Mushrooms and fungi

In this gallery, you will find images of the mushrooms and fungi found in the Sierra Nevada.

Though they are small and often go unnoticed, fungi and mushrooms are vital to the ecosystem. They are the decomposers that transform dead material into soil from which new plants can grow.

Mushroom identification can be tricky but it can also be quite fun to see how many different variations you can locate while on a hiking trip! Get a sense of the fungi diversity in these forests by checking out our gallery.

Jack o' lantern

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These are found in the fall, growing on broadleaf trees. The caps and stalks may be a yellowish orange, and the thin gills run all the way down the stalk. Young mushrooms faintly glow in the dark!