After Christmas, click here to find how how and where to easily recycle or dispose of your Christmas tree!
And to recycle used, broken or old Christmas lights and electronics
See this page for local options to easily recycle your Christmas holiday lights
When should you take the Christmas tree, lights and decorations down? See this page for
traditions and standards
Help me keep this page complete and up to date, by
reporting any corrections needed or suggesting farms to add!
My Christmas Tree guide has photos and descriptions of
more than 2 dozen varieties of Christmas trees, along with a simple comparison chart!
If it has just snowed; see
this page about how to make snocones from real snow!
Your kids will love it!
Tips:
- If the name of the farm is blue with an underline; that's a link to their website or Facebook page. Click on it for the most current hours and information.
- ALWAYS email or call the farm or store BEFORE YOU GO
- many farms have closed in the past year, and of course, we won't know until the season starts and we find they aren't open! Call to confirm their supply, their hours
and whether they have trees, are allowing choose-and-cut or just precut trees; and which attractions or winter activities are available.
All three can change during the short Christmas season, due to weather, demand and the farmer's business conditions! Farms get sold, shut down or run out of trees, and they don't all update me every day, let alone every year. For
more tips to make your trip fun and successful, click here
!
DON'T DRIVE OUT THERE IF YOU CAN'T REACH THEM (by phone, email or find current information on their website or Facebook page!
- And please tell the farmer you visit in Washington State Christmas Tree Permits for National Forests that you found their farm
here! I need the farmers to realize that you found them here so that they will keep their information up to date!
If you want to provide feedback about a farm or the website
, please let me know! There are affiliate links on this page. Read our disclosure policy to learn more. After Christmas, click here to find how how and where to easily recycle or dispose of your Christmas tree!
Looking for more info?
Updates for January 2025
January 2025:
After Christmas, click here to find how how and where to easily recycle or dispose of your Christmas tree!
And to recycle used, broken or old Christmas lights and electronics
See this page for local options to easily recycle your Christmas holiday lights
When should you take the Christmas tree, lights and decorations down? See this page for
traditions and standards
In March, you'll want to take your children to a free Easter egg hunt
-
see our companion website to find a local Easter Egg hunt - (www.EasterEggHuntsAndEasterEvents.org)
. It's the ONLY website that is updated every Easter for all Easter Egg hunts in
the U.S.
Christmas tree farms, lots and activities, sorted by county
Click on Resources above, if you need a county map
Christmas tree cutting permits to cut your own tree for forests in
Washington State
On the busiest Christmas tree hunting and bough gathering weeks of the
year, Washington's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking for the
public's help to protect school trust land trees. Trees and boughs are not
available from trust lands, but private you-cut and national forest permits
are available. "Cutting a Christmas tree is a great family tradition," said
Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands. "But people need to remember
that cutting trees or boughs from a state forests isn't allowed."
Where to get a National Forest
Christmas tree cutting permit.
For a $5 fee, you can cut a tree in a national forest. Permits are
available for different forests at different locations and with different
conditions and restrictions, so be sure to scroll down the page to find the
forest closest to you:
There is now a centralized place online to buy a Christmas tree permit in a national forest in any state that has a forest that allows
it; see this page on Recreation.gov.
For the Olympic National Forests:
Forest Service Christmas Tree permits go on sale in November. Permits
are $5.00 each and are good for one U-cut tree on the Olympic National
Forest. Permits may be purchased at any
Olympic National Forest office
(you can no longer get one by mail or email; only in person). Credit
cards are now accepted (in person) as well as cash and checks.
You can now
get the Christmas Tree cutting permits online.
See
office locations/hours.
- Olympia at 1835 Black Lake Blvd. Phone: 360-956-2402.
- Olympic National Forest Headquarters in Olympia (360-956-2300)
- Hood Canal Ranger District Office in Quilcene (360-765-2200)
- Pacific Ranger District Office in Quinault (360-288-2525)
- Hoodsport Visitor Information Center (360-877-2021)
- Forks Visitor Information Center (360-374-6522)
There are many other National Forests that also participate in
the Permit Cutting program.
For the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Christmas Tree permits
available at theses locations:
The main information phone number for Christmas tree cutting permits is
(425) 783-6000 for Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Seattle -
Tacoma area. You can now get the Christmas Tree cutting permits online.
- Mt. Baker Ranger Station
810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA. Phone: 360-856-5700 Ext. 515. Open: Monday to
Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm, November 29, 9 am to 3 pm, December 6, 9
am to 3 pm, December 13, 9 am to 3 pm.
- Verlot Public Service Center
33515 Mountain
Loop Highway, Granite Falls, WA. Phone: 360-691-7791. Open: November
28-30, 9 am to 3 pm, December6-7, 9 am to 3 pm, December 13-14, 9
am to 3 pm.
- Enumclaw Office
450 Roosevelt Ave. E.
Enumclaw, WA. Phone: 360-825-6585. Open: Monday to Friday from 8 am
to 4:30 pm, November 29-30, 8 am to 3:30 pm, December 6-7, 8 am to
3:30 pm, December 13-14, 8 am to 3:30 pm.
- Glacier Public Service Center
Mt. Baker
Highway 542 Glacier, WA. Phone: 360-599-2714. Open: Weekends, 9 am to
3 pm, Starting November 22.
- Skykomish Ranger Station
74920 NE Stevens Pass
Hwy, br> Skykomish, WA. Phone: 360-677-2414. Open: Monday to Friday
from 8 am to 4:30 pm, November 29, 8 am to 3 pm, December 6, 8 am
to 3 pm.
- Seattle REI
Outdoor Recreation Information
Centerbr>222 Yale Ave. N. Seattle, WA. Phone: 206-470-4060. Open:
Daily 10 am to 6 pm, Closed Thanksgiving.
- Darrington Ranger Station
1405 Emens Ave. N.
Darrington, WA. Phone: 360-436-1155. Open: Monday to Friday from 8 am
to 4:30 pm, November 29, 9 am to 3 pm, December 6, 9 am to 3 pm,
December 13, 9 am to 3 pm.
- Snoqualmie Ranger Stations
902 SE North Bend
Way North Bend, WA. Phone: 425-888-1421. Open: Monday to Friday from
8 am to 4:30 pm, November 29, 8 am to 3:30 pm, December 6, 8 am to
3:30 pm, December 13, 8 am to 3:30 pm.
- REI Alderwood Store
3000 184th St. SW
Lynnwood, WA. Phone: 425-640-6200. Open: Monday to Saturday from 10 am
to 9 pm, Sunday from11 am to 7 pm, Closed Thanksgiving.
For the Gifford Pinchot National Forest permits are available
at the following locations:
The main information phone number for Christmas tree cutting permits is
(360) 891-5000 for the Gifford Pinchot and the southern part of the state. Visitors can purchase Christmas tree permits at the following Gifford
Pinchot National Forest offices and vendor locations near you. All Forest
Service offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day.
- Gifford Pinchot National Forest Headquarters
10600 NE 51st Circle, Vancouver, WA 98682
Office Hours: Monday
through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (closed for lunch from noon
until 1 pm daily) (360) 891-5001.
- Mt. Adams Ranger District
2455 Highway 141,
Trout Lake, WA 98650
Office Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (closed for lunch from noon until 1 pm daily)
(509) 395-3400.
- Cowlitz Valley Ranger District
10024 US Hwy 12
- PO Box 670, Randle, WA 98377
Office Hours: Monday through Friday
from 8:00 am4:30 pm (closed for lunch from noon until 1 pm
daily) (360) 497-1100.
- Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
42218 NE Yale Bridge Rd., Amboy, WA 98607
Office Hours: Monday
through Friday from 8:00 am4:30 pm (360) 449-7800.
- Commercial Vendor Locations (Call for hours of
operation and information):
Trout Lake, WA - Little Mountain (True
Value) Hardware (509) 395-2773
Carson, WA - Wind River Market
(509) 427-5565
Home Valley, WA - Home Valley Store (509) 427-4015
Stevenson, WA - Main St. Convenience Store (open 24 hours) (509)
427-5653
Randle, WA - Fischer's Market (360) 497-5355
Packwood,
WA- Blanton's Market (360) 494-6101
Ashford, WA - Ashford General
Store (360) 569-2377
Elbe, WA - Elbe Grocery (360) 569-2766
Amboy, WA - Amboy Market (360) 247-5421
Amboy, WA - Chelatchie
Prairie General Store (360) 247-5529
Cougar, WA - Lakeside Country
Store (360) 238-5202
Cougar, WA - Cougar Store (360) 238-5228
Kalama, WA - Kalama Spirits and Tobacco (360) 673-4991
Naches Ranger District
Christmas tree cutting permits are now available to purchase at the
Naches Ranger Station. Tree permits sell for $5.00 each and allow you to
cut up to a maximum tree size of 15 feet or dig a tree to remove as a
transplant. Each permit is for one Christmas tree and only two permits can
be issued per household. Permits are not refundable. Instructions are
given when purchasing a permit along with tree care and transportation
tips.
For your convenience, the following businesses are also selling tree
permits:
Slim's Market, Many's Chinook Center, Gold Creek Station, Whistlin'
Jack Lodge, and Rimrock Grocery Store in the Naches area; Helms True Value
Hardware and Save-On Foods in Selah, and at Right Hardware and Hyperspud
Sports in Yakima. District Ranger Randy Shepard. Naches Ranger District
10237 U.S. Highway 12 Naches, WA 98937 The office phone number is (509)
653-1400. ![](farmphotos/WA-national-forest-trees.jpg)
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Permits are available at all Forest Service offices and various
businesses in Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties. Permits are
not refundable. You can now get the Christmas Tree cutting permits online.
Christmas tree permits are on sale for $5 each at all
ranger stations and the forest headquarters in Wenatchee. The $5 permit
allows a family to cut a tree or dig a live transplant tree. Permits may
be purchased in person or by mail. For those who can't make it into any of
our offices during daily business hours many local businesses are also
selling Christmas tree permits.
See the bottom of this page for local vendors selling Christmas tree
permits.
Umatilla National Forest
The main information phone number for Christmas tree cutting permits is
(541) 278-3716 for the Umatilla National Forest and the eastern southern
part of the state area around the tri-cities.
Tree Cutting Instructions:
- Cut one tree per permit.
- Five permits per household maximum.
- Select trees not more than twelve (12) feet tall.
- Tree topping is prohibited.
- Cut the tree twelve (12) inches or less above the ground level.
Remove snow around tree base if needed. Cut off live limbs remaining
on the stump.
- To make your trip back to the car easier, slide your tree on a
plastic tarp.
- Upon return to your vehicle, punch out month, day, and year on
permit. Immediately attach securely to your freshly cut tree where it
will be clearly visible.
Help protect state trust land trees that will build Washington's
future schools
Please be careful when you cut a tree or some boughs. Cutting boughs
can destroy decades-old trees that are well on their way to becoming
forests. When the top branches are cut off a young tree, it is more
vulnerable to disease that ultimately can destroy it.
As always, DNR officials are asking private citizens to help thwart theft
by calling the county sheriff or a toll-free DNR hotline, 1-800-527-3305, if
they suspect trees or boughs are being cut from trust lands. Penalties for
damaging or stealing trust land evergreens can include fines and jail time.
The more serious cases are turned over to a county prosecutor who cooperates
with DNR
Cowlitz Forest Harvest Permit
You Must Obtain a Harvest Permit for the Following:
- Christmas Trees Definition: Any type of tree such as Pine, Spruce, Fir, Hemlock, etc. Amount:
More than 5 trees
- Native Ornamental Trees Definition: Any trees or shrubs, not nursery grown, removed from
ground with the roots intact. Amount: More than 5 trees or shrubs
- Cut or Picked Evergreen Foliage - Definition: Evergreen boughs, huckleberry, salal, fern,
Oregon grape, rhododendron, mosses, bear grass, scotch broom. Not cones or seeds. Amount: More than 5
pounds
You may apply for a permit at the Sheriff's Office for no fee. You will need to know the land
description, hauler's information, and landowner's information for this permit, but can take the permit with
you and bring it back filled out. See https://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/267/Sheriff
- Contact: Brad Thurman, Sheriff,
312 SW 1st Ave., Kelso, WA 98626.
Email:
[email protected].
Phone: 360-577-3092.
Fax: 360-423-1047.
Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, Excluding holidays.
References
Contact info: