Mt. Hood National Forest: Cut Your Own Christmas Tree (2026)
Has 2026 info
How your family can cut a Christmas tree on the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, 2026 season. Every fact below comes from the forest's official pages, linked at the bottom.
Quick facts
- Price: $5 per tree
- How many: 5 trees per household per year
- Permit sales: Online sales open Nov 12, 2026 (Recreation.gov).
- Cutting season: Nov 12 – Dec 31, 2026 (permit season listed on Recreation.gov).
Where can I cut?
- Not within 100 ft of highways (26, 35, 216, 224) or trails, 200 ft of campgrounds, 300 ft of streams or lakes.
- Not in Wilderness, the Bull Run Watershed, The Dalles Municipal Watershed or Camp Baldwin.
When can I buy a permit?
- Online sales open Nov 12, 2026 (Recreation.gov).
- Cutting season: Nov 12 – Dec 31, 2026 (permit season listed on Recreation.gov).
How much?
- $5 per tree
- Extra fees: Recreation.gov charges a $2.50 service fee.
- No extra fee at vendors or district offices.
How do I buy it?
What's an online permit? It's a permit you buy on Recreation.gov, the U.S. government's official booking website. You pay there, then follow the instructions that come with your permit.
- Recreation.gov, local vendors (Estacada, Dufur, Hood River, Sandy, The Dalles, Tygh Valley, Welches), or the Sandy and Zigzag district offices.
- Last season the Dufur and Parkdale offices did not sell permits.
Rules to know
- How many: 5 trees per household per year
- Max 15 ft (larger trees at a per-foot cost from your ranger district).
- Stump 6 in. or less.
- Another tree must be growing within 12 ft.
Before you go
- Check this forest's official page and alerts the week you go. Rules, roads and closures can change.
- Cut only on National Forest land, never on private, state or tribal land.
- Forest roads are often unplowed. Check the weather and road conditions.
- Follow your permit's instructions for carrying, tagging or displaying it.
What to bring:
- Your permit (printed, if your forest asks you to print it)
- A hatchet, ax or saw (check your forest: some ban chainsaws)
- Warm gloves, boots and extra warm clothing
- Rope to tie your tree down
- A flashlight, first aid kit and tire chains
- Water, a hot drink, lunch or snacks (it always takes longer than expected)
Need firewood too? See the Mt. Hood firewood permit page.
Sources
More in Oregon: Deschutes · Fremont-Winema · Malheur · Ochoco · Rogue River-Siskiyou · Siuslaw · Umatilla · Umpqua · Wallowa-Whitman · Willamette · All Oregon options
Independent site. Forest Permit Finder is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the USDA Forest Service or Recreation.gov. Permit rules change; always check the official page before you go. Information last verified Oct 2026.