Recycle Your Holiday Tree in the Denver Metro Area

A few weeks after the holidays end that Christmas tree that brightened up your living room and brought warm fuzzy feelings will turn into a scraggly menace that spews dry pine needles all over your carpet. Before your tree starts terrorizing your living room and ruining the fun holiday memories you made with it, you could recycle it with Denver’s annual treecycle program.

From January 6 to January 17, the city will be picking up trees to recycle. Here is how to participate:

Step 1: Make sure your tree is a real tree and not an artificial one. Artificial trees cannot be recycled.

Step 2: Remove all of the lights and ornaments and wrestle the tree out of the tree stand.

Step 3: Put the tree outside in your normal trash set-out location on your normal trash day before 7 a.m. Set it at least two feet away from other waste containers.

Step 4: Pick up some free mulch your tree helped make at the city’s annual compost sale in the spring.

If watching your tree slowly waste away through mid-January is some sort of annual tradition for you, you can still recycle your tree through Jan. 30 by dropping it off yourself at the Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-off (7352 E. Cherry Creek Drive South) or at the Havana Nursery (10450 Smith Road).

Outside the Denver area? Here are some other resources courtesy of Colorado Public Radio:

Arvada: The city will accept trees for recycling anytime through Jan. 19.
• Lake Arbor Lake Park, 6400 Pomona Drive
• Stenger Fields at West 58th Avenue and Oak Street

Aurora: The city offers three drop-off spots for tree recycling.
• Del Mar Park, 12000 E. Sixth Ave.
• Saddle Rock Golf Course, 21705 E. Arapahoe Road
• Olympic Park, 15501 E. Yale Ave.

Castle Rock: Drop-off trees any time through Jan. 31.
• Founders Park, 4671 Enderud Blvd.
• Metzler Ranch Community Park, 4175 Trail Boss Drive
• Paintbrush Park, 3492 Meadows Blvd.

Colorado Springs: The El Pomar Youth Sports Park offers seven locations to drop-off natural trees with a suggested donation of $5 that will go to area youth sports and service organizations, according to its website.

Dec. 28-29 and Jan. 4-5, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the following locations:
• Baptist Road Trailhead, Baptist Road and Old Denver Highway
• Falcon Trailhead, SW of Woodmen Road and McLaughlin Road
• Cottonwood Creek Park, Dublin Boulevard and Montarbor Road
• Sky Sox Stadium, Barnes Road and Tutt Boulevard
• Rock Ledge Ranch, Gateway Road and 30th Street
• Memorial Park, Pikes Peak Avenue and Union Boulevard

Jan. 2-31, Weekdays 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at this single location:
• 1755 E. Las Vegas St.

Denver: Set your trees out at least 2 feet away from your waste bins by 7 a.m. on your scheduled trash collection day between Jan. 6 and 17 and Denver will pick up your tree for free. Plus, you can come back in May and pick up free mulch made from your tree at the annual Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale. In 2018, Denver collected over 21,500 trees for recycling.

You can also drop off your tree until Jan. 31:
• Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-Off, 7354 E. Cherry Creek Drive S.
• Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Havana Nursery, 10450 Smith Road
• Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Closed on weekends.

Douglas County: Drop-off trees any time through Jan. 31.
• Bayou Gulch, 4815 Fox Sparrow Road, Parker
• Challenger Regional Park, 17299 E. Lincoln Ave., Parker
• Fairgrounds Regional Park, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, Castle Rock
• Highland Heritage Regional Park, 9651 S. Quebec St.

Fort Collins: Live Christmas trees will be accepted at three locations. Be advised that fees may apply.
• Timberline Recycling Center, Hard to Recycle Materials Yard, 1903 S. Timberline Road
• Hageman Earth Cycle Inc., 3501 E. Prospect Ave.
• Larimer County Green Waste Program, 5887 S. Taft Hill Road

Greeley: Greeley and Weld County residents can recycle Christmas trees at the Greeley Organic Waste Center through Jan 31.
GROW Center, 1130 E 8th St.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday

Highlands Ranch: Drop-off trees any time through Jan. 17.
• Dad Clark Park, 3385 Asterbrook Circle
• Redstone Park, 3280 Redstone Park Circle
• Toepfer Park, 9480 Venneford Ranch Road

Mesa County: The county will compost your tree. Drop trees off at the county landfill (3071 U.S. Highway 50). Open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Parker: Drop-off trees through Jan. 29.
• Salisbury Park (East paved parking lot), 12010 S. Motsenbocker Road, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Vail: Public Works crews will pick up your tree for free through Jan. 31. The department says trees should be left whole and placed at the side of the road, not blocking the roadway. The trees are chipped and turned into mulch for the town’s summer landscaping program. Or drop off your tree: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday—Friday at the Public Works shops on Elkhorn Drive north of the Vail golf course.

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Holiday Tree Cutting Along Colorado's Front Range

Here’s what you need to know before cutting a tree from Colorado forests, according to Colorado Parent Magazine.

Where to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

There are five primary Christmas tree cutting areas along the Front Range near the Denver metro area, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs. Christmas tree permits for most Rocky Mountain Region national forests go on sale in early November; online, mail-in, and walk-in permits are available based on the district. Tree permits are $20 each, with a limit of five trees per household. Note: A permit must be obtained to cut a Christmas tree from a national forest.

Canyon Lakes Ranger District | Fort Collins

Christmas tree cutting is allowed in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District at Red Feather Lakes. Tree cutting is open December 7-15, 2019.

When to Buy Permits: Permits can be purchased online starting November 1, 2019 or in person at the Canyon Lakes Ranger District Visitor Center (2150 Centre Ave., Building E, Fort Collins), weekdays from November 25 to December 13, 2019 (the office is closed on Wednesdays). Permits for Red Feather Lakes are also available for purchase on site the first two weekends in December (cash only). Permits do not sell out at this cutting area.

Sulphur Ranger District | Winter Park/Fraser

The Sulphur Ranger District offers seven Christmas tree cutting areas across Grand County. Tree cutting is open throughout the district from November 1, 2019 through January 6, 2020. The district also offers a special tree cutting area at Elk Creek near Fraser, which is open for a limited time from December 1-8, 2019.

When to Buy Permits: Permits must be purchased in advance. Permits can either be purchased online or in person starting November 1, 2019. In-person permits are available at five locations within Winter Park, Fraser, and Granby (find locations on the district website).

Pikes Peak Ranger District | Colorado Springs

Christmas tree cutting is open in the Pikes Peak Ranger District from December 2-18, 2019.

When to Buy Permits: Permits can be purchased in person at the Pikes Peak Ranger District Office (601 S. Weber St., Colorado Springs), weekdays December 2-18, 2019. Cash permits may be purchased on select weekends, December 7-8 and 14-15, 2019, at the Woodland Park Work Center (1408 Rampart Range Rd., Woodland Park).

South Platte Ranger District | Conifer

There are three Christmas tree cutting area’s in the South Platte Ranger District: Buffalo Creek, Camp Fickes, and Sugar Creek. Tree cutting is open November 29 to December 15, 2019.

When to Buy Permits: Permits must be purchased in advance. Permits may be obtained either by mail or in person. Mail-in permits must be postmarked by November 1; walk-in permits are available at the South Platte Ranger District office (30403 Kings Valley Drive, Conifer) weekdays from November 4-27, 2019. Weekend permits often sell out by mid-November.

South Park Ranger District | Fairplay

The South Park Ranger District allows Christmas tree cutting in a variety of locations within the forest boundary. Maps of recommended tree cutting areas may be obtained at the ranger district office and online. Tree cutting is open November 18 to December 24, 2019.

When to Buy Permits: Permits may be purchased in person at the South Park Ranger District office (320 US Highway 285, Fairplay) or requested through the mail from November 18 to December 24, 2019. Permits do not sell out.

Know What to Cut

Hunting for the perfect Christmas tree is half the fun, but picking the right tree takes time and careful attention. Research the best types of trees to cut before you venture out. Do you want a traditional Douglas fir, or do you mix things up with a ponderosa pine? Whichever you choose, choose a tree from a dense forest area; removing a tree from a dense area will give other trees more room to grow. Look for a tree with a trunk that is six inches or less in diameter, prune the bottom branches for easy access to the trunk, and cut the tree six inches or less from the ground.

Be sure to review the Christmas tree cutting rules and guidelines for your chosen location, as they may vary slightly across the different ranger districts. A permit must be attached to the tree before removing it from the forest.

Don’t Leave Home Without…

Remember: You’re venturing out into the wilderness, which is likely to be snow-packed and cold, so be prepared. Here’s a list of must-haves to bring along on your Christmas tree hunt.

Must-Haves

• Christmas tree permit (tag must be attached to the tree before you leave the forest)

• Map of district or forest (available online or at the ranger district office)

• Warm, quick-drying clothes (waterproof pants and jacket, snow boots or waterproof boots, fleece/wool layers, warm hat/beanie, gloves or mittens, etc.)

• Hand saw (chainsaws are prohibited)

• Rope (to secure the tree to your vehicle)

• Water, snacks to fuel the search, and a warm beverage to warm up with afterward

• Four-wheel drive vehicle or chains (required in most tree-cutting areas)

• Full tank of gas

Nice-to-Haves

• Shovel (in case there’s a lot of snow around the trunk of the tree)

• Pruning shears (to trim branches from the bottom of the tree)

• Tarp (lay it down while cutting the tree to keep your legs dry or use it to protect your car)

• Sled (to easily pull the tree or tired children)

Your trek will likely take a few hours from start to finish; be sure to get an early start and leave the forest well before the sun goes down.

What to Do When You Get Home

Once you unload your tree, cut about an inch or two from the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in water. By making a fresh cut you ensure the tree is able to get an adequate amount of water to last throughout the season.

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