Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm
Cut-your-own Christmas trees · Santa Cruz, California · Santa Cruz County
A small family-run choose-and-cut farm on Bonny Doon Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, growing an unusually wide mix of firs, cedars, cypresses and redwoods, all sold at one flat price regardless of size.
Walk the rows and cut your own Douglas fir, white fir, grand fir, incense cedar, Monterey pine, Arizona or Leyland cypress, or even a coast or Sierra redwood. Every cut-your-own tree costs the same, and the price already covers tax, cleaning and netting. A few pre-cut silvertip, noble and Nordmann firs are trucked in and kept in water.
The farm is open only a few days a week and tends to sell out before its planned closing date, so plan an early-season visit. Bring cash; there is an ATM on site. Free hot chocolate and tea are offered, with popcorn over an open fire on weekends, and dogs are welcome.
At a glance
At Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm you can cut your own Christmas tree. Trees on offer include Douglas fir, concolor fir, incense cedar, Sierra redwood, grand fir, Monterey cypress, Arizona cypress, Leyland cypress, coast redwood and Monterey pine, some of them sold pre-cut. Trees started at $110 in 2025.
- What you can get
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Trees
- Douglas fir, Concolor fir, Incense cedar, Sierra redwood, Grand fir, Monterey cypress, Arizona cypress, Leyland cypress, Coast redwood, Monterey pine
- Price
- $110 per tree (2025). Flat price for any size, variety or height; includes tax, cleaning and netting. Pre-cut trees priced as marked.
- Season
- In 2025 the farm opened the Friday after Thanksgiving and was open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21 or until trees ran out, noting it often closes early. The site says it will reopen next year; 2026 dates not yet posted.
- Hours
- 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on open days (2025).
- Payment
- Cash only
- Yes: Leashed dogs welcome
Also at the farm: Hot cocoa
Address and contact
Ward Ranch Christmas Tree Farm4820 Bonny Doon Rd
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The farm had not posted 2026 dates when we last checked. Call or check the farm's website or social pages before you drive out.
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Before you go
- How to Cut Down Your Own Christmas TreeWhat to bring to a choose-and-cut farm, how to pick a fresh tree, where to make the cut and how to get it home and standing, step by step.
- Christmas Tree Types: Which Real Tree Should You Choose?Fraser, balsam, Douglas, noble and concolor fir, spruces, pines and cypress compared for scent, needle retention, soft needles and ornament strength.
- How to Keep a Real Christmas Tree FreshHow much water a Christmas tree drinks, when to recut the trunk, why additives don't help and how long a fresh-cut tree lasts, from extension research.
- When to Cut Your Christmas TreeWhen cut-your-own Christmas tree farms open, how long a fresh-cut tree lasts indoors and the best weekend to go for selection and freshness.
- What Size Christmas Tree Do I Need?How to measure your ceiling and floor space for a real Christmas tree, how wide a tree really is, and how much trunk to leave for the stand.
- How Much Does a Real Christmas Tree Cost?What a real Christmas tree costs in the US, what cut-your-own farms charge, and how flat, per-foot and by-size pricing work, with farm price data.
Sources
Last checked October 2026. We confirm details with the farm's own website first.