How this works
79 national forests list a 2026 Christmas tree permit on Recreation.gov, and 65 Bureau of Land Management offices list one in BLM's permit store. We read both on Nov 12, 2026 and print what they say: the dates, the price, the limit and the rules, each with its source. Sale times are in each place's own time zone. Recreation.gov prints them in Eastern, and we convert. A permit is the agency's to sell, and the rules on it are the agency's. We quote them and link them. We don't sell permits, and nothing here is one.
2 forests have pages on Recreation.gov with no permit type named and no dates on them. We print what the page says and no date. 53 more Forest Service units and 50 BLM field offices don't list a permit in either store. We say "not posted yet" for those, never "no program": some sell at the office and never post one online. Distances are straight lines to a forest's boundary, not to the cutting area and not by road. The forest's own map shows where you can cut. How we read the agencies · Not a permit, not the agency
Read from the agencies Nov 12, 2026
Christmas tree permits near Missoula 15 places within 100 miles
13 of them sell a permit today. The nearest national forest is the Lolo National Forest, about 3 miles from Missoula in a straight line. The closest on sale today is BLM's Missoula Field Office, whose area takes in Missoula. The nearest that publishes its own cutting-area map is BLM's Missoula Field Office.
National forests, nearest first
- Nez Perce Clearwater National ForestAbout 20 milesOn sale nowOct 13 to Dec 31cutting days$5 per tree
- Beaverhead-Deerlodge National ForestAbout 30 milesOn sale nowOct 13 to Dec 31cutting days$5 per tree
- Helena-Lewis and Clark National ForestAbout 50 milesOn sale nowNov 1 to Dec 31cutting days$5 per tree
- Salmon-Challis National ForestAbout 80 milesOn sale nowOct 12 to Dec 31cutting daysOn the permit pageRecreation.gov's records disagree
BLM offices, nearest first
- BLM Cottonwood Field OfficeIts area starts about 20 miles outSales open Nov 15Nov 15 to Dec 25cutting daysOn the permit page
- BLM Coeur D'Alene Field OfficeIts area starts about 45 miles outSales open Nov 15Nov 15 to Dec 25cutting daysOn the permit page
Opening next near Missoula
BLM's Cottonwood Field Office opens sales Nov 15.
Ranger districts nearest Missoula
Missoula Ranger District, about 3 miles. No office listed.
Ninemile Ranger District, about 10 miles. No office listed.
Seeley Lake Ranger District, about 20 miles. No office listed.
Superior Ranger District, about 35 miles. No office listed.
Stevensville Ranger District, about 10 miles. Office in Stevensville: (406) 777-5461.
Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest
Lochsa/Powell Ranger District, about 20 miles. Lochsa Ranger District, Kooskia: (208) 926-4274.
Swan Lake Ranger District, about 30 miles. Office in Bigfork: (406) 837-7500.
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
Pintler Ranger District, about 30 miles. Office in Philipsburg: (406) 859-3211.
Districts from the Forest Service's ranger district layer, read Nov 11, 2026. Offices from each permit's listing on Recreation.gov, read Nov 12, 2026.
Every distance here is a straight line from the Census Bureau's point for Missoula city (read Nov 11, 2026) to a boundary, not road miles and not to the trees. The forest's own map shows where you can cut.
What locals say
In Missoula, people say the staff at the Fort Missoula office were great about suggesting spots.
From r/missoula, "Christmas Trees" (2025), read Nov 11, 2026.
From the forests' own pages
The Lolo asks you to put the printed permit on your dashboard while you cut.
From Lolo National Forest, read Nov 11, 2026.
Other Forest Service offices in Missoula
Lolo National Forest Supervisor's Office, Lolo National Forest: (406) 329-3750
From each permit's listing on Recreation.gov, read Nov 12, 2026.

