Southern Tree Plantation

So excited to be the first to review Southern Tree Plantation! On one hand, I love it and think everyone should make the drive to the best Christmas tree farm in the state! On the other hand, if everyone starts going, then my little gem in the mountains will be all crowded like some of the places we’ve tried in other parts if the state!
The scenery is gorgeous, tree hunting in the foothills of the Appalachians in the crisp mountain air. The employees are friendly and helpful and the trees are abundant! There’s also a pile of other fun activities for kids there so you can find your tree and then make a day of it exploring and playing.
If you are like me and think that a Leyland Cypress is just a glorified hedge plant and NOT a Christmas tree, head to STP! They have blue spruce, balsam fir, Fraser fir and Norway spruce growing on the property for you to peruse and cut down yourself. This is a family tradition for us. There are also pre-​cut trees if you don’t feel like a lumberjack — and that’s ok!
They have a good system worked out. When you arrive, you get a hang tag from some folks at a tent by the parking lot. It has your name on it so when you find and cut your tree you can tag it and some nice farm boys will haul it to the front for you. You get a saw and a map — which clearly defines where different tree breeds are located — and head to the fields.
There are so many choices! We love running up and down the aisles, debating the attributes of trees until we find THE ONE! It’s such a great moment. We usually get about a 6 foot tree and those cost around $ 45.
You tag your tree and then everyone takes a turn sawing it off at the trunk. If you have a son especially, you can’t imagine the joy on his face when you hand him a saw for a few minutes! Then, you drag the tree a little ways where the boys with the truck pick it up and haul it back up the hill.
Now go play — your tree will wait up front until you are ready to go home!
If you get the all inclusive wrist band, $ 8 for kids and $ 6 for adults, you can go on a great hayride that takes you over the fields, through a pine corridor beside a river and up and down a small mountain. The down part is like a country roller coaster!
It also includes a cool maze for the kids, a silly Christmas train, a playground area and a little farm area where you can view a few animals, including a white tailed deer.
I think my kiddos’ favorite thing is the marshmallow pit. For just a dollar you get three marshmallows on a stick that you can roast over an open fire. Couple that with a cup of hot chocolate and you’ve got full on Christmas tree farm perfection.
To me, this place is exactly what a Christmas tree farm should be. That’s why we make the long drive through the mountains each year!