Does your family celebrate Christmas in Vermont with a decked-out, real, live tree?
Did you know that you can head into the Green Mountain National Forest to cut down your own wild Christmas tree for just $5 (plus a $2.50 service fee)? It’s true!
Picking out and cutting our Christmas tree has been one of our favorite traditions since our kids were babies, and for the past 10 years or so, we’ve been trekking into the woods to bring home our own Green Mountain National Forest Christmas tree.
We’re lucky to live right next to the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, and we were so excited when, many years ago, a friend told us we could cut our own wild Christmas tree in the National Forest for just five bucks.
Maybe this is common knowledge, but it was big news to me, so in case the rest of you holiday revelers don’t know this secret, here it is –
For just $5, you can buy a Christmas tree permit online, and then you can choose and cut down your own wild Christmas tree in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Christmas Tree Cutting Details from the US Forest Service
The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
To achieve their mission, they strive to protect and manage national forests so they best demonstrate the sustainable multiple-use management concept. One of these awesome multi-use management plans is providing American families with Christmas trees they can cut themselves.
Attach the Christmas tree-cutting permit to your tree when you transport it home, and you’re ready to trim your tree for the holidays!
How do you get a Christmas Tree Cutting Permit from the Green Mountain National Forest?
Obtaining your Christmas Tree permit from the National Forest Service is easier than it’s ever been! All you have to do is head over to Recreation.gov to purchase and print a permit.
In some parts of the country, getting a national forest tree permit is competitive and you have to snag one early. In Vermont, there isn’t as much demand for wild Christmas trees, so you should be fine getting a permit at the last minute.
Looking for a farm-raised tree? Check out these 13 Vermont Christmas Tree Farms!
Guidelines for Cutting and Bringing Home Your Wild Christmas Tree from the Green Mountain National Forest
Here’s what you need to know about cutting your own Christmas tree in the Green Mountain National Forest, taken directly from the US Forest Service website.
Your Christmas tree is for personal use only. It can not be sold.
You must have your Green Mountain National Forest Christmas tree permit on you when choosing, cutting, and transporting your tree.
Your forest district office will be able to give you a map and accessibility options, and they can direct you to specific areas for cutting down your Christmas tree. If you live close to one of these ranger stations, you can buy your permit there too.
Here are the district offices in Vermont:
Manchester Ranger Station
2538 Depot Street
Manchester Center, VT 05255
Open Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm
Rochester Ranger Station
99 Ranger Road
Rochester, VT 05767
Open Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm
Always check weather conditions and dress properly for winter activities in the Gren Mountain National Forest.
Tell someone you know where you are going and when you’ll return.
Don’t cut any trees that are within 200 feet of rivers, streams, lakes, trails, and roads. Check with the ranger district for the proper distance.
Select a tree with a trunk six inches or less in diameter, and prepare to cut down your tree no more than six inches above ground level.
Never cut a tall tree just for the top.
Select a Christmas tree from overstocked areas and thickets. Watch restricted areas. Cut only one Christmas tree per tag.
Attach your Christmas tree-cutting permit to the harvested tree before placing it in the vehicle.
Bring a rope and tarp to move your tree from the harvest area to your vehicle.
What We Love About our Green Mountain National Forest Christmas Trees
Sometimes we get Charlie Brown Christmas trees that look a little scrawny when we get them into the house.
Sometimes the front of the tree (the sunny side) is full and lush, while the backside is a little scraggly without many branches – all the better to fit into the little corners of our little house.
Our Christmas trees are always beautifully wild, fresh, and unique, just like us.
We usually choose a balsam fir for our Christmas tree, but occasionally we find a pretty spruce tree. Just depends on the year. Either way, they fill our home with Christmas fragrance and holiday cheer.
The branches on our wild tree are spread farther apart than farm-raised trees, and there’s lots of room for ornaments. In fact, sometimes the ornaments take over the whole tree, but we love it anyway!
I know that most people put their Christmas tree up right after Thanksgiving, but we always wait until Christmas Eve, when we celebrate with lots of food, music, and tree decorating.
Our Christmas tree lives with us until January 6th, and then it spends the rest of the winter in the backyard as a hiding spot for the winter songbirds. Come March, our tree is nice and dry, and it’s ready to be burned in our backyard maple syrup evaporator.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Green Mountain National Forest Christmas Tree
Finding the perfect wild Christmas tree is an adventure, whether you go to a local Vermont Christmas tree farm or the national forest. Here are some tips for making your tree-cutting day the best ever.
Wear layers and bring a backpack to keep the extras in. Merino wool is amazing stuff, and it makes the perfect base layer for winter. Not only does it keep you warm and wick away moisture, but it never smells funky!
Bring a saw, pruning shears, and lots of rope. A sled is really helpful if it’s snowy.
Don’t forget your Christmas tree-cutting permit.
Remember that hiking into the woods is easy — hiking out with your Christmas tree is not. We try not to hike, ski, or snowshoe no farther than a mile looking for our perfect Christmas tree.
The best day to cut down your own Christmas tree is one when snow blankets to ground, but not the trees. This way you can ski or snowshoe into the forest and drag your tree back to the car on a sled or a tarp.
Bring hot chocolate to drink next to your chosen tree before you cut it. Or, better yet, whip up one of our favorite hot drinks for winter adventures.
To find the fullest Christmas trees, look for a clearing that gets a decent amount of sun.
To avoid arguments, let the kids choose the Christmas tree, and be happy with whatever they pick. They won’t be around forever, you know.
Do you cut down your own wild Christmas tree from the Green Mountain National Forest? I’d love to hear about your adventures in the comments below.
Follow us on social media for more Vermont inspiration!
Tara Schatz is a freelance writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of Vermont Explored and Back Road Ramblers, an American road trip blog. She is also the co-author of the 3rd edition of AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Vermont, released in May 2023, and the author of 100+ Wonderful Ways to Experience Vermont.
More Things to Do in Vermont
Grab our five-page printable bucket list that includes all the best things to do in Vermont!