Poison oak is found on the West Coast and in the southeastern U.S. Poison ivy is found pretty much everywhere except Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of the west coast. Both of these come in a few different varieties and can grow as shrubs or vines. They typically like sunshine.
There is an old rhyme that helps identify these pesky plants: “Leaves of three, let it be!”
Look for the combination of three leaves shown in these pictures. Poison oak will sometimes have a reddish coloration, either on the edges of the leaf or throughout the whole thing. They might have little yellow or white berries.