How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in New Mexico

Sienna-hued Gamble oak leaves crunch underfoot as we hike through a Douglas fir forest in the Jemez Mountains. Pockets of snow attract our 2 boys—Pierce, 11, and Declan, 8—on this Saturday in early December.

We’ve made it only 50 feet from our vehicle into the Jemez Forest Reserve before an impromptu snowball fight breaks out. But my wife, Kat, and I are in no hurry. We’re out today, permit in hand, to find the perfect Christmas tree. And more importantly, to get our sons outside and spend a decidedly unrushed day in the woods.

Laughter peels through the ponderosa pines as we pick our way up an incline, eyes scanning for trees with a 5-inch diameter trunk and no taller than 10 feet, as per our permit. There are a lot of beautiful trees, and I can’t help but feel conflicted about cutting one down and removing it from this idyllic setting.

But I understand that thinning the forest is important to its overall health, especially in light of New Mexico’s past fire season, where dense stands crowned and quickly spread the recent Calf Canyon–Hermits Peak Fire, New Mexico’s largest ever. Each U.S. Forest Service district carefully assesses its woodland and decides where trees need to be thinned, and by how many.

In this way, the districts optimally control the spacing of trees, reducing the chances of a fire wiping out all the area’s trees and giving growing room to the remaining trees to ensure a robust, healthy forest. As a plus, the Forest Service can earn money for management projects through selling permits, and families can enjoy their public lands while creating holiday memories.

Father and child holding hands while walking through a Christmas tree farm

Photo by Crystal Sing/stock.adobe.com

We hike on through the late morning, enjoying our time in the forest so much that we almost forget why we’re there. Piñon jays flash against the robin-egg sky, and a nippy breeze occasionally sways the forest canopy with a gentle “whoosh.” I glance at my GPS and map to make sure we’re still within our designated area (and also to make sure I remember where I parked the car).

The boys’ rowdy snowball fight has given way to a bright quietness as they examine pine cones and cool rocks before we stop for a hot chocolate break.

“That’s a good-looking one,” Kat says, pointing to a stand of Douglas fir behind me. All the trees in the clump look good, but I know which one she’s talking about. A perfectly sized tree that looks jammed among the others.

“Yeah,” I respond. “I think you found our tree.”

We finish our hot chocolate and get to work. I think about how we can get the tree back to our vehicle and don’t see any problems.

We’re not within 300 feet of a stream or paved road, and we’re within our designated zone. We make sure there are no animals living in the tree, and I take out a sewing tape measure to check the diameter. My brain warms as I remember how to determine the diameter of a circle: the circumference divided by pi (3.14). The trunk is 15 inches around, making the diameter just shy of 5 inches. My kids are unimpressed with my middle school geometry.

Next, knowing my reach is roughly 7-and-a-half feet, Kat eyeballs me reaching up level with the tree and determines it’s not higher than 10 feet. All the numbers look good, and after a family vote, we’ve found our tree.

“Pierce,” I call, “get the saw out of the pack.”

Pair of people cutting down a Christmas tree

Photo by PNPImages/stock.adobe.com

Pierce comes back with a folding pruning saw and hands it to me. “Here, you do it,” I tell him. His eyes eagerly widen as he understands he’ll make the cuts.

I have him remove a few lower branches and clear the forest litter from the base so we can cut as low as possible, per the Forest Service request. We’ll also cut a few more inches off the bottom when we get home and put the tree in water, so we want as much trunk as possible. Pierce determinedly saws away until his forearm burns. Five inches doesn’t sound like much until you’re the one cutting it.

I take over the sawing, and the tree begins to pinch the saw. With Kat pushing the tree to open up the cut, I’m able to finish, and we all gently lay our Christmas tree down. We cover the base with forest litter, and I bind the tree with some paracord to make it easier to carry, creating some loops for handles.

Leaving as little trace as possible, Kat and I pick up our tree and we all start back for our vehicle. Once there, I lash the tree to the top, with the cut end forward and covered with a plastic bag to keep it from drying out on the 2-hour drive back to Albuquerque. At home, we’ll cut off another few inches of the trunk to get to fresh sapwood so the tree can better draw up water.

An illuminated Christmas tree surrounded by holiday gifts

Photo by JenkoAtaman/stock.adobe.com

For the next 2 weeks, this evergreen will be the centerpiece of our home, part of an ancient tradition that has created a new tradition for our family. When the new year comes, we’ll mulch the tree to nourish our other trees and gardens. But for now, this piece of New Mexico brings the mountains into our home, and we’ve played a small part in helping to manage the health of the forest we love.

Rules for Christmas tree cutting

1. Get your permit

Christmas tree–cutting permits become available on November 10 and are good through December 23. Cutting season begins on November 16. Permits for tree cutting are available online through the Bureau of Land Management and at the Carson, Cibola, Santa Fe, Gila, and Lincoln national forest ranger district offices throughout New Mexico. National forest permits can also be purchased online. The Jemez Ranger Station will be selling over the phone. BLM permits cost $5. National forest permits are $10, with a $2.50 processing fee if purchased online.

2. Follow instructions

Trees taken from national forests must meet these criteria:

They must be no more than 5 inches in diameter (15.7 inches around the lower trunk) and no more than 10 feet tall (if taller than 10 feet, 2 permits must be purchased; trunk diameter still needs to be 5 inches or less).
Trees can’t be removed from recreation camp areas, within 300 feet of streams or rivers, within 300 feet of paved roads, or within designated wilderness areas. Trees are to be taken only from the area designated on your permit. Permits come with a map of the area where you’re allowed to take a tree.
Always have a copy of your tree-cutting permit available, because rangers often patrol and request to see permits.

Taking trees that don’t meet these qualifications or taking a tree without a permit can result in a citation.

3. Involve the whole family

Children in fourth grade can get a free Christmas tree permit through the Every Kid Outdoors Program. Visit their website and complete the steps to receive a pass ID that can be used during the payment section of the tree-permit page or brought into a ranger district office to receive a permit.

It’s best to call the ranger district office ahead of time to verify that it will be open when you plan to arrive and to ask any questions about obtaining a Christmas tree permit before making the drive. Some years, the limited number of permits sells out.

4. Think safety

People venturing into the forests to cut Christmas trees should take these safety precautions:

Always let other people know where you’re going and when you plan to return.
Vehicles getting stuck in snow or mud along Forest Service roads is a common problem; it’s always a good idea to have tire chains or recovery boards when traveling in the mountains in winter.
Sunny days can turn into frigid nights, so be prepared with proper footwear and clothing, and make sure kids are dressed properly. Know when sunset is and be sure to take water, flashlights, emergency blankets, hand warmers, and other overnight and cold-weather supplies.
Cellphone coverage is often not available in the mountains, and it’s easy to get lost on Forest Service roads or while hiking into the forest. Pay attention to trip mileage and hiking time and know how to use your cellphone’s off-line GPS mapping apps. Giving kids whistles with instructions to blow them only when they are lost or hear another whistle is one way to quickly find overeager adventurers who wander off.

Steve Larese writes for AAA Explorer: New Mexico, Outside Business Journal, Lonely Planet, and other publications from his Albuquerque home.