Each summer, huckleberry pickers flock to Idaho’s forests to seek out the tiny, purple treasures hidden among the undergrowth. This year, local huckleberry harvesters returned to their favorite patches only to find bare branches, dry bushes and a few stray berries. Many pickers reported one of the worst huckleberry harvests in years.

“This year our patch was bone dry,” said huckleberry picker Tiffany Arnold. “Maybe three to four berries in the entire area.”

Arnold and her husband were born and raised in Coeur d’Alene and Kellogg and pick huckleberries near Steamboat each year. They normally find a plentiful supply of berries in their favorite patch and were shocked to find it barren this year. They had to hike farther than usual to find few and far-between huckleberry patches.

“It made for a beautiful journey in the mountains and exploring farther than we normally go,” Arnold said, “but definitely not the experience we have had for years and years.”

Alexandra Carlson, another local huckleberry picker, also reported disappointing results from her family’s picking expedition this year. They were only able to gather 2 pounds of berries in one day, compared with 5 pounds last year.

“We had to go up higher in elevation and berries were smaller than last year,” Carlson said.

Commercial huckleberry pickers are also struggling this year, partially due to a new ban on commercial harvesting at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington.

The Chronicle reported in April that Post Falls-based huckleberry business Larchwood Farms used to purchase berries harvested from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Owner Marla Hedman is anxious about the ban’s impact on the business. She declined to comment to Coeur d'Alene Press.

In an April press release, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Amanda Kill announced that commercial picking permits would not be issued in 2026 to promote ecological restoration and honor tribal treaty rights.

“Huckleberry fields across the Forest are experiencing long-term decline from conifer encroachment, fire suppression, drought and invasive species,” the press release said.

The poor harvest is affecting huckleberry prices across the Pacific Northwest. 

Scott Cossairt, facilitator of the International Wild Huckleberry Association, sells huckleberries online through his business, Oregon Mushrooms. He sold frozen huckleberries for $14 per pound last year and raised the price to $17.50 per pound this year.

Cossairt also leads the Huckleberry Hunting & Recipes Facebook group, which has more than 60,300 members. He said members across the country are experiencing a poor harvest this year, with the exception of the Oregon Coast.

“People who were getting 2 gallons last year have just a handful this year," he said.

According to Cossairt, the poor harvest is due to a combination of low snowpack and a late freeze. When snow melts earlier than normal, huckleberry bushes grow and bloom earlier. If that is followed by a late freeze, the cold weather can kill the flowers before they are sufficiently pollinated, resulting in fewer berries.

“Last year was the best harvest in years,” Cossairt said. “Typically, when you have a crazy, bumper-to-bumper crop, the next year won’t be as good.”

In Cossairt’s experience, the huckleberry harvest tends to fluctuate from year to year. Along with thousands of huckleberry enthusiasts across the Pacific Northwest, Cossairt hopes for a better harvest next summer.

“It’s all up to Mother Nature,” Cossairt said. “Weather controls everything.”