Mushroom Picking in Lahti Region

Discover the mushroom forests of the Lahti region

Mushroom picking is a relaxing way to enjoy the outdoors – and you don’t need to travel far. In the Lahti region, forests filled with mushrooms can be found right next to towns and villages. For those looking to explore further, the Salpausselkä Geopark also offers unique nature destinations and scenic trails.

Here you’ll find the best spots for mushrooming, easy tips for beginners, and guided tours to get you started.

This article was written by mushroom enthusiast and Salpausselkä Geopark guide Ina Ruokolainen.

Mushroom picking in the city

Did you know you can go mushrooming right in Lahti? The Salpausselkä trails starting from the Sports Centre are the easiest option near the city centre. These popular paths are well-loved by locals, so the most visible chanterelles may be gone quickly – but don’t worry, there’s plenty more to discover.

Seasoned mushroom pickers know that the real treasures hide off the trails. The unique kettle holes create their own microclimates, where you might find black trumpet mushrooms or funnel chanterelles.

From Lahti, trails lead on to Hollola’s Messilä and Tiirismaa areas, famous for their great mushroom spots and the dramatic Pirunpesä (the Devil’s Nest). The further you explore, the more varied the mushroom species become – especially if you wander from the pine forests down into the scenic valley between Messilä and Rantatie.

Nature reserves and the national park

Lapakisto Nature Reserve in Lahti’s Nastola district offers a great network of trails, diverse forest landscapes, and with them a wide variety of mushroom species. In Asikkala, the Aurinko-Ilves Trail starting from Vääksy’s Aurinkovuori also leads through different types of forests.

On the Pulkkilanharju nature trail, part of Päijänne National Park, you’ll find typical pine forest species, though mushrooms can be scarce during dry spells. On the other hand, even the prized matsutake mushroom has been found in Päijät-Häme’s pine forests. If you have access to a boat, a trip to Kelvenne Island or other islands of Lake Päijänne may reward you with a generous chanterelle harvest.

In northeastern Heinola, large forest areas surround the region’s small lakes, offering excellent mushroom terrain as well as the impressive Geopark site, Paistjärvi’s Pirunkirkko (the Devil’s Church).

Mushroom picker’s etiquette

Mushroom picking, like berry picking, is part of Finland’s “everyman’s rights.” You don’t need to know who owns the forest you’re walking in, as long as you respect private yards, animal pastures, and summer cottages with their waterfronts.

In Päijänne National Park, located across Asikkala, Padasjoki and Sysmä, mushrooming is allowed, as it is in many of Lahti’s and the surrounding municipalities’ nature reserves. One exception is the Defence Forces’ training area in Hollola’s Hälvälä, where access is completely forbidden and clearly marked with signs.

Good manners are an important part of being outdoors. Don’t block roads or paths with your car, never light fires where it isn’t permitted, and always carry your rubbish out with you. Keep dogs and cats on a leash, and respect both people and wildlife. And remember: don’t kick or pull up mushrooms you don’t intend to use. Of course, to identify a mushroom and check if it’s worm-free, you’ll need to pick it carefully from the ground.

Beginner’s guide to mushroom indentification

  • Look at the cap and stem: Many mushrooms have gills under the cap (like brittlegills and milkcaps). Boletes instead have pores, and hedgehog mushrooms have tiny spines. These details help you tell them apart.
  • Check the whole mushroom: Some species, like fly agarics, hide key features at the base. Always lift the whole mushroom to see them.
  • Know the dangerous ones: A few species are deadly poisonous, such as the destroying angel and the deadly webcap. Only collect mushrooms you can confidently identify as edible.
  • Learn a few at a time: Start with easy favourites like chanterelles, black trumpets, or boletes. Even one or two new species a year is a good pace.
  • Weather matters: Rain brings mushrooms up, heat and drought slow them down, and some species need cool nights. Funnel chanterelles can appear until the first snow.

With just a handful of species you know for sure, you can already enjoy a rich and varied harvest!

How to get started?

The most reliable way is to join a guided walk, where an expert shows the key features of mushrooms in their natural environment. If that’s not possible, a good start is to use trusted guidebooks or join a local group hike where you can learn by doing.

Updated mushroom guides are still worth buying, even though they usually show only one picture per species. That’s why it’s important to read the descriptions of features and habitats carefully. The smell of a mushroom can also be a key identifier.

Accurate identification is especially important if you plan to cook mushrooms, not just admire their shapes and colours in the forest. A long-standing rule is to only collect mushrooms you can identify with absolute certainty as edible.

If you want to bring home a mushroom you’re unsure of, keep it completely separate from edible ones. A good tip is to carry paper bags or small boxes in your basket, so even the tiniest fragments stay apart from your food mushrooms.

And after all these precautions: mushrooming is absolutely worth it! Learning one or two new species each year is a good pace to steadily build your skills.