Cut your own Christmas tree:  permits for the Stanislaus, Eldorado and Tahoe national forests are on sale

Families who want to cut their own Christmas tree in the Sierra Nevada can buy a permit now for three national forests east of the Bay Area, according to the U.S. Forest Service.  Permits are sold online through Recreation.gov, the federal site for campsites and park passes, and you print the permit at home before you go.

Where and how much

• Stanislaus National Forest (headquartered in Sonora):  $20 per tree, with up to two trees on one permit.  Permits went on sale Oct. 10, and cutting is allowed starting Friday, Nov. 27, the forest says.
• Eldorado National Forest (Highways 50 and 88):  Online permits went on sale Nov. 1.  A limited number of $10 cash-only permits are sold on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Placerville Ranger District office in Camino, the Amador office in Pioneer and the Georgetown office until they run out, according to the forest’s Recreation.gov page.
• Tahoe National Forest:  Online permits went on sale Nov. 1.  Buyers must pick the ranger district where they plan to cut, the forest says.

Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass, a free federal pass for fourth-grade students and their families, can get a free tree permit by entering the pass or voucher number, though Recreation.gov adds a $2.50 reservation fee, the Forest Service says.

Rules on the Eldorado permit

• Cut only pine, fir or cedar, never oaks or aspens, and only in mapped cutting areas.  Stay off private land, which shows up in white on the forest’s maps.
• The tree can be no taller than 20 feet, with a trunk no wider than 6 inches at the stump.  Cut it no more than 12 inches above the ground, and take the whole tree rather than cutting the top off a bigger one.
• Pick a tree from a crowded group, not one standing alone in the open.
• Areas burned in the Caldor and Mosquito fires are closed to tree cutting, including forest land along Mormon Emigrant Trail, Silver Fork Road and North-South Road, and parts of the King Fire area are closed so seedlings can regrow.
• Display the printed permit on your dashboard, and sign and date it once you cut the tree.

Rules differ by forest, so read the overview for the forest you pick before you buy, the Forest Service says.  Forest staff can tell you about road conditions and which areas are open.

Why the forests sell trees

Cutting small trees helps thin crowded stands, which lets other trees grow larger and opens space for wildlife, according to the Forest Service.  Eldorado says the program also helps clear out small trees that can carry fire from the ground into the treetops, built up over years of putting out fires.

Permits and maps are on Recreation.gov’s Christmas tree permit page.

Source:  Stanislaus National Forest release, Oct. 9, 2026, Tahoe National Forest release, Oct. 29, 2026 and Eldorado National Forest permit page on Recreation.gov, checked Nov. 13, 2026.