Lassen National Forest Christmas Tree Permits on Sale: Cut Your Own Tree for $10, Limit Two per Household
Christmas tree cutting permits for the 2026 season went on sale November 1 in Lassen National Forest in northeastern California. Each permit costs $10 and allows the holder to cut one Christmas tree in designated areas, with a limit of two permits per household.
Starting this year, the permits can be bought online through Recreation.gov, the federal recreation portal. They are also sold from November 1 through December 24 at ranger district offices and local vendors, or by mail. Forest Service offices are closed on the November 11 Veterans Day and November 26 Thanksgiving federal holidays.
Cutting is allowed across the Almanor, Eagle Lake and Hat Creek ranger districts. Rules require taking only trees smaller than 6 inches in diameter at ground level, leaving a stump no more than 12 inches high, and not topping trees taller than 25 feet. Permit holders must carry the permit and cutting map, and display the permit on the dashboard. Cutting is prohibited on private land, in wilderness areas, designated recreation sites, previously thinned areas and tree plantations, and within 150 feet of streams.
The Forest Service notes that removing small-diameter trees from densely stocked stands helps the remaining trees grow and opens foraging areas for wildlife, which is the forest-management purpose behind the decades-old tradition. Under the agency's Every Kid Outdoors program, fourth graders can obtain a free Christmas tree permit with their pass.
The agency also advises checking the map before buying, since all sales are final, and taking care in recently burned areas, where hazard trees and falling debris are a risk. Mountain roads may not be plowed; visitors should carry tire chains and warm clothing and leave the forest before dark.
(Source: U.S. Forest Service)
Source: U.S. Forest Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州拉森国家森林雪景（资料图）。图片：美国林业局，经 Recreation.gov。 / Photo: A snowy scene in Lassen National Forest, California (file photo). Photo: U.S. Forest Service, via Recreation.gov.
