12 Best Farms to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
After Thanksgiving, consider an alternative tradition to Black Friday shopping: getting a Christmas tree. One of the hallmark experiences of the holiday season is piling the family in the car, taking a one-tank-trip to a tree farm, and finding the perfect tree for your home.
We’ve rounded up a dozen farms around the West where you can cut your own tree, as well as enjoy activities like tractor rides, bonfires, and Santa visits. We recommend calling ahead if you’re looking for a particular variety’s availability. You won’t be left hanging: These farms will lend a hand with hauling your tree and getting it baled and prepped for the drive home.
Don’t forget to measure your ceiling height at home. Bring a foam pad or something to kneel on while you cut, and dress for the elements—you’ll want to be comfortable outside for a few hours.
Check out our map and click each icon for more infomation. Read the full list below.
Set on a hilltop in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Trinity Tree Farm’s 40 acres is an ideal setting for an afternoon with the family. Aside from the choose-and-cut trees, there’s a children’s train ride, 1955 antique fire engine, and visits with Santa. For couples, it’s an idyllic place for a woodsy wedding if you’re venue-shopping.
Varieties: Douglas firs, Grand firs, Noble firs, and Fraser firs.
Season: Opens Nov. 25 until sold out
Hours: M-F: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., weekends: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
14237 228th Ave SE, Issaquah, WA 98027. (425) 466-1800
One of Sonoma County’s many tree farms, Frosty Mountain offers popcorn, cider, and weekend hayrides and a petting zoo for your little ones. It’s a 1.5-hour drive north from the Bay Area, and worth the trip if you’re looking to cut your own tree, or pick out precut one. Check out its historical big red barn where you can browse ornaments for your new tree.
Varieties: Douglas fir, Leyland cypress, Monterey pine, Noble fir, Red pine, Scotch pine, Sequoia Redwood
Season: Nov. 25 until Dec. 18
Hours: Weekdays 12 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
3600 Mariola Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-2351
Take a road trip to Covered Bridge Ranch, nestled at the based of the San Juan Mountains near Montrose, Colorado. After you pick one of their spruces, firs or pines, assemble your own wreath for a bonus decoration. Bring the kids: There’s a haystack climb, farm animals and campfire marshmallow roast as you enjoy the Rocky Mountain air.
Varieties: Austrian pine, Black Hills spruce, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Norway spruce, Scotch pine, White fir (Concolor fir), Southwestern white pine
Season: Nov. 23 until Dec. 21
Hours: Wed–Sun. 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
17249 6250 Rd, Montrose, CO 81403, (917) 224-5313
Wander along Kirchem Tree Farm’s 100 acres to find the perfect tree, and don’t forget to take a stroll along the scenic Clackamas River. Be sure to ask about the natural, spray-free Grand firs and Noble firs. New this year is the Warming Shed where you can warm up next to a wood burning stove with free hot chocolate after you return from the farm.
Varieties: Nordman fir, Grand fir, Noble fir, Douglas fir, Norway spruce
Season: Nov. 23 until Dec. 11
Hours: Weekends 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
19723 S Bakers Ferry Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045, (503) 539-8602
About halfway between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento on U.S. 50 is Indian Rock Ranch, which doubles as a hook-and-release fly fishing venue when it’s not Christmas tree season. Owned by Larry and Geri Hyder, who’ve been married 66 years, Indian Rock’s 13 acre farm in the Sierra Nevada foothills draws repeat customers from as far as San Diego.
Varieties: Silvertip fir, White fir, Incense cedar, Douglas fir
Season: Nov. 25 until Dec. 24
Hours: Weekends 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
3800 N Canyon Rd, Camino, CA 95709, (530) 622-4087
Less than 10 miles west of Missoula, Montana, Copenhaver Plantations has applied its experience and attention to tree care in the wholesale Christmas tree business—and it shows. Be sure to check out its boughs, garlands, and wreaths before you cozy up to a bonfire with free hot cocoa and coffee. You’ll see why Copenhaver is a local favorite each year.
Varieties: Scotch pine, Canaan fir, Douglas fir, Alpine fir, Concolor fir, Grand fir, Colorado blue spruce
Season: Nov. 26 until
Hours: Weekends 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
2610 Jennifer Court, Missoula, MT 59804, (406) 549-4983
Spend an afternoon at Billy’s Farm on the southeast outskirts of Sacramento. You won’t go hungry with fresh kettle corn and popcorn it offers, nor the English walnuts Billy’ Farm also grows. It’s the only certified-organic Christmas tree farm in California, where trees grow alongside persimmons, pomegranates, pears, and apples on its 17 acres.
Varieties: Monterey pine, Leyland cypress, Monterey cypress, Arizona cypress, Golden cedars, Sierra Redwoods, Scotch pines, Bishop pines
Season: Nov. 25 until Dec. 18
Hours: Weekends 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
8430 Dillard Rd. No. 1, Wilton, CA 95693, (916) 538-3053
Northern Lights Christmas Tree Farm
Northern Lights keeps busy year-round with weddings, field trips and Colonial Harvest Days in October. But it kicks into gear with Christmas trees come November. Grab a hayride that’ll take you to the tree pasture. After you cut your tree, grab an espresso or build your own wreath. Then kick back next to the bonfire as the crew bales your tree while you wait.
Varieties: Douglas fir, Grand fir, Noble fir, Nordmann fir, Fraser fir
Season: Nov. 25 until Dec. 24
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
36777 Wheeler Rd., Pleasant Hill, OR 97455, (541) 746-5161
Orange County’s Peltzer Pines, in business since 1963, has two locations (Brea and Silverado) making for a massive selection of Monterey pine and Leyland cypress. Check its website for a coupon on a tree, then make the trip out to cut your own. Don’t forget your camera, as the acres of trees is a sweeping backdrop for holiday photos. Cash or check only.
Varieties: Monterey pine, Leyland cypress
Season: Nov. 19 to Dec. 23
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
3400 Rose Drive, Brea, CA 92823, (714) 649-9251
Pack your coats and lace up your boots for a gorgeous trip to Rusty Gate, about an hour’s drive from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which itself has a 162-foot Christmas tree in its downtown. Bring your own saw, or borrow one from the farm. They’ll haul your tree and shake its needles for you while you warm up by the campfire.
Varieties: Grand fir, Concolor fir, Balsam fir, Corkbark fir, Fraser fir, Turkish fir, Nordmann fir, Colorado blue spruce
Season: Nov. 25 to Dec. 22
Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
12000 E O’Gara Rd, Harrison, ID 83833, (208) 689-9868
Crest Ranch Christmas Tree Farm
Founded in 1948 and overlooking Boulder Creek from 2,600 feet is Crest Ranch, one of the oldest tree farms in California. It offers all the essentials for getting a tree: free twine and wrapping, snacks, a picnic area, and it’s dog friendly. Come for the Christmas trees, but definitely stay for the view.
Varieties: Atlantic cedar, Austrian pine, Arizona cypress, Douglas fir, Leyland cypress, White fir, Scotch pine, Sierra Redwood, Sugar pine
Season: Nov. 19 to Dec. 18, including Thanksgiving Day
Hours: Daily 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
12200 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 423-8733
National Forests
Know before you go: Tree cutting in the National Forest
For our readers from Alaska to Arizona who enjoy the hunt of Christmas tree on their own, consider a national forest. Permits typically cost $10, which you can buy from your local forest district office. They’ll advise you on which tree species are OK to cut, where to go, and how to cut your tree safely.
