Looking to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in Monterey County?

The air is fresh, and your kids – even you – are getting ready to welcome Christmas. You want to add to your beautiful home the smells and sight of a fresh pine, spruce, or evergreen, and everyone’s ready to help decorate. As you might expect, your neighborhood has various Christmas Tree farms where you can cut your own Christmas tree. We’ll start you out with three farms we know about in the area, plus give you some suggestions for places you can buy fresh-cut trees (but don’t need to cut).

Thompson’s Choose and Cut Christmas Tree Ranch – Aromas

This ranch runs through to December 24. In addition to the many varieties of trees they carry (see below), they have a picnic area, gift shop, free coffee waiting for you, and other refreshments and amenities.

• Address – 207 Aromas Rd, Aromas
• Phone – 831-726- 9126
• Website – N/A
• Hours – Saturday and Sunday Only 10 am – Sundown
• Prices $30 Monterey Pines, $40 everything else.
• Tree Varieties – Scotch Pines, Monterey Pines, Douglas Firs, Colorado Blue Spruce, Grand Whites, some Nobles and cuts from Oregon!

Wiley’s Christmas Tree Farm – Greenfield

This is a family-run choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm. In addition to trees and stands, they offer wreaths, swags, and even mistletoe. They have a boutique, and they’ll be waiting for you with cider or hot chocolate. When you’re there with the kids, you can enjoy a fun hayride too. Their motto: “We provide the saw, you provide the muscle.” They are open from the day after Thanksgiving, right to December 11.

• Address – 36770 Elm Avenue, Greenfield
• Phone – 831-674-5371
• Website – http://www.wileytreefarm.com
• Hours – Every day 9-5
• Price – $45 for all varieties
• Tree Varieties – Monterey Pine, Leyland, and Arizona Cypress

Church Christmas Tree Farms – Monterey

Located in North Monterey County, east of Elkhorn Slough Reserve, Church is “one of the oldest continuously operating Christmas tree farms in California.” Their Christmas trees are nursery grown, and on their farm, there’s a mix of young and old. They open the day after Thanksgiving and run through to at least mid-December. You can BYOS (bring your own saw!), but they do provide them if needed. They also carry wreaths and other holiday accessories.

• Address – 470 Hidden Valley Road, Royal Oaks
• Phone – 831-724-8032
• Website – http://churchchristmastreefarms.com
• Hours – 9 am – 4:30 pm weekdays, 12 pm -4:30 pm Weekends
• Tree Varieties – Douglas Fir, White Fir, Monterey Pine, Cedar, Spruce, and Pre-cut Nobles from Oregon
• Open until December 18th
• Prices range $40-55

If you don’t want to cut your own tree, but still want to have a real one for Christmas, there are many choices open to you. Try Carmel Valley Kiwanis Tree Lot, for example, which is located at the Mid-Valley Shopping Center. In Monterey, visit Cardinale & Wright Christmas Trees, located at the Fairgrounds. In Pacific Grove, there’s the SaveMart at 200 Country Club Center. In the Seaside/Marina area, there are two SaveMarts, plus the Home Depot on Canyon Del Rey Blvd.

Interested in finding out a lot more about Christmas tree lots, the trees themselves, or the industry? Head over to California Christmas Tree Association. There is quite a lot of information on their website.

This list was accurate at the time of publication; please check directly with the venue(s) to ensure dates, times, and locations remain the same.