Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree: A Tradition Rooted in Adventure, Fresh Air, and Family Togetherness

There’s something magical about the day after Thanksgiving. The leftovers are tucked away, the house is full of that warm post-holiday glow, and the season ahead shifts from the celebration of harvest to the thoughts of Christmas and advent. For our family, that Friday marks the beginning of one of our most cherished traditions - a trek out into the woods of the family cabin (mud, snow, or shine) to cut down the big Christmas tree.

It’s a tradition that started naturally when I was a little girl and has now become one of the cherished traditions our family looks forward to the most with another generation of outdoor-lovers in tow. There’s nothing hurried or commercial about it. Just crisp mountain air, the smell of pine, and the simple joy of tromping through the woods together in search of a tree that feels like ours.

Finding the Perfect Tree—Long Before the Saw Comes Out

One of my favorite parts of cutting our own Christmas tree is that the search begins long before the snow falls. During our fall hikes and hunting - when the mountains glow gold and the air turns sharp enough to redden little noses - we keep an eye out for contenders. It's become a game in our family, pointing out perfectly shaped evergreens as we wander, dubbing the tiniest trees as "Bridger" trees for little brother, and my family teasing me for always finding the one...that's 45 feet tall and would NEVER fit in our house (peep that beauty in the pic above...some day). We rarely choose our actual tree that early, of course, but scoping out possibilities adds a layer of anticipation and connection to the land that makes the eventual day feel all the more fun.

If you’re harvesting from public lands rather than private property, this is also the time to check in with your local Forest Service and grab a Christmas tree permit (at least that's how it works in Colorado). They’re inexpensive, easy to get, and help keep the tradition sustainable and healthy for the forest. Plus, involving your kids in the process - picking up the permit together, talking about stewardship, and learning that our enjoyment of nature comes with responsibility is an important step in growing little conservationists that love and care for nature.

A Holiday Adventure, Not an Errand

When we load up the truck - or the side-by-side, depending on where we're going - it always feels like we’re stepping into our own little holiday movie. Thermoses full of hot chocolate or spicy cider get passed around, Christmas carols start playing before we’ve even left the driveway, and everyone bundles up a little too much, just in case.

The forest in late November is quiet in a way that feels almost reverent. If they're not yet covered in snow, brown leaves crunch under boots. Cold air curls out in white fog when you laugh. At the very least, a frost hangs in the shadows and patches of snow have began to accumulate in the shady places. And that fresh pine scent - sharp, clean, unmistakably winter - wraps itself around the whole experience.

Some years we keep it simple, just a cozy wander through the trees until one of us says, “This is it.” Other years we make more of a day of it, building a campfire to warm our hands and roasting hotdogs while the kids gather sticks and pinecones for imaginary forest creations. There is no rush, no checklist, no perfect timeline. Just a good old-fashioned family adventure where the journey matters just as much as the tree we bring home.

Toddler Cutting A Christmas Tree

Cutting A Fresh Christmas Tree

Finding Your Perfect Christmas Tree

The Moment You Know

Every family tree has its own story. Ours are often slightly quirky - typically too tall and in need of a trimming at the top, a bit wild around the edges, or beautifully full on one side and charmingly scraggly on the other. But that’s the beauty of choosing your tree in the wild: it becomes part of your home because you found it together. And its imperfections are typically the very reasons you choose that specific tree for this beloved family tradition.

There’s always that moment when we step back, nod at each other, and know. The saw comes out, the warm drinks get refilled, and the kids and I watch dad haul the tree back to the truck with great pride. It’s messy, sappy, and absolutely perfect.

From Forest to Living Room

By the time we drive home, the tree has already woven itself into the fabric of our holiday. Sap still sticky on our gloves. Evergreen needles clinging to the back of the truck. Everyone a little wind-chapped and happily tired.

We set it up in the living room in a base that never seems to fit quite right, light dancing across the branches as they fall naturally into place. Decorating feels different when you’ve cut the tree yourself - more meaningful, more rooted. A fresh reminder of the family adventure that brought it home.

And as we hang ornaments or untangle lights, the scent of pine fills the house and pulls us right back to that quiet mountain air, the soft crunch of snow or needles underfoot, and the simple joy of being together.

Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree Is A Tradition Worth Keeping

Cutting your own Christmas tree isn’t just about the tree - it’s about family traditions that anchor our years, choosing fresh air and old-fashioned fun, and creating a moment your children will remember long after the ornaments are packed away. It’s a tradition that invites wonder, cultivates an appreciation for the beauty of nature, and turns the start of the holiday season into something grounded and wholehearted.

Cutting your own Christmas tree is just good for the soul.

And when that tree stands glowing in the warmth of your home this holiday, it feels like more than decoration. It feels like a piece of the wild - carried home, loved well, and part of the story your family is writing together.