Where Can I Pick?
Canada has no single foraging law. The answer depends on whose land you’re standing on and which province it’s in — a patchwork that runs from “personal use, no permit” to “prohibited, full stop.” This checker covers the combinations we have verified against the official source itself. Where a verdict exists, the source is linked on the answer. Where it doesn’t, we say so instead of guessing.
Verified answers at a glance
Provincial park — Alberta
Alberta is the exception: removing plants in a provincial park is generally illegal, BUT picking wild fruits and mushrooms may be permitted if you first have verbal approval from the district conservation officer. No approval, no picking.
Crown land (provincial forest) — British Columbia
ALLOWED — personal use
Mushroom picking is allowed on BC provincial Crown land without a permit, and general personal-use gathering follows the same personal-use spirit — in modest amounts, for yourself, not for sale without checking commercial rules. Not allowed in parks, conservation lands, ecological reserves, DND land, or recreation areas; permission is required on leased Crown land and First Nations reserve land.
Provincial park — British Columbia
NOT ALLOWED
Mushroom picking — and plant collecting generally — is prohibited in BC provincial parks under the Park, Conservancy and Recreation Area Regulations. The same ban covers ecological reserves, conservancies and recreation areas.
Crown land (provincial forest) — Nova Scotia
ALLOWED — personal use
Nova Scotia's official Crown land guidance lists small-scale foraging of plants and fungi by hand, for personal use, among the activities that do not require a permit. Small-scale and personal are the operative words — resale is not permitted, and plants may not be dug up and removed wholesale.
Nova Scotia — What you can do on Crown lands without a permit (PDF)
Provincial park — Ontario
NOT ALLOWED
Foraging for any plant or fungal species is prohibited in Ontario provincial parks. Ontario Parks says so plainly, and the provincial parks regulation backs it: no removing or harming plants or natural objects without the superintendent's written authorization.
Conservation area / protected area
CHECK FIRST — assume no until confirmed
Conservation areas and protected areas each run on their own authority's rules, and picking is prohibited in many of them (in BC, conservation lands are an explicit no). Treat the answer as no until the managing authority's own rules say otherwise.
Wild Forage Canada — City parks, conservation areas and bylaws
City / municipal park
CHECK FIRST — assume no until confirmed
City parks run on municipal bylaws, and most Canadian cities prohibit removing plants from parkland — Toronto does, for example. Some cities allow specific things on specific terms. Until you have read your own city's bylaw, the safe answer is no.
Wild Forage Canada — City parks, conservation areas and bylaws
National park (Parks Canada)
NOT ALLOWED
Collecting plants, mushrooms, berries and every other natural object is prohibited in every Parks Canada national park, everywhere in Canada — no permit exists for recreational picking. Photograph it, enjoy it, leave it.
Private land
Private land needs the owner's permission — full stop, in every province. Get it clearly, ideally in writing, and follow any conditions. Without it, picking is trespassing and theft, whatever the plant is.
Any other province + land combination
NOT COVERED YET
We have not verified this combination against the official source yet, so we will not guess. Rules differ by province and land manager; check the land manager's own published rules before picking anything, and treat the answer as no until you have.
Questions
Is foraging allowed in Canada's national parks?
No. Collecting plants, mushrooms, berries and every other natural object is prohibited in every Parks Canada national park, everywhere in Canada — no permit exists for recreational picking.
Can I pick mushrooms on Crown land in BC?
Yes — mushroom picking is allowed on BC provincial Crown land without a permit, in modest amounts for yourself. It is not allowed in parks, conservation lands, ecological reserves, DND land, or recreation areas.
Can I forage in a provincial park?
It depends on the province: foraging is prohibited in Ontario and BC provincial parks. Alberta is the exception — picking wild fruits and mushrooms may be permitted with verbal approval from the district conservation officer first.
Can I pick on private land?
Only with the owner's permission — full stop, in every province. Get it clearly, ideally in writing. Without it, picking is trespassing and theft, whatever the plant is.
Plain-language summary from the official sources linked on each answer — not legal advice. Verdicts only appear where we have verified the rule against the authority itself. Everywhere else, the honest answer is: not covered yet.