species, medicinal plants and poisonous look-alikes. You'll build a mental profile of the cast of characters that make up the region's plants and fungi so you can recognize them on future hikes, and the field guides you receive help you continue identifying them after the experience ends.

Can I bring my own foraging knife or do I need to use the one provided?

A foraging knife is included for each guest. You're welcome to bring your own knife or extra tools if you prefer, and you can also bring additional snacks beyond the light trail snacks provided.

How difficult is the hike itself, and what's the terrain like?

The hike is easy to moderate difficulty through a mountain meadow, along a stream and into mixed forest. You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Strollers work on the terrain for infants and small children, and the experience is wheelchair accessible.

Will I actually get to eat plants on the trail, or just learn about them?

You'll taste edible plants and fungi along the trail where it's safe to do so. You can also take home wild edible plants and fungi you find and identify together, so you leave with food you've foraged yourself.

Is this the same experience at high altitude as it is at low altitude?

You can choose between low altitude or high altitude foraging when you book. The high altitude option reaches different plants and ecosystems, so the species you'll learn to identify and the terrain you hike through will vary between the two.