Cutting Down a Christmas Tree in NH White Mountain National Forest
Looking for your own Clark Griswold moment? I have the adventure for you! Our adventure had better results than Clark’s. We remembered our saw and the tree fit perfectly in our home. How do you do this and where do you go? Read on my adventure friends for tips so you will be able to create your magical holiday memories!
You need a permit to cut down your Christmas tree. They are easy to acquire through the White Mountain National Forest website or you can visit one of their offices. We had fun visiting the White Mountain visitor center in North Woodstock, NH (200 Kancamangus Highway). There is a lot of info to see here and the folks working were very helpful. The permit is only $5.
There are rules to cutting down your own tree. If you get your permit in person they will review them for you. If you’re a planner, like me, it is nice to know beforehand. Here are the rules to know in advance:
You have to be 100 feet from- a paved road, picnic area, campgrounds, trailhead or developed recreation areas, and water bodies.
You have to be 50 feet from a dirt road
No power tools hand saws only
Only one tree per household and they are not to be cut for resale
Trees have to be smaller than 6 inches in diameter at chest height
Leave the remaining stump less than 10 inches
Remember your hand saw or ax and ties for the roof! We used the ties for the surfboard and paddle board. They were great at getting the tree secured to the car.
Your tree will not look like the ones you get at a store. Think of the one you will cut down to be a more wild version of the tree farm tree. Ours and the ones we saw are a bit more sparse and maybe a little uneven in parts. I like to think that our tree has character. I kind of love that you can see the trunk, as it is not a very full tree. When we hung our ornaments it had more depth and its quirkiness was just perfect for us. Plus the memories you will have!
Bring gloves. Also something we learned from Clark Griswold. The trees have a lot of sap and the gloves helped us not be stuck to everything the rest of the day!
Most importantly have fun! It is a cool outdoorsy activity for the entire family.