Official websites use .gov
A .gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the
United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock
(
) or https:// means you've safely
connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only
on official, secure websites.
Forest Products Permits
Fuelwood and Transplant Permits
Fuelwood and transplant permits cannot be purchased online. Please contact your nearest district office for details and availability. Post and pole permits, tribal permits, and commercial permits may also be available.
Christmas Trees
Christmas tree permits for all the ranger districts can be purchased online. Most districts also offer in-person and/or mail-in purchasing options without quotas, so permits will not sell out. However, permits for South Platte Ranger must be purchased online and are limited, so they may sell out.
The cost is $20 per tree (limit 5 per family) for the Pike National Forest districts: South Platte, South Park, and Pikes Peak. The cost is $10 per tree (limit 2 per family) for the San Isabel Nation Forest districts: Leadville, Salida, and San Carlos.
$20 per permit: Limit 5 permits per household
Buffalo Creek - This area is located southeast of Pine Junction on County Highway 126 and FDR 550. From Denver: Take US Hwy 285 south to Pine Valley Road (County Road 126). Turn south onto Pine Valley Road for about 12 miles. FDR 550 will be on the right-hand side.
Sugar Creek – This area is located along County Road 67, approximately 1.5 miles south of County Road 40/Sprucewood junction. This area is best accessed from US Hwy 85 in Sedalia, CO. No camping allowed
Camp Fikes - This area is located to the west of the Buffalo Creek tree cutting area. Follow the directions to the Buffalo Creek tree cutting area. Turn onto FDR 550 and continue to stay on the road for approximately 8 miles. This area may be difficult to impossible to access after heavy snow.
- Be sure of the area you are purchasing a permit for.
- Each permit has a unique number associated with it, so permits purchased through the Recreation.gov website must be printed to be valid.
- Visitors should display the printed permit on the dash of their vehicle on the day they visit the forest to cut their tree.
- Visitors must establish a Recreation.gov account to purchase a permit and may access their permit through their account at any time.
- The funds from Christmas tree permits purchased through the Recreation.gov system will go back to the participating Forest through Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) funding requirements.
- Fourth-grade students with an Every Kid Outdoors pass can apply for a free Christmas Tree permit through the online system with Recreation.gov by selecting the option and then entering their voucher or pass number when prompted.
Forest health is important, by removing these smaller trees you are contributing to the overall wellbeing of the forest and reducing fire danger. Persons cutting or removing trees from the National Forest without a valid permit are subject to a fine of up to $5000 and/or 6 months imprisonment.