One of our favorite times of the year is huckleberry season. Once the berries are ripe, we enjoy getting out a couple times a week to go wander, explore, and pick some huckleberries.
Picking huckleberries (or any foraging) is more about simply consumption of delicious wild berries. It’s also a beautiful way to connect with nature. Little ones learn about plant identification (without it being a formal lesson), experience the work it takes to gather food (but while having fun), and from an early age can foster a deep respect for nature and all she produces.
The nice thing about huckleberries is that the season can be fairly long. One year (2018), we picked berries from July 16 – August 31. Not only did it make for delicious outdoor adventures, but really easy and fun ones, too. Nobody complained about going to find huckleberries AGAIN! It was always a welcomed adventure.
When we first moved to Montana, huckleberries seemed so elusive. Everybody talked about them. They were at the local Farmers’ Market. Yet, where were we supposed to find them?? And it seems people don’t always like giving up their hunting or foraging spots. 🙂
Luckily, we live in a big state with a lot of huckleberries. And once we started finding them, it was much easier to just go exploring and find more in new locations. We’ve found them around McDonald Pass, Priest Pass, along trails south of Helena in the National Forest, and the Marysville/Stemple Pass area. Sometimes the patches are smaller, other times entire hillsides are covered. If you have specific questions, feel free to send me an email (justbeoutsideblog@gmail.com) or through the Contact page.
We are by no means experts, but we have learned a few things along the way. Most of the big patches we’ve found have been in sunnier/partly sunny locations (so bring sunscreen and bug spray). Look at the plants, and if you see green ones, come back the next week to pick them when they’re ripe. We’ve visited locations where we fill some containers, see more green ones coming, and just visit the next week for more.
We usually find huckleberries in untamed landscapes. Plenty of logs, stumps, sticks, and thorny plants around them. Because of this, we try to remember to wear pants and closed toe shoes.
A fun bonus about huckleberry picking with young ones? Don’t worry if you forgot snacks, as they will just be eating berries the entire time! (Actually, we still need snacks… 🙂 )
If you have young kids, finding huckleberries is a fabulous place-based Montana activity. It is even more fun with a group!