Black Hills National Forest
2025 seasonUSDA Forest Service
- Price
- $10 for any tree, plus a $2.50 processing fee online
- Limit
- up to five permits per account
- Tallest tree
- 20 feet
- Where to buy
- Recreation.gov, local Forest Service office, local vendors throughout the Black Hills
These are the forest’s 2025 season details. The forest posts its 2026 price and dates on its permit page each fall.
Each permit is $10 for any tree, plus a $2.50 processing fee. Users can purchase up to five permits per account.Purchase a Christmas Tree Permit, Black Hills National Forest, USDA Forest Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Rules for cutting
Trees may be at most 20 feet tall, with a stump no taller or wider than 6 inches.
Tree height: 20 feet maximum ... Stump height: 6 inches maximum ... Stump diameter: 6 inches maximumBlack Hills National Forest. Read it at the source
Cut down the entire tree rather than topping it.
Take the whole tree. Do not remove the top of the tree; cut down the entire treeBlack Hills National Forest. Read it at the source
No cutting in developed recreation sites, administrative sites, active timber sales, the Black Hills Experimental Forest, Black Elk Wilderness, Beaver Park or Spearfish Canyon.
Trees may not be cut in developed recreation sites, such as campgrounds, picnic sites, and day-use areas. Furthermore, trees cannot be cut from Forest Service administrative sites, within active timber sales, Black Hills Experimental Forest near Rochford, Black Elk Wilderness Area, Beaver Park near Sturgis, or within Spearfish Canyon.Black Hills National Forest. Read it at the source
Print the online permit and have it with you; screenshots are not accepted.
You must print and bring your Christmas Tree Permit with you. Please be advised that screen shots and/or pictures of online permits do not qualify and are not accepted as "proof of purchase."Black Hills National Forest. Read it at the source
Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get a free permit here.
Additionally, all 4th graders throughout the United States receive a FREE Christmas tree permit, as part of the Every Kid Outdoors Program.Black Hills National Forest. Read it at the source
