How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

What could be more charming — and affordable — than cutting down your own Christmas tree? Grab a $10 permit from the Bureau of Land Management’s Salt Lake Field Office or a $10-$20 permit from the U.S. Forest Service and make some memories.

Scout Your Spot

• If your permit is from the U.S. Forest Service, you’ll be given a map with areas you can cut. If your permit is from the BLM, refer to their maps.
• Pick from any species of tree, except the Ponderosa Pine.
• Scout in a dense area.

🎄Fun fact: Cutting a wild Christmas tree improves forest health! The perfect Christmas tree is usually found in areas local forest health experts find will benefit from thinning.

Cut & Carry

• Bring a hand saw or chainsaw and a tape measure. Trees look smaller in the wild.
• Shake it. If needles start falling, keep movin’.
• Cut close to the ground. Don’t leave a stump more than 6 inches tall.

Fire Prevention

Christmas tree fires are a thing. Stay vigilant, tree people.

• Cut an extra 2 inches from the base of the trunk when you get home.
• Water your tree daily.
• Place the tree at least 3 feet away from any heat sources (i.e. fireplaces, radiators).
• Always turn off tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Kick that sucker to the curb in January. Don’t let it dry up in your living room.