Where to cut your own Colorado Christmas tree
Many Coloradans want a more hands-on experience when it comes to selecting their Christmas tree than just visiting an urban tree lot.
The U.S. Forest Service annually issues $10 permits for those who want to cut their own trees in designated areas. The South Platte Ranger District office began selling permits Nov. 1 at its Morrison office (19316 Goddard Ranch Court), and an order form can also be downloaded online for those who want to mail in their permit request. Get full information at http://1.usa.gov/SoAiPR or by calling 303-275-5610. Don’t delay — the permits sell out quickly
For details on the other sites in Colorado where tree cutting is allowed, visit the Forest Service website at us.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation.
Commercial tree farms also offer pick-you-own options and holiday activities. Here are a few along the Front Range.
Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm, 4340 13th St., Boulder, (303) 449-7532; neighborhoodchristmastreefarm.com
This tree farm in the north Boulder area sells blue spruce and white fir trees that you can cut, and has pre-cut Fraser and Noble firs. Hours are 9 a.m. to dusk, Dec. 8-9, or until all the trees are sold. Customers can pick out their trees and come back later to cut them.
Fern Hill Farm, 2001 Fern Ave.; Greeley; 970-352-4478; fernhillfarm-christmastrees.com
Since 2004, Clifford and Sally Clift have been selling trees — mostly Scotch pine — grown on their 20-acre farm east of Greeley. They will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 23 until Dec. 16, and by appointment.
Merry Christmas Tree Farm, 18520 Shannon Road, Black Forest, 719-481-4946; pikespeakalpacas.com
Co-owner Linda Staley and her husband first planted Christmas trees on their farm in 1986 and they offer scotch pine and blue spruce. The Staleys also breed alpacas. Check website for hours of operation.
Suzanne S. Brown
Do you have an artificial tree, pick it from a tree lot or have you ever cut down your own?
We put in for our permit this a.m. This was the first day for permit sales for Golden Gate Canyon.
I grew up on real, I do fake now. Im paranoid of fires
Fake! I don’t want to kill a whole tree just for a few weeks of enjoyment and I don’t want to deal with the mess either.
I always swore I’d do real. Then our trees kept dying every year and were veritable fire hazards. So, when our in-laws offered their fake tree, we took it.
Every year in California, we made a trip out of it-driving to the mountains to the tree farm, hiking around to find the perfect one, buying hot cocoa from the boy scouts, strapping it to our van and driving home. Last year was our first in Colorado. We drove to 4 different tree farms/cutting areas. All the trees were small, very bare, or extremely expensive. We went to Costco and bought a real one there instead. I was informed later that Colorado is a desert, and Christmas trees just don’t grow that well here.
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“For details on the other sites in Colorado where tree cutting is allowed, visit the Forest Service website at us.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation. “