Camino · California
Madrone Tree Hill
A family-run 40-acre tree farm and event venue in the Apple Hill area of El Dorado County, with natural-growth choose-and-cut trees from cedar and Douglas fir to white fir up to 30 feet, precut trees in three tiers, a small supply that opens in December, and a separate cabin rental and wedding venue.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Tree prices
- Not published
No tree prices are published for choose-and-cut or precut trees; the farm says taxes are added, prices can change without notice and all sales are final.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Opens Saturday, December 5, weekends 10am–4pm until the trees run out; weekdays by appointment. Not open Thanksgiving weekend. One farm page limits sales to the first two December weekends.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
Madrone Tree Hill is a family-run farm of about 40 acres that has been in the same family since the 1960s. Its choose-and-cut trees are mostly natural growth, which means they are not pruned or sheared into a shape, so expect the fuller, looser look of a tree grown on a hillside. The farm’s list covers cedars up to 12 feet, Douglas firs up to 10 feet and taller, sequoia and Silvertip of any size, and white firs from 12 feet up to 30 feet, which suits a tall ceiling, a hall or a venue.
The farm also sells precut trees from its own fields in three tiers marked by tag color, cut no earlier than November 15. The farm has not published a price for any of them, and it does not say whether saws, carts or netting are provided, so ask when you arrive. Apple Hill’s listing says the farm is tucked away and does not draw big crowds.
Published varieties
- Cedar
- Douglas fir
- Giant sequoia
- Silvertip fir
- White fir
Which variety suits your decorations?
General tree guidance; the farm’s selection, sizes and services are described above.
- Concolor fir
- Longer, silver-blue needles with a citrus scent when crushed.
- Douglas fir
- Soft needles and more flexible branches, suited to lighter ornaments.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
The farm states that all sales are final, with no exchanges or returns. It does not say which payment methods it accepts.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Choose-and-cut trees (cedar, Douglas fir, giant sequoia, Silvertip fir, white fir) | Not published Confirm at the farm; taxes are extra, and the farm says prices can change without notice. |
| Premium precut trees (red tag or flag) | Not published Confirm at the farm. |
| Standard precut trees (green tag or flag) | Not published Confirm at the farm. |
| Table-top precut trees | Not published Described as precut elf-sized trees; confirm the price at the farm. |
Choose-and-cut trees and heights
The farm’s Christmas tree list gives a height limit or range for each type, with no price column. Taller white firs are listed in three further steps, up to 30 feet. The farm’s homepage describes its trees as among the tallest of the holiday season. The farm does not describe how trees are cut or carried, so ask staff at the lot how it works.
Because most trees are natural growth, they are not pruned or manually shaped. Measure your ceiling before you come.
| Tree | Height the farm lists | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar | Up to 12 feet | Not published |
| Douglas fir | Up to 10 feet | Not published |
| Douglas fir | Taller than 10 feet | Not published |
| Giant sequoia | Any size | Not published |
| Silvertip fir | Any size | Not published |
| White fir | Up to 12 feet | Not published |
| White fir | 12 to 18 feet | Not published |
| White fir | 18 to 24 feet | Not published |
| White fir | 24 to 30 feet | Not published |
Precut trees by tag color
Precut trees come from the farm itself and are cut no earlier than November 15. The farm sorts them into three tiers and marks each with a colored tag or flag. It does not publish heights, counts or prices for the tiers.
The farm gives no separate sales dates for precut trees; the December opening and the limited-supply notice are the only dates it posts.
| Tier | How it is marked | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Premium precut trees | Red tag or flag | Not published |
| Standard precut trees | Green tag or flag | Not published |
| Table-top trees | Precut elf-sized trees | Not published |
Dates, hours and what is not published
The tree lot opens Saturday, December 5, and keeps weekend hours of 10am to 4pm. The farm’s home page says it stays open on weekends until the supply runs out, with weekdays by appointment at 916-835-9600. The Christmas tree page says that, because the supply is very limited, sales run only the first two weekends of December or until the trees run out, weather permitting, and that the farm is not open Thanksgiving weekend.
The farm does not publish parking, restrooms, terrain, payment methods, a rain or mud rule, a group policy or a pet rule for the tree lot. Apple Hill’s grower listing, not the farm’s own pages, tags Madrone Tree Hill as dog friendly and lists a hiking trail, campfire, picnic area, parties and photography allowed, along with kids’ activities, gifts and crafts, events and a bed and breakfast; confirm the dog rule before bringing a pet. The farm is a member of the Apple Hill Growers Association.
Trails, events and weddings on the hilltop
Beyond the tree lot, the farm describes itself as a 40-acre tree farm and event venue, open year-round as a property. It invites visitors to hike its many trails but publishes no trail map, length, fee or access rule, so it is not clear whether trails are open to the public outside sales days. Ask before you plan a walk.
The farm presents the wooded hilltop as a venue for weddings and other events, with ceremony and event sites and an area large enough for festivals. No prices, capacities or availability are published. The Events page has a Book Now inquiry form. A “Find out more” button on that page currently leads only to an account sign-in form, so the details are not available online; ask the farm directly.
Meadow Creek Cabin, a separate stay
The farm’s property also includes Meadow Creek Cabin, a historic miner’s cabin offered as a vacation rental in the Apple Hill foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is a separate business scope from the tree sales: it has its own website and booking page, rates appear only after you enter dates, and nothing about the cabin is included with a tree.
The cabin’s listing allows up to two large pets (15 pounds or more) or three small pets (under 15 pounds).
October’s Haunted Forest
In October the farm runs a separate family-friendly Haunted Forest, a 450-yard trail loop along a seasonal stream bed with Halloween animatronics. That event closed for the season on November 1 and has its own tickets and phone number, so it is not part of a Christmas visit.
The Haunted Forest ticket page promised a Christmas tree discount coupon to everyone who completed the trail. The amount and terms are not published, so ask at the lot if you hold one.
Finding the farm
The farm is at 2600 Barkley Rd in Camino, in El Dorado County’s Apple Hill area, near local breweries, wineries and apple farms. The farm’s mailing address is a post office box in Placerville; use the Camino address for directions, not the box.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Opens Saturday, December 5, weekends until the supply runs out, with weekdays by appointment; not open Thanksgiving weekend
The farm says its supply of trees is very limited this year. Its home page says it opens the weekend of December 5 and stays open on weekends until the supply runs out, with weekdays by appointment. Its Christmas tree page is stricter and says sales run only the first two weekends of December, or until the trees run out, weather permitting. Those weekends would be December 5–6 and 12–13. Apple Hill’s grower listing gives the season as December 5 to December 13, which matches the shorter window.
| Christmas tree sales | Hours |
|---|---|
| Opening weekend, Saturday and Sunday, December 5–6 | 10am–4pm; choose-and-cut and precut trees, while the supply lasts, weather permitting |
| Second December weekend, Saturday and Sunday, December 12–13 | 10am–4pm; the farm’s Christmas tree page names this as the last sales weekend, and its home page says weekends continue until the supply runs out |
| Weekdays | By appointment only, according to the home page; call 916-835-9600 |
| Thanksgiving weekend | Not open for tree sales |
| Precut trees | Cut no earlier than November 15; the farm gives no separate sales dates for precut trees |
Sales are weather permitting and end when the trees are gone. The farm’s website shows an “open today” line that repeats the 10am–4pm weekend hours; it is not a sign that the tree lot is open on other days.
Before you go.
- No tree prices are published; ask before you cut. Taxes are extra and all sales are final.
- Sales begin Saturday, December 5. One farm page says weekends until the supply runs out, with weekdays by appointment; another limits sales to the first two December weekends.
- Not open for tree sales on Thanksgiving weekend.
- Parking, restrooms, payment methods and the tree-lot pet rule are not published.
- The cabin rental, wedding venue and Haunted Forest are separate from tree sales.
2600 Barkley Rd, Camino, CA 95709
Keep exploring
Other farms to compare.
Grass Valley, California
McBurney Tree FarmIndividually tagged choose-and-cut trees near Grass Valley, cut it yourself or let staff cut it, open daily November 20 to December 24, with campfire weekends and a Winter Solstice Walk.
Placerville, California
McGee Christmas Tree FarmAn Apple Hill choose-and-cut farm with one price for any tree: $145 cash or $150 by card, packaging and tax included. Open Thanksgiving weekend, 8am to dusk.
Camino, California
Indian Rock Tree FarmAn Apple Hill choose-and-cut and fresh-cut farm open Thursday to Monday from about November 27, with saws and staff help provided, a gift shop, and entry tickets needed November 27 to 29.