They re huckleberries, a favorite food to both camera-packing hikers and grizzly bears alike. The huckleberry is one of the most delicious of the wild blueberries. The plant is a tall shrub that grows in high-elevation coniferous forests, openings and clearings.
Berries begin to ripen at the lower elevations first, then later in higher elevations.
All a berry picker needs for a wild taste adventure is a container, nimble fingers and directions to the best huckleberry patches. Huckleberry picking in Glacier National Park is permitted for personal consumption only and limited to a gallon a day per person. Flathead National Forest allows recreational picking for personal use with no limit on the amounts. Commercial harvesters who sell the berries must obtain a permit from any district office or the forest supervisor s office in Kalispell. The best berry picking on the Flathead can be found in the North and South Forks of the Flathead River and the Swan Valley.