If you’re not originally from the Pacific Northwest, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about when it comes to huckleberries. I’ll admit, our region is obsessed with the small blueberry-looking wild berries. At the very least, the Inland Northwest is famously known for huckleberries and it’s prime time for the picking! From ice cream, to jam, to cheesecake, and wine, there’s surely a hype when it comes to huckleberries. The small berries range in a variety of colors from black to purple to red, ripe huckleberries are packed with a burst of flavor. Often mistaken for blueberries, huckleberries can be distinguished as only a single berry is produced where the flower meets the stem of the plant.
Now, I’m just as much a part of the bandwagon since we created our very own huckleberry-infused wine, Huckleberry d’Latah, and it quickly became one of our best sellers! Now, you can’t just buy huckleberries anywhere since they only grow in the wild but, I’ll tell you my top 3 places to pick huckleberries near Spokane.
- Mt Spokane State Park
- Priest Lake
- Schweitzer Mountain
The Washington Trails Association recommends that berry pickers look to pick in lower elevations during early to mid-August. Huckleberries can be found in September but you’ll want to hike to higher elevations. The sweet spot for huckleberries is around 2,000 feet of elevation, according to WTA.
If you’re planning a day of berry picking, I’d recommend packing lots of water, Ziploc bags or some kind of container to store your berries, snacks, a Discovery Pass, and wear hiking boots!
Happy berry picking!
– Natalie