Cutting Christmas trees – a Rocky Mountain tradition
by Carin R. Kirkegaard
The holidays are typically a time where families come together to celebrate through tradition, whether its reading a favorite story, cooking a recipe that has been passed down through generations, or driving up to the mountains to find the perfect Christmas tree.
The Rocky Mountain Region of the United States Forest Service issues a limited number of $10 tree cutting permits each holiday season. Permits for trees are issued throughout the month of November either by directly visiting the park ranger’s office or by mailing in a form. Tree cutting days run from the end of November through the middle of December.
There are five areas near the Denver Metro area that allow tree cutting. The two closest areas for the Castle Pines community are in the Pike National Forest. One location is off of Rampart Range Road in the Woodland Park area and the other is near Buffalo Creek off of Highway 285.
Rampart Range Road area is operated out of the Pikes Peak Ranger District and will sell permits from November 30 through December 16 at the district office located at 601 S. Weber St., Colorado Springs, CO. Permits will also be available at the Woodland Park Middle School parking lot December 5 and 6, as well as December 12 and 13 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. There will be no mail orders accepted. Trees can be cut anytime after the permit has been purchased through December 16. To learn more about purchasing a tree permit from the Pikes Peak Ranger District visit www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/pp/ppxmas/xmas.htm, or call 719-477-4221.
Buffalo Creek area is operated out of the South Platte Ranger District and will sell 7,000 permits this season. Permits are available by mail or by purchasing directly from the park ranger’s office located at 19316 Goddard Ranch Court, Morrison, CO. Tree permits started selling November 2 and will continue until all permits have sold. Trees can be cut November 27 and 28, and December 5 through December 13. The Buffalo Creek tree cutting area anticipates close to 30,000 visitors this season. To insure that everyone has an enjoyable experience, the park rangers limit the number of permits sold for a particular day. To learn which dates are available please call the ranger’s office at 303-275-5610. To find out more about tree cutting in the Buffalo Creek area visit www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/spl/xmas.shtml.
Allowing locals to head up into the mountains to find a Christmas tree is a partnership that works for everyone. According to the forest service, tree cutting allows “you to take an active part in managing your national forests as you celebrate your own family’s tradition”. To learn about other areas that allow tree cutting along the Front Range visit
www.fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/christmas/index-primary-areas.shtml.
