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Christmas tree permits for 2026

Cut your own tree in a national forest: more than 70 forests in 22 states sell a permit, from $5 a tree. Here is every one, with the 2026 dates and prices published so far.

Forests listed
70+
First on sale
8 Oct
Cheapest in 2026
$5
Last checked
12 Nov

Christmas tree permits: 2026 sale dates so far

The forests whose 2026 sale dates the Forest Service has published, earliest first. The others publish theirs as their sales open; the state lists below link to every forest’s permit page.

  1. 8 Oct2026Arapaho & RooseveltColoradocutting from 7 Nov (Grand County)at checkout
  2. 8 Oct2026Pike-San Isabel: South PlatteColoradoclosest to Denver; cutting 27 Nov – 19 Decat checkout
  3. 8 Oct2026KaibabArizonaonline, until 31 Dec; up to five trees a permit$15 a tree
  4. 8 Oct2026DixieUtahonlineat checkout
  5. 8 Oct2026Custer GallatinMontanaonline; in person from 7 Novat checkout
  6. 8 Oct2026Manti-La SalUtahonline on Recreation.govat checkout
  7. 10 Oct2026StanislausCaliforniacutting from 27 Nov; two trees a permit$20 a tree
  8. 20 Oct2026Humboldt-ToiyabeNevadavalid 1 Nov – 31 Dec; Carson district permits are limitedat checkout
  9. 1 Nov2026TahoeCaliforniaonline; choose your districtat checkout
  10. 1 Nov2026EldoradoCaliforniacutting 9 Nov – 31 Dec; one tree per household$10, no year given
  11. 1 Nov2026LassenCaliforniauntil 24 Dec; two per household$10 a tree
  12. 3 Nov2026Shasta-TrinityCaliforniavalid until 24 Dec$10 a tree
  13. On saleCaribou-TargheeIdahoonline until 31 Decat checkout
  14. 9 Nov2026Six RiversCaliforniaonline and at its officesat checkout
  15. 10 Nov2026Uinta-Wasatch-CacheUtah8am MST online; in person from 9 Nov; Heber-Kamas may sell out$20 a tree
  16. 12 Nov2026White RiverColoradocutting 16 Nov – 31 Dec$10 a tree
  17. 12 Nov2026Okanogan-WenatcheeWashingtonin person; two per household; trees up to 15 ft$5 a tree
  18. 12 Nov2026LincolnNew Mexicoonline until 31 Dec; offices until 24 Dec$10 a tree
  19. 14 Nov2026CoconinoArizonaonline from 10am Eastern; cutting 14 Nov – 31 Decat checkout
  20. 16 Nov2026Pike-San Isabel: other districtsColoradono quotaat checkout
  21. 25 Nov2026SequoiaCaliforniaat offices only: Kern River 25 Nov, Hume Lake 1 Dec, Western Divide 5 Decat checkout

How it works

Pick the national forest you want to cut in, buy its permit on Recreation.gov (many forests also sell at ranger offices and local shops), and print it. The permit is good only on that forest, in its marked areas, and its own rules on tree size and species apply.

What it costs

Each forest sets its own price. For 2026 the Forest Service lists $5 a tree on Washington’s Okanogan-Wenatchee and Oregon’s Mt. Hood and Willamette, $10 on Colorado’s White River, New Mexico’s Lincoln and California’s Lassen and Shasta-Trinity, $15 on Arizona’s Kaibab and $20 on California’s Stanislaus. Buying online adds a $2.50 fee.

Free for fourth graders

A fourth grader with an Every Kid Outdoors pass gets one free permit; enter the pass or voucher number on Recreation.gov. The $2.50 booking fee still applies online.

Jump to a state

Arizona · California · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · Nevada · New Mexico · Oregon · Utah · Washington · Wyoming · Other states

Arizona

California

California has its own page: Christmas tree permits in California, forest by forest.

Colorado

Colorado has its own page, with every 2026 cutting date, price and rule: Christmas tree permits in Colorado. Seven permit areas, from Grand County (open since 7 November) to Pike National Forest near Denver (27 November).

Idaho

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

Oregon

Oregon has its own page: Christmas tree permits in Oregon, forest by forest.

Utah

Washington

Wyoming

Other states

Christmas tree permit questions

Do I need a permit to cut a Christmas tree in a national forest?

Yes. Buy one from the forest where you plan to cut, before you go, and carry it with you; most forests ask you to print it and show it on the dashboard or on the tree. A permit is good only on the forest it was bought for.

Where do I buy a Christmas tree permit?

On Recreation.gov, where you search for the forest by name and pick it from the list. Many forests also sell permits at ranger offices and local shops; their pages say which.

How much is a Christmas tree permit in 2026?

It depends on the forest. The Forest Service lists $5 a tree for Okanogan-Wenatchee in Washington and Mt. Hood and Willamette in Oregon; $10 for White River in Colorado, Lincoln in New Mexico, and Lassen and Shasta-Trinity in California; $15 for Kaibab in Arizona; and $20 for Stanislaus in California and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache in Utah. Buying online on Recreation.gov adds $2.50.

Where can I get a Christmas tree permit in Utah?

Near Salt Lake City, Ogden, Logan and Provo it is the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest: permits go on sale on Recreation.gov on 10 November 2026 at 8am MST, and at its district offices from 9 November, for $20 a tree. You can cut only in the Heber-Kamas, Evanston-Mountain View, Logan and Ogden districts, or juniper in the Stansbury Mountains, and Heber-Kamas permits tend to sell out fast. Further south, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal and Ashley national forests sell their own permits.

Can fourth graders get a free Christmas tree permit?

Yes. Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get one free permit by entering the pass or voucher number on Recreation.gov, or at a participating forest office. The $2.50 online fee still applies.

When do Christmas tree permits go on sale?

Each forest sets its own date. For 2026, Arapaho-Roosevelt, Kaibab, Dixie, Manti-La Sal and Custer Gallatin started selling on 8 October, Stanislaus on 10 October, Humboldt-Toiyabe on 20 October, Tahoe, Eldorado and Lassen on 1 November, Shasta-Trinity on 3 November, Six Rivers on 9 November and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache in Utah on 10 November (its offices from 9 November). White River, Lincoln and Okanogan-Wenatchee follow on 12 November, Coconino on 14 November and most of Pike-San Isabel on 16 November.

How this was checked

The list of forests is Recreation.gov’s own index of national forests selling Christmas tree permits, read on 7 November 2026 (2026 dates and prices re-checked on 12 November), with a link to each forest’s permit page. Sale dates and prices are given only where the Forest Service has published them for 2026, in a news release, a forest page updated this year, or the forest’s Recreation.gov page. A price printed without a year says so. News stories were used only to find those pages.

Every forest sets its own areas, dates, tree sizes and species, and roads close with the snow. Read the permit you buy before you go.

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