North Star Tree Farm

This is a tree farm that you go to if you don’t want to actually cut down a tree. We walked around for over an hour thinking that we would find a tree. We didn’t find a single one worth taking home. Most of the trees weren’t even for sale as they did not have «for sale» tags on them which is a requirement. There were a few that looked ok, but they had «sold» tags on them. We walked up to the bake shop and realized where to buy a tree. They had about 50 pre cut trees that were pretty nice, but a 5 foot one was 75 dollars! It gets two stars only because of the friendly staff and a cute wooden carousel. We won’t be back.

This could be a great tree farm — if they had trees.
We wandered and found plenty of beautiful trees, but none of them were marked for sale. They pointed us in the direction of pre-​cut trees, (where most people seemed to have ended up), but sorry — we didn’t just drive through eight miles of some of the curviest roads in El Dorado County to just pick up a tree you had shipped in from elsewhere. :/​
The ambience is great. There’s a bakery and a hand cranked merry go round for the kids.
On that note — it’s not fun to get all the way to the merry go round with your children, then be told you need to buy tickets to ride it… that are only for sale in the sales center at the top of the very steep hill you just hiked down. I just don’t get the logic.
If you use GPS to get here, it may make you turn on where Shoo Fly road comes out. A sign there stating to turn around and take the next Shoo Fly Rd turn would be helpful. If you DO end up in the middle of literally nowhere, keep going, I promise the tree farm is there on your right.
If there actually were decent trees available to cut down and maybe some better signage and instruction, this place would be worth the trip. Until that happens, save your time and money. It’s less of a hassle to go to Apple Hill than deal with this.

This farm made all my tree-​farm dreams come true! Staff were so friendly and knowledgeable. The 90-​acre woods were gorgeous. It isn’t just a place to find your tree, but a wonderful country farm where you can easily spend a whole afternoon. Trees were abundant and cost half to a mere fraction of the price compared to those available in the lots near our urban house. We loved the views, bakery, outdoor fireplace, old fashioned carousel and the bunny house. We also really appreciated how many of the trees were not tagged for sale so that the forest may regenerate and maintain the right conditions for regrowth. We will be back!

This was our first year in the area. I asked around for where the best place was to go to have the most authentic holiday experience and North Star Tree Farm was recommended. They exceeded our expectations in every way! We loved Sarah, Dave and Jason and can’t wait to go back again!!! Best Christmas Tree EVER!

Absolutely magical. Out in the woods, there is a gorgeous hand-​cranked wooden carousel, little fishing ponds, a rabbit in a hutch, horses, a little pumpkin patch (in October), and trees, trees, trees… so many to choose from! It’s a drive but well worth the effort. We sometimes bring a picnic and sometimes eat a hot dog around one of the wood stove fires.

The BEST tree farm EVER!
North Star Tree Farm is THE place to take your family to get a Christmas tree. We made the trip with some friends over the weekend and will definitely go back next year. We pulled in and got a map and informational page telling us all about the prices, locations of certain types of trees and the proper way to cut the trees. Then we were personally greeted and directed to the parking lot. When we got to the lot we were greeted again and the new owner came over and spoke to us. He made us feel so welcome and there was no pressure to hurry up. This place is huge and a great for our 4 kiddos to run around. The worker’s are very knowledgeable and didn’t mind hiking up the hills a couple of time to answer our questions. The trees are tagged and easy to identify for price, etc. When we found our tree (a 16′ for 25.00) we went to the old fashioned hand cranked merry-​go-​round. The owner’s wife, daughter and baby were in charge of that and my kids had a great time. After the merry-​go– round it was time to hit the bakery and get some hot cocoa. YUM YUM YUM! When we left we checked out and the original owner of the farm personally thanked us for coming and gave us a pamphlet of how to take care of our tree. The staff is amazing, the place is so family friendly and well worth the drive. A great place to spend lots of time to let the kids run and enjoy being outdoors. We can’t wait to go early next year to reserve our tree in October.
Thanks North Star Tree Farm!

This place is awesome for a great afternoon with the family and getting ready for the Christmas season.
Walked around the property not minding having no idea what we were doing and being a little lost. Found some people that worked there that pointed us in the right direction and found a beautiful full 11′ Christmas Tree for $ 65 (they do not, and say they cannot take tips :-().
Had hot coco, hot dogs and some chips (kids got hungry with all the walking) and prices are really really cheap. Bought tons of cookies and bread in their bakery, again all really well priced.
The horse/​wagon ride was fun (and not too long which is good), & the old timey wooden horse carousel was great. Just hold on as there are a few areas that will knock you around. But our young kids loved it, loved the whole experience and we are now excited as we get to pick our tree next year in October ahead of the general opening.
The location is beautiful as is the entire property and the people are equally as great and make the entire experience just the best.

I’ve been coming here since I was a kid — I don’t know how many toddler pictures I have on their wooden carousel!
It’s a crazy windy road to get there, but the people are always nice, you can tromp around in the foresty wilderness with abandon (and sometimes snow) and you can either saw down your own tree or some burly guys will do it for you. You can pick your tree from a little lot up front where they are easy to find (for the lazy people) or you can hunt down the perfect one in the woods. They have a cute bakery, ornament shop, and a giant collection of family photos from their regulars. If you buy a tree over $ 30 you get an invitation to come back next year and tag your tree in September/​October so you aren’t scrounging for what’s left over come December.
For me its the official launch of the holiday season, and a great excuse to get some fresh air. My fiancé and I have been going back for four years now, and eventually it will be a tradition with our kids.

My husband and I went here a few years ago and it took us about 2 hours to find the right tree. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and lots of steep inclines. The follows at the farm are real nice, and give you advice as to where to go, and give you a saw, and let you lose. The tree selection is just ok, and the prices seemed kind of high. We had gotten a flyer from someone for the tree farm this year and thought we were going to a new/​different tree farm than previously, but as we drove into the entrance it was obvious we had been there before. We all had a good chuckle.
We looked for a tree for about 2 hours again this time, but only 10% of them are tagged for cutting down so even if you find one you like there’s no guarantee you’ll get to cut it down. I will say the apple cider for 50 cents a glass was really good, but I’d really like to check another tree farm out next year. Sad to say, walmart and home depot have a perfect size tree for our family at only $ 20 cost compared to about $ 40 at the tree farm.

Everyone needs a little Christmas. If you have a tendency to be Scrooge-​ish, take the scenic drive up Highway 193 from Highway 50 to Kelsey, CA and spend a little time at the North Star Tree Farm.
At first, this place looks unassuming. And hard as heck to find. It’s on top of a mountain so don’t take your nice Mercedes or compact Prius. Be prepared to do a little walking in the woods, but nothing too strenuous.
On 90 acres, you’ll find a variety of beautiful and fragrant trees: the usual firs — Douglas, Noble, Red, White; cedar trees, Scotch pines and Sequoias. Most of the trees are tagged with prices. If you go in October you can tag your tree for later with a nominal deposit. In December, you can chop it down yourself (saws provided) and they’ll wrap it up in mesh for you to take home.
So what’s the big deal about this place? It’s the country atmosphere. It’s that families like to go there for the hot chocolate, the country gift shop and the very tasty bakery (you must have a slice of the pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing). It’s about the the hay bale tractor ride, the old-​fashioned hand-​cranked carousel, and wagon ride pulled by a couple of horses. It’s the pond stocked with fish and the little pumpkin patch. It’s the cool friendly people who run the place. And last but not least, it’s the sustainable way the trees are grown and harvested.
I overhead some people say they ‘ve been coming here for years (say, 15) and that college-​age kids come home just to do this. One guy said he’s been coming for 6 years — from Reno.
Bring a picnic lunch and let the kids the run around. Take a short hike and find your perfect Christmas tree. Marvel that this idyllic and unpretentious country setting can still be found.