Some of the best holiday memories start on a bumpy mountain road with cold cheeks and a saw in hand. Across North Carolina, quiet family farms tucked into the hills grow rows and rows of fragrant Fraser firs just waiting for you.
You walk the fields, pick the one that feels right, and haul home a tree with a story behind it. Here are nine farms where that simple outing can turn into a tradition your family talks about for years.
1. Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm, Waynesville, NC
Picture the Great Smoky Mountains rolling behind you while you size up a Fraser fir taller than your dad. Boyd Mountain sits between Maggie Valley and Waynesville, and the views alone make the drive worthwhile.
Choosing is the fun part, and the crew handles the rest if you want. Pick your tree, and staff will cut it, bale it, and tie it right onto your car.
Feeling adventurous? Grab one of the farm’s bow saws and do the cutting yourself.
Comfort matters here too. The farm offers easy paved access, plenty of parking, restrooms, and handicap facilities, which makes it a smart choice for grandparents or little ones.
Before you leave, wander into the hospitality tent for wreaths and gift items.
Fun fact: Fraser firs grow naturally only in the high Southern Appalachians, so a tree from these slopes is about as local as it gets.
2. Cartner Christmas Tree Farm, Newland, NC
Bring the dog. Seriously, Cartner welcomes four-legged family members, and watching a pup bound between rows of firs might be the cutest part of your whole December.
Located on Balsam Drive in Newland, this choose and cut farm sits in Avery County, a corner of North Carolina famous for growing Fraser firs. The fields invite slow wandering, so take your time comparing shapes and heights until one tree just feels like yours.
Planning is simple. Free on-site parking waits when you arrive, and a restroom is available for those long, chilly searches.
Hours run 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Wednesday, and 9 AM to 4:30 PM Thursday through Sunday, so weekend crowds should aim for the morning.
Keep things relaxed and homemade with this one. Pack a thermos of cocoa, bundle up, and let the hunt unfold at its own easy pace.
3. Sugar Plum Farms Christmas Trees and Nursery, Newland, NC
Visions of sugarplums may dance in kids’ heads at bedtime, but here they come with real pine needles. The name alone makes this Avery County stop feel like it jumped out of a storybook.
Sugar Plum Farms works as both a Christmas tree farm and a nursery, which tells you something about the care behind every row. Trees grow from young starts to full holiday glory on these mountain fields along Isaacs Branch Road in Newland.
Families can choose and cut their own tree, while larger buyers can also tap into the farm’s wholesale side. That mix means a huge working operation where you get to peek behind the curtain of how North Carolina supplies trees to homes far beyond the state.
Give the kids a mission. Let them pick a tree that matches the farm’s whimsical name, then crown it with something sweet once you get home.
4. Sugar Grove Choose & Cut, Newland, NC
No frills, no fuss, just firs and wreaths. Sugar Grove keeps its focus tight, and honestly, that simplicity is part of the charm.
Tucked off Walt Clark Road in Newland, this small farm offers Fraser fir choose and cut plus fresh wreaths. It feels like the kind of place you stumble onto and then tell every friend about, because it delivers exactly what a holiday tree trip should.
Flexible hours make it easy to fit in. The farm opens every day of the week from 9 AM to 5 PM, so a weekday after school or a lazy Sunday both work.
That daily schedule is handy if your family has busy weekends.
Pair your tree with a matching wreath for the front door, and your whole house will smell like a mountain forest. Bring gloves, a tape measure for your ceiling height, and a little patience for picking favorites.
5. David Pittman’s Christmas Tree Farm, Newland, NC
Hay rides, warm cider, and marshmallows roasting over a fire. If your idea of a holiday outing includes a little extra cozy, Pittman’s might be calling your name.
Thousands of trees cover this choose and cut farm on Licklog Road, so nobody leaves empty handed or settles for a lopsided pick. After the search, the fun keeps going with those classic farm extras that turn a quick errand into an afternoon.
Timing takes a bit of planning. The farm is closed Monday through Friday, opens Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and welcomes visitors Sunday from 1 to 5 PM.
Free parking makes arrival easy.
Kids especially love this one. Between bouncing on the hay ride and getting sticky fingers from toasted marshmallows, they will probably forget they came for a tree at all.
Snap plenty of photos, since moments like these become the stories you retell every December.
6. Franklin Tree Farms, Linville Falls, NC
Ever watched a kid’s face light up while feeding a freshly cut fir through a tree netter? At Franklin Tree Farms, little helpers often get to join in on that part of the process.
Located along Linville Falls Highway, this farm hands you the chance to cut down your own tree right in the field. Once it’s down, the crew shows you how to tie it securely to your vehicle, which is a lifesaver if you have never strapped a tree to a roof before.
That hands-on, teach-you-how spirit makes it great for first-timers. You leave not only with a tree but with a few new skills for next year.
Linville Falls is also home to one of the most famous waterfalls in the Blue Ridge. Consider pairing your tree trip with a scenic stop nearby for a full mountain day.
7. Long’s Choose and Cut Tree Farm, West Jefferson, NC
Tabletop tree for the apartment or a towering giant for the living room? Long’s has a habit of offering trees in all different sizes, so every home gets a good fit.
Sitting on NC-16 in West Jefferson, this Ashe County farm is known for a strong selection and fair prices, which matters when holiday budgets start feeling tight. Helpful staff stick around to guide you through the rows and lend a hand when needed.
Plan around a short window. Long’s opens only on Saturdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, and stays closed the rest of the week, so mark your calendar early.
West Jefferson itself is a sweet little mountain town with murals and a friendly downtown. Make a day of it by strolling Main Street after loading up your tree, and grab a warm snack before the drive home.
8. Day’s Choose and Cut Christmas Trees, West Jefferson, NC
Family runs this farm, and families come here to make memories. There is something heartwarming about buying a tree from the very folks who planted and tended it.
Day’s is a family owned and run choose and cut farm on Park Vista Road in West Jefferson. It offers that small, personal feel that big lots simply cannot match, the kind of spot that becomes a yearly ritual once you find it.
Since hours are not always posted widely, check the farm’s Facebook page or give them a call before heading out. A quick ring can save a wasted drive up the mountain.
Ashe County grows a huge share of North Carolina’s Christmas trees, so you are shopping in the heart of tree country. Bundle up, bring a saw if you like, and enjoy supporting a local family business this season.
9. Billy Edwards Choose & Cut Christmas Trees, Ennice, NC
Here’s a ritual worth starting: park at the Christmas Cabin store, stroll across the road, and tie a ribbon on the fir you love most. Billy Edwards turns tree picking into a little ceremony.
The fields in Ennice hold plenty of beautifully shaped firs, and once your ribbon marks your choice, the efficient staff take it from there. You can tag a tree or cut a fresh one, depending on what suits your family.
Open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, this Alleghany County farm makes it easy to swing by any day of the week. Remember that delivery is not offered, so come ready to haul your tree home.
Leave time to browse the Christmas Cabin before you go. It’s a charming finish to a trip that feels straight out of an old holiday card.
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