BEND, OR -- It’s almost Christmas tree season on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests. "This is one of those things that living in a place where we have such close and easy access to the forest is really a win for folks who want to have a different experience this Christmas," says Kassidy Kern, with the U.S. Forest Service. "The adventure is in that $5 and taking your friends or your family out and going out to pick your own Christmas tree."

Those permits are now on sale, "You can buy your permit online at Recreation.gov. They do have a couple dollars of a fee there. So, if you don’t want to pay the fee, which - I don’t want to pay the fee - I always come into our offices; open 8-4:30." And, she tells KBND News, if you come into an office, you'll also get useful information, "We’ll tell you some great spots to go, if you want different kinds of trees. Obviously, the lower elevations you’re going to get a Lodgpole, which is also known as the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. As you get higher up in elevation, you’re going to get into the fir."

Kern suggests, "Have an idea of where you want to go. Again, our folks at the front desk, when they sell you that $5 permit, can help point you in the right direction. We always take along some sleds, we take along some hot chocolate, we take along some snacks for the kiddos. If there is a place that we’re going that we know is going to have snow - and my fingers and legs are crossed for that - then sledding is an adventure. So you can really kind of make a day of it."

Those $5 permits are also available at some local retailers, "You know, when you think of the Bi-Mart locations, places that you might be going to get some hot chocolate already, they’re going to be the places to pick up your Christmas tree permits too, if you want to do that maybe on a weekend instead of during the week."

If you’re heading into the mountains, be prepared to hike in if roads are blocked by snow. Click HERE for more tips, rules and restrictions. 

Christmas tree hunting season runs from Friday, November 10 through December 31.