You really can walk into a National Forest and cut your own Christmas tree

Four out of five Hallmark Christmas movies feature a guy in a turtleneck sweater and LL Bean boots trudging through shin-deep snow into the forest, saw over his shoulder, in search of the family Christmas tree.

Or wait…is that just National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?

Despite the big-business that Christmas tree farming has become (and the vast number of pop-up locations to purchase them already cut for you in season), the reality is that yes, you can actually venture into the forest and fell your own tree for the holidays…

…within reason.

The United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service announced over the weekend that permits to cut your own tree within designated areas of multiple National Forests will go live on Recreation.gov beginning tomorrow, October 10th. Out here in Colorado, for instance, it appears that nine separate National Forests will be open this season, with the example of the White River National Forest process linked here.

There are regulations and rules, of course. In the White River example, each permit costs 10 bucks and each individual is only allowed up to five permits. While permit registration opens on October 10th, cutting season doesn’t begin until November 16th – which is wise, since who in their right mind would want a Christmas tree up before Halloween?

The cutting window runs through December 31st, so if you’re into a New Year’s tree, a 12 days of Christmas tree, or just enjoy having the smell of pine in your house in the winter, you can even fell a fresh one after getting a couple lumps of coal in your stocking in the wee hours of the morning of the 25th.

REI even has an entire array of saws for you to take with you for your trek!

If you click on that REI link above and buy something, Lit Wick may receive a modicum of compensation. That’s how we keep the lights on around here.