Alpine Mushrooms of North America: Treasures Above Treeline

by Cathy Cripps
2025

Our Take

It’s not a guide to edibles; alpine mushrooms are mostly small and aren’t collected for the table. It’s for the curious hiker, the serious amateur, and anyone who wants to see what’s hiding in the tundra. It’s compact enough for a summit pack.

About the Book

Many hikers assume nothing fungal grows above treeline. Cripps has spent about 25 years proving otherwise. The alpine zone is full of fungi, but you have to show up at the right time, look in the right places, and sometimes lie down on your belly to spot them. Her research there turned up several species new to science, all included here, plus what may be the world’s highest morel, found at around 12,000 feet in Colorado.

The guide groups species by habitat, such as meadow, moss, and willow, which makes searching and identification much easier in the field. Coverage centers on the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado and extends north into British Columbia and Alaska. More than 200 color photographs show each species in place, and each account includes solid scientific detail. Cripps also shares collecting tips for both amateurs and professionals.

This book is also a conservation record. As the climate warms and treeline creeps upward, alpine habitat is shrinking, and these fungi are among the first organisms to feel it. Cripps wrote the guide partly as a baseline so future mycologists can track what changes and what’s lost.

Cripps is emeritus professor of mycology at Montana State University. She also co-authored The Essential Guide to Rocky Mountain Mushrooms by Habitat.

Deets

Author: Cathy L. Cripps
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Publication date: December 2025
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Illustrations: 207 color photographs
ISBN-13: 978-0252088933
Item weight: 0.99 pounds (about 15.9 oz)
Dimensions: 4.5 x 7.25 inches