Searching For The Perfect Tree in White Mountain National Forest

With the holiday season in full swing, it’s time to deck the halls and bring a little of New Hampshire’s greenery inside. Although there are many great little farms where you can cut down your own Christmas tree (all whilst you’re sipping hot cider or mulled wine) this year, we opted for a more simplistic approach.

Every year, White Mountain National Forest issues tree cutting tags to families willing to work a little harder when it comes to locating their tree. For just $5, you can buy one of the tree tags from the White Mountain National Forest ranger stations (located in Campton, Lincoln, and Gorham) and cut down your very own Christmas tree within the confines of the National Forest.

In true New Hampshire tradition, we picked our tags up in Lincoln and drove the length of the Kanc to find the perfect evergreen. Note: before taking off, be sure to speak with a ranger about the rules of cutting down a tree and make sure you’re aware of the National Forest boundaries.

Eventually, we found ourselves in the woods behind the Albany Covered Bridge and found this beauty. Although these wild trees lack the bushy-bows of their farm-raised counterparts—there’s something special about having a White Mountain Christmas tree at home (plus, that extra space means there’s plenty of room for ornaments).