In a state abundantly blessed with natural resources, it is perhaps no surprise there are not a lot of choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms in Alaska.
In this post, you’ll learn about the one Alaska Christmas tree farm we were able to find. You’ll also learn about an opportunity to buy pre-cut Christmas trees, including special-order trees, and you’ll learn where and how to cut your own Christmas tree on public land.
When it’s time to set up your tree, save time and avoid the multi-person hassle – check out the Krinner Tree Genie. The foot-operated ratcheting system on this Christmas tree stand will have your tree up in under a minute!
Read on to learn about fun ways to bring home a tree, and to get a look at a special Christmas attraction near Fairbanks.
Best Christmas Tree Farms in Central Alaska
Kiwanis Club
Fairbanks, Alaska
For more than 60 years, the Kiwanis Club in Fairbanks has been a source for Christmas trees, and you can be assured the funds raised annually will be steered into community service, which may not be the case with many Christmas tree farms in Alaska.
Sales start the Saturday after Thanksgiving at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds, and continue until the trees are gone, or until Christmas Eve. Sale hours are 5-8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 5-9 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, making the Kiwanis effort as convenient as might be the case at an Alaska Christmas tree farm.
And since you’re not likely to be near an Alaska Christmas tree farm that might address your special needs for a holiday tree, the Kiwanis Club takes special orders for trees 12 feet tall or taller. To get one of those trees, depending on availability, email fairbankskiwanis@yahoo.com.
Tanana Valley State Forest
Fairbanks, Alaska
Cutting Christmas trees on unrestricted state lands in the Fairbanks area like the Tanana Valley State Forest, under the jurisdiction of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, is allowed with some stipulations.
Cutting Christmas trees is prohibited in state parks within the state forest and in Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) rights-of-way, on Alaska Native lands and other private property, so you’ll need to be more careful than you might be at an Alaska Christmas tree farm.
For more details on cutting Christmas trees in the Tanana Valley State Forest, check out this online brochure from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
No permit or fee is required to cut a tree, so you’ll save money in comparison to visiting an Alaska Christmas tree farm or seasonal lot. Cut trees must be no more than 15 feet tall. Only one tree per household is allowed, strictly for personal use and not to be sold. Trees should be cut as low to the ground as possible.
It’s important to remember that cutting a tree on public land is vastly different from visiting a Christmas tree farm in Alaska.
For one thing, the Division of Forestry reminds people venturing into the Tanana Valley State Forest or other state lands that it does not maintain forest roads.
Anyone using those roads should have tire chains, a shovel, a tow strap and warm clothing available in case they get stuck, advises the Division of Forestry.
If you have questions, call the Division of Forestry office in Fairbanks at (907) 451-2600.
Santa Claus House
North Pole, Alaska
On your way to the Kiwanis Club Christmas tree lot in Fairbanks, you might want to visit the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, just 20 minutes away.
You won’t find an Alaska Christmas tree farm at Santa Claus House, but its gift shop is filled with holiday-themed items for young and old that will, like the family Christmas tree, add a special touch to the holiday.
Among the items you’ll find in the 9,000 square feet of retail space in the gift shop are children’s toys and an array of holiday-themed goods and made-in-Alaska items, a lot of which are exclusive to Santa Claus House.
And while you’re there, you can see the world’s largest Santa statue — it’s 50 feet tall — and you can also see some live reindeer.
If you like, stop for some holiday refreshment in the coffee shop, just as you might on a visit to an Alaska Christmas tree farm.
In the summer and during holidays, you can see Santa himself at Santa Claus House. If you’re lucky, you might stop by on a day when there is a parade, but no matter when you come, you can enjoy the holiday murals adorning the building, or you can stretch your legs on a wooded walking path.
It’s not exactly an Alaska Christmas tree farm experience, but a visit to Santa Claus House definitely will put you in the seasonal spirit.
Best Christmas Tree Farms in Southern Alaska
Dorman Tree Farm
Kodiak, Alaska
Dorman Tree Farm has been identified in at least one news report as the last Christmas tree farm in Alaska. Located on Kodiak Island, Dorman Tree Farm got its start in 2006 when Todd Dorman and his father, who had talked about setting up a Christmas tree farm in Alaska for years, bought 500 small fir, pine and spruce trees.
According to an Alaska Public Media report, Dorman Tree Farm had an inauspicious beginning, but most of the trees did survive, prompting the planting of 1,000 additional trees at the last Christmas tree farm in Alaska.
The first Christmas tree was sold at Dorman Tree Farm in 2012, and the enterprise now has 2.5 acres of trees.
In addition to trees, Dorman Tree Farm also has handmade wreaths available during its sales season, and the farm pledges to have hot cocoa ready for visitors searching for their perfect Christmas tree.
Bell’s Nursery
Anchorage, Alaska
Every Christmas season, the greenhouses at Bell’s Nursery locations in Anchorage are filled with three varieties of pre-cut fir trees, including one that will lend an international flair to your holiday.
The most popular Christmas tree across Europe is the Nordman fir, and it is available at Bell’s Nursery. In addition to its unparalleled fullness and symmetrical appearance, the Nordman fir has strong branches for holding ornaments and lights, according to the Bell’s Nursery website.
The Nordman fir also is a safe choice as a home Christmas tree, because its needles aren’t as sharp as other firs, and those needles don’t drop as the tree dries out, according to Bell’s Nursery information.
Also available at Bell’s Nursery locations for Christmas are the popular Noble fir, with a slight blue tinge that adds a new color to the Christmas palette at your home, and the Fraser fir, renowned for its strong fragrance for a memorable seasonal presence in your home.
Again, you won’t get an Alaska Christmas tree farm experience at Bell’s Nursery, but what you do get will have its own charm.
Mat-Su Valley and Kenai Peninsula
Southeastern Alaska
Covering miles upon miles of southern Alaska, areas of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Division of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources are areas in the state where the cutting of Christmas trees is allowed on public lands.
For the latest information on cutting your own Christmas tree in the Mat-Su Valley, call the Alaska Division of Forestry Mat-Su Area Office at (907) 761-6300. For the Kenai Peninsula, call (907) 260-4200.
In general, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry, cutting Christmas trees on unrestricted state lands in the Mat-Su Valley and the Kenai Peninsula is allowed, with some important restrictions.
As already noted in connection with the Tanana Valley State Forest, cutting is prohibited in state parks, along Alaska Department of Transportation rights-of-way, on Alaska Native lands and on private property.
And again, no permit or fee is required to cut down a Christmas tree, but no more than one tree is allowed per household, it can’t be more than 15 feet tall, and it should be cut as close to the ground as possible.
Chugach National Forest
South-Central Alaska
So who needs a Christmas tree farm in Alaska when there are so many opportunities to have the fun of selecting your own tree in its natural habitat?
Just as along the Kenai Peninsula and in the Mat-Su Valley, trees also can be cut at no charge in specified areas of the Chugach National Forest, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service.
In the Chugach National Forest, cutting Christmas trees is prohibited in the Portage Valley from the Seward Highway up Portage Glacier Road to Portage Lake.
Cutting Christmas trees also is prohibited in the Turnagain Pass from just north of the Turnagain Pass Rest Area to the Bertha Creek Campground.
Finally, there are specified easement areas in the Chugach National Forest where trees can’t be cut. Those areas are detailed on the map published with the guidelines for cutting trees.
Households or organizations are limited to cutting one tree in areas of the Chugach National Forest where harvesting a Christmas tree is allowed.
There are no height restrictions on trees taken from the Chugach National Forest, but the Forest Service stresses that the trees can’t be sold or traded or used in any other commercial transaction.
Across the entire Chugach National Forest, the Forest Service says trees should not be cut within 200 feet of main roads, or within 450 feet of picnic areas and campgrounds, trails, and bodies of water.
Wrapping up the Best Christmas Tree Farms in Alaska
We hope this post describing what may be the last Christmas tree farm in Alaska, along with other options for finding Christmas trees and other seasonal items in the far northern state, has been helpful as you’re making plans for your holiday decor and celebration.