SOMA Wild Mushroom Camp


Camp 2025 will be January 18-20, 2025

Camp Registration for 2025 will open in October!


What is SOMA Camp?

SOMA Camp is an annual retreat to learn about wild mushrooms, sponsored by the Sonoma County Mycological Association. The Sonoma County Mycological Association (SOMA) is a non-profit group of professional and amateur mushroom enthusiasts in Northern California dedicated to educating the public about wild mushrooms and their uses.

The camp, a benefit for the SOMA Scholarship fund, is packed with mushroom forays, specimen tables, slide shows, and top-notch speakers.

Nestled in acres of oak, madrone, tan oak, redwood, and Doug-fir near Occidental, California, we will move breezily from class to woods to dining feasts, enjoying it all. There is so much to take in!

Quick Links

2025 Class & Foray Schedule

What to Bring
What should I bring to Camp? (Please make sure to read this one!)

Map to Camp
How do I get there?

Activities

Mushroom forays, gourmet mushroom cuisine, classes and workshops on mushroom identification, cooking, dyeing, paper-making, medicine making, photography, cultivation, and more. Classes and workshops include

Great Food

And, of course, there will be excellent wild mushroom cuisine. Check out the previous camp menu for the Sunday feast, and just try not to salivate:

2023 Camp Menu (29 KB)

Also: Recipes from camp published in Gourmet Mushrooms website

Location and Accommodations

CYO Camp Lodge

The CYO lodge. Photo © Darvin DeShazer.

SOMA Camp is held at CYO Retreat Center, a wonderful modern conference center near Occidental, about an hour north of San Francisco. The spacious, modern buildings are set amongst 225 acres of great mushroom habitat, including mixed oak, redwood, and Douglas-fir forests. Please note that CYO does not permit pets anywhere on their property.

CYO Camp Cabins

Bunk beds in the CYO Camp cabins. Photo © Darvin DeShazer.

Lodging is in shared, heated, upscale cabins with hardwood floors, designer bunks and personal cubbyholes. There are six bunks per cabin, although all beds are usually not filled. The cabins are bright, clean, and airy. The shared restrooms and showers are, in most cases, a short walk from the cabins. Elders are lodged close to the restroom facilities. Vehicles may be parked near the cabins.

Off-site lodging options are also available nearby.

Please note that CYO does not allow pets -- no dogs, no cats, not even if you keep them in your vehicle or RV or camper.
Also the CYO is a peanut-free facility. Please don't bring any peanut products onto the grounds or into the cabins.

Children under 12 are not allowed to attend Camp.

Map to the CYO Camp »

What to Bring

Here's a list of things we suggest you bring to Camp. What Should I Bring?

Work Exchange

To get details on the work exchange program and submit an application, visit the Work Exchange page »

Vendors

Want to sell stuff at SOMA camp?

  1. Fill out the Vendor Agreement Form and send it via snail mail, or if you're savvy enough to send by email, see the next step!:
    SOMA
    P.O. Box 7147
    Santa Rosa, CA 95407
  2. Please tell the SOMA Camp Director to expect your application via the Contact page.

SOMA Vendor Agreement Form

More Info

For more general camp info,