On Saturday morning, kids will line up for a 1K loop at Glen Isle Resort on Old Stagecoach Road, and pack burros will be there too. Six days after that, the cutting season opens in the national forest east of town. Between those two weekends, every Bailey household that wants a tree from the woods has to settle one question: which calendar are you on? The forest closest to Bailey sells trees in two very different ways in 2026. One sells fixed days and can run out. The other has no district quota and stays open until December 31.
The Holiday Stretch Opens at Glen Isle
The 285 Turkey Trot is Saturday, November 21, at Glen Isle Resort, 573 Old Stagecoach Rd. For the second year in a row it's run by CRATES Colorado, a small event business founded in Bailey that times races, builds courses and leads guided hikes with award-winning miniature donkeys. This is also the first year at Glen Isle.
There are five ways to enter. Kids 11 and under have a 1K loop at 9 a.m. The 5K, 10K and new pack-burro divisions start right after the kids finish, and there's a virtual division for anyone running somewhere else. Burro entries come in a 5K "Short Course" and a 10K "Long Course." Registration for both closes Friday, November 20, at 11:59 p.m. After the race there's an expo with sponsor booths, yard games and local craft vendors.
The race lands the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The first legal cutting day in the South Platte Ranger District is the Friday after it, November 27. So if you want a Buffalo Creek tree that first weekend, this week is the time to check whether your day is still available.
Buffalo Creek Sells Days, Not Trees
Out of every ranger district in the Pike-San Isabel National Forests, only the South Platte sells permits by the date. It's also the one closest to Bailey. Permits cover two cutting areas, Buffalo Creek and Sugar Creek. They're sold online only, at $20 a tree, with a limit of five per family, and the Forest Service says they "may sell out." They went on sale in early October. In its roundup of 2026 tree permits, The Denver Post called the South Platte the exception to the no-cap rule most forests follow and told readers to buy soon.
The Recreation.gov permit page shows how it works. Each weekend day is a separate permit. Weekdays are sold as Monday-to-Friday blocks. Buffalo Creek and Sugar Creek run on the same schedule:
| Permit | Covers |
|---|---|
| Friday | Nov. 27 |
| Saturday | Nov. 28 |
| Sunday | Nov. 29 |
| Weekdays only | Nov. 30 through Dec. 4 |
| Saturday | Dec. 5 |
| Sunday | Dec. 6 |
| Weekdays only | Dec. 7 through Dec. 11 |
| Saturday | Dec. 12 |
| Sunday | Dec. 13 |
| Weekdays only | Dec. 14 through Dec. 18 |
| Make-up day, Buffalo Creek only | Dec. 19 |
That setup gives the two kinds of permits very different odds. A Saturday permit is good for that one Saturday. If a storm comes in or plans change, you can't simply go the next weekend. A weekday block covers five days in a row, so you can pick the clearest morning that week.
December 19 is the one fallback. No permits are sold for it. If you hold a permit and couldn't use it on your scheduled day, you can cut on December 19, but only in Buffalo Creek. Anyone choosing between the two areas should know that fallback is attached to Buffalo Creek alone.
South Park Runs Through New Year's Eve, With No Quota
Down US-285 the other way, the South Park Ranger District works on a different system. Its permits also cost $20 a tree with a limit of five per family. Online sales opened November 16 and in-person sales start December 2. The Forest Service puts it this way: "Most of the district is open for cutting and there is no quota, so permits will not sell out." Cutting is allowed through December 31.
The district's home turf is Fairplay, Jefferson, Como and Lake George. It covers the US-285 corridor from south of Kenosha Pass to Trout Creek Pass. The Forest Service sends permit holders to the district webpage for maps of suggested cutting spots.
Here's the trade from a Bailey driveway. Buffalo Creek is the closer forest, but you have to commit to a date weeks ahead. South Park means a longer drive over Kenosha Pass, and in return you get no quota, no assigned day, and a season that runs about two weeks past the South Platte's last cutting day. One thing to keep in mind if you're tempted to use both: a permit only works in the district it was bought for, and it can't be transferred or carried into next year.
| South Platte: Buffalo Creek, Sugar Creek | South Park | |
|---|---|---|
| On sale | Early October, online only | Nov. 16 online, Dec. 2 in person |
| Quota | Limited, may sell out | None |
| Cutting window | Assigned day or weekday block, Nov. 27 to Dec. 18 | Through Dec. 31 |
| Fallback | Dec. 19, Buffalo Creek only | Not needed |
| Price | $20 per tree, five per family | $20 per tree, five per family |
The Same Rules Ride Along in Either District
Whichever calendar you choose, the rules on the ground are the same in both districts:
- Trees can be up to 15 feet tall or 6 inches across at the ground. Never cut the top off a tree, and don't leave a high stump. Cut at the ground, then limb the tree and scatter whatever you don't take.
- Use an axe or hand saw. Chainsaws aren't allowed.
- Stay at least 200 feet from main roads, recreation sites and campgrounds. Don't cut in recreation areas, timber sale areas, ski areas, wilderness or trailhead areas. Setbacks from smaller roads, trails and waterways are written into the permit, so read your own copy before you pick a tree.
- Any species is allowed, but Recreation.gov asks people not to cut bristlecone pine.
- Print the permit, since each one carries its own number. Leave it on your dashboard while you're in the forest, and put the tag on the tree's main stem before you drive away.
- Make sure you're on National Forest System land, not private, state or other federal land.
Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass get a free permit. Enter the pass or voucher number on Recreation.gov at checkout; a $2.50 reservation fee still applies. Keep the district limits in mind, though. South Platte dates still sell out whatever the price.
December 1 Changes the Roads Under Both Calendars
The South Platte calendar has a road problem built into its later dates. Some Forest Service roads close every year on December 1, and the Forest Service says most of its roads aren't plowed and will close once there's enough snow. After that, you'd need a snowmobile, skis or snowshoes. In the South Platte district, Rampart Range Recreation Area Road 300 closes to passenger vehicles from December 1 to April 1. Guanella Pass closes from Thanksgiving weekend through Memorial Day weekend, depending on weather.
So the late-November dates matter for more than permit supply. The Thanksgiving weekend permits and the November 30 weekday block come before the December 1 closures. Everything from December 5 on depends on the road and the weather. That also applies to South Park's longer window. It stays open through December 31, but the Forest Service still asks people to check the forest alerts page for closures and fire activity before heading out.
Recreation.gov's list for the day is short and practical. Check the weather and closures, carry a paper map instead of trusting GPS, and pack warm, dry layers, food, water and an overnight survival kit. Consider four-wheel drive or chains, and park so traffic can get by and gates stay clear. Cutting trees in these areas also helps the forest. The Forest Service picks overcrowded stands of small-diameter trees for thinning, and taking them out helps the remaining trees grow and opens up forage for wildlife.
Permit terms come from the Forest Service, and the copy you print is what applies, so check it on Recreation.gov or with the district office if anything about your situation is unclear.
Once the tree is up in your living room, you might wonder how your Bailey home is valued these days, from the woodstove corner to the long driveway. Joshua O'Shea and the Alpine Peaks Team know these Park County roads in every season. Whenever you're curious, Get Your Instant Home Valuation.
