For years my family every year in December went to Snicker’s Gap Christmas Tree farm in Loudoun County, a picture perfect cut-you-own Christmas tree farm. I’ve now found a place in Maryland that is its equal and probably more. Wolfe’s Pine Valley Farm is the best Christmas tree farm near Frederick.
If you want to spruce up your holiday season this year, take your crew on a 30 minute excursion outside Frederick to this magical, beautiful, merry Christmas tree farm to choose your family tree.
Wolfe's Pine Valley Christmas Farm Basics
If you’ve been to a cut-your-own Christmas Tree farm before, Pine Valley operations very much the same. It is however especially beautiful, well-organized, and has an endless selection of perfect trees.
- Location: 1150 Fannie Dorsey Road, Sykesville MD 21784
- Distance from Frederick: ~26.8 Miles , 35 Minutes
- Hours: Mon-Thur 11 am to 5 pm, Fri-Sun 9 am to 5 pm
- Pricing: trees are priced based on type and size (see below)
- Parking: Free
Beautiful Setting, Endless Trees, Just Add Snow
Nicole and I found this Christmas tree Farm somewhat randomly. We’ve always preferred the cut-your-own experience to getting a tree. Getting outside on a crisp December day to walk a farm, pick a tree, cut it down, and take it home is fun Christmas time experience.
But until this visit, I’d never found a place to do this near Frederick equal to Snicker’s Gap. We’d grown tired of going to Snicker’s Gap, its far and frankly it’s become too well know by northern Virginians, thus usually mobbed with people in December.
Wolfe’s Pine Valley is a pleasurable 10 minute drive from Mount Airy, in the middle of Maryland countryside. When first turning into the property, the view is spectacular and screams ‘Christmas Time’. The only thing that would make it prettier is snow.
Pine Valley is an expansive, gorgeous landscape of Christmas trees. The drive to the main Christmas Barn takes you past the entrance shack and through rolling fields of trees. Our recent visit was on a warm, early December Saturday and what also struck me right away was the lack of crowds. Wolfe’s Pine Valley is clearly somewhat of a secret and yet to be discovered. I’m sure that will change.
The Choose & Cut Your Own Christmas Tree Experience
Already being struck by its beauty, Pine Valley next impressed you with its organization. The lack of crowds helps, but they make the entire process of searching, cutting, buying. and loading your tree extremely merry.
Your greeted at the entrance shack by a guide who explains everything. They provided a very much needed map that has a layout of the farm so you can find various types of trees, plus where to park, and how to get started. Hand saws are provided with a deposit of $20 or your drivers license.
Once you park you’ll be directed to get a wheeled cart that you’ll use to bring your freshly cut tree back to home base. Time to search for your Christmas tree, which is super fun!
Setting out to roam the farm in search of the perfect tree is the real joy of this experience. The vast majority of the farm is closed, i.e. the trees are still growing and maturing, So you need to decide the direction you want to explore to find your Christmas tree.
The farm is well mapped by tree type (more on this below), and this can help decide where you explore. But most people just start wandering.
Trees are priced by type and also height. Every tree that is avaialbe for cutting and collecting has a colored tag, and the tag color corresponds to the price. FYI if you cut a tree that is NOT tagged, you’ll be stuck paying a $300 price tag (aka don’t do it as its no allowed).
Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Korean Fir, What Tree is Your Preference?
Besides the beauty of the farm, the tidiness of the operation, what strikes you the most about Wolfe’s is the abundance of just perfect Christmas trees. They are everywhere!
In fact the biggest challenge Nicole and I had during our visit was choosing. The more we wandered the more perfectly symmetrical, full, green, and tall xmas trees we found. Each one seemed better than the last.
Its likely you and your crew will have the same debate and decision we had: which type of tree to get?
Douglas Fir and Fraser Fir are the staple varietals that are very common on the farm that a lot of people prefer. Both are short needle, uniformly symmetrical trees that look very much like the standard Christmas tree. Douglas Fir have slightly longer needles, and thus more full. Fraser Fir have shorter needles, which make it easier to hang ornaments.
The Pine Valley Farm had one section with an interesting set of trees called Korean Fir. While hard to describe, they look like Douglas, but slightly shinny and silver. Its interesting and fun to wander the farm contemplating the various tree types and picture how each will look in your home.
More Reasons to Visit this Christmas Tree Farm Near Frederick
Nicole and I after much wandering and debating chose our perfect Douglas Fir tree. Cutting it down takes some manual labor, but its not bad if you take turns and give a great feeling of accomplishment.
Using your cart to get the tree back to home base is easy but a bit of a walk. Pine Valley makes the check out process straightforward as well. Employees will use machines to violently shake your tree and remove the excess needles, then wrap it up. Once paying for it in the Christmas barn, you are ready to load it up and go. The Christmas Barn is filled with wreaths, ornaments, and other holiday supplies, but food and drink.
Recommended Post-Tree Cutting Beer Stop
You’ll be in a hurry to get up, unpack, set up, and decorate your new Pine Valley Christmas Tree. But why not stop for a beer on the way back to Frederick? Drive the scenic way back and stop at Milkhouse Brewery for a wintery craft ale, porter, or stout.
