For farms

Hollow Creek Tree Farm

📍 228 Windmill Rd, Gilbert, SC 29054🗓 Season dates not yet published for 2026🏷 From $58

One of the few farms in this research with individually tagged, transparent pricing, plus free daily hot chocolate and a free weekend hayride, though no 2026 season date is confirmed.

Hollow Creek Tree Farm in Gilbert, SC

How you get your tree

This farm offers

cut-your-ownchoose-and-cut (staff cuts it for you)

Included

free hot chocolate dailyfree hayride on weekendsholiday shop

$58-$328 depending on species and height (2025 season); trees are individually priced and tagged

Our take

Hollow Creek Tree Farm does something genuinely useful for trip planning that most farms in this research don’t: it publishes individual, tagged pricing rather than a flat per-foot rate or a “call for pricing” note. In the 2025 season, trees ran $58 to $328 depending on species and height, which means a visitor with a firm budget can actually plan around a real number instead of guessing. A smaller cypress or pine near the low end of that range would land under $100, while a large, premium Fraser Fir near the top of the range would run over $300 — a wide enough spread that it’s worth having a rough size and species preference in mind before you walk the field, since the final number depends heavily on both.

A genuinely wide variety list

The farm’s choose-and-cut lineup includes Leyland Cypress, Jingles Cypress, Murray Cypress, Fraser Fir, Blue Ice, and Carolina Sapphire, with pre-cut Concolor Fir rounding out the pre-cut side. Having actual field-grown Fraser Fir as a choose-and-cut option, rather than only pre-cut, is somewhat unusual among the South Carolina farms in this research, since Fraser Fir generally favors cooler, higher-elevation conditions than much of the state offers — whether Hollow Creek’s specific microclimate or growing method makes that work isn’t detailed in the record, but the option itself is listed plainly.

Free perks that actually reduce your bill

Free hot chocolate is offered daily, and a free hayride runs on weekends. Neither of those requires spending beyond the tree tag price, which is a real, quantifiable value compared to farms that charge separately for hayrides or treat cocoa as a concession-stand purchase. It’s a small thing, but for a family visit with a couple of kids, avoiding two or three small add-on charges is a genuine savings, even without a specific number attached to what those add-ons would have cost elsewhere.

The season date is a strong guess, not a confirmed fact

The 2025 season opened November 23 at 1 pm, a specific date pulled from the farm’s own site and corroborated by the Kidding Around Columbia guide. That’s useful context, but it’s exactly that — a fact about last year, not a stated recurring policy like “always the Sunday before Thanksgiving.” Whether 2026 opens on the same date, a nearby date, or something different isn’t confirmed anywhere in the sources checked, so treat any specific date you plan around as an educated guess until the farm confirms it for this year.

Hours run later in the day than some competitors

Sunday through Thursday, the farm doesn’t open until 1 pm, though it stays open until 5:30 pm those days. Friday and Saturday open earlier, at 9 am. If your plan is a morning visit on a weekday or Sunday, you’ll need to shift it later, since the farm simply isn’t open yet at that hour.

The honest bottom line

Hollow Creek stands out in this research for genuine price transparency and real no-cost perks like the hayride and cocoa, and while the exact 2026 opening date isn’t locked in, the farm’s overall pattern makes it one of the easier options here to budget for with confidence.

Planning your visit

Best time to go

Hours run Sunday-Thursday 1-5:30 pm and Friday-Saturday 9 am-5:30 pm. The 2025 season opened November 23 at 1 pm — a specific 2025 date not confirmed to repeat for 2026 — so treat that as a strong estimate rather than a guarantee.

How long to budget

Not stated directly, but a holiday shop, a free weekend hayride, and seven named tree species to compare suggest budgeting more than a fast in-and-out, especially on a weekend when the hayride is running.

Crowds

Not stated numerically in the record.

Parking

Not described in the record.

Strollers and accessibility

Not addressed in the source.

What to bring

  • A sense of your budget range, since individually tagged trees run $58 to $328 depending on species and height in the 2025 season
  • An appetite for the free hot chocolate offered daily, and time on a weekend to catch the free hayride
  • A call ahead if you want to confirm the 2026 opening date before planning a specific weekend around it

How to spend less here

  • Individually tagged trees ranged $58 to $328 in the 2025 season depending on species and height, so a smaller Leyland Cypress or similar variety at the low end of that range could come in well under $100, while a large premium Fraser Fir would land near the top
  • Hot chocolate is free every day the farm is open, and the hayride is free on weekends, which are two real no-extra-charge perks compared to farms that price add-ons separately

Who it suits

Good for

  • Budget-conscious shoppers who want to see real, individually tagged prices rather than call for a quote
  • Families who want free hot chocolate every day and a free hayride on weekends without extra fees
  • Visitors deciding between a wide range of choose-and-cut species and pre-cut Concolor or Fraser Fir

Skip it if

Skip this farm if you're set on visiting a specific date based on last year's opening, since the November 23, 2025 date is a single prior-year fact, not a confirmed recurring rule for 2026.

Worth pairing with

No specific nearby-farm comparison is available in this record.

Common questions

How much do trees cost at Hollow Creek?

In the 2025 season, individually tagged trees ranged $58 to $328 depending on species and height. 2026 pricing isn't confirmed to match exactly, but this gives a real sense of the range to expect.

Is the hayride free?

Yes, on weekends, per the record. There's no charge mentioned for it.

What tree varieties are available?

The record lists Leyland Cypress, Jingles Cypress, Murray Cypress, Fraser Fir, Blue Ice, and Carolina Sapphire as choose-and-cut options, plus pre-cut Concolor Fir.

When does the 2026 season start?

Not confirmed. The 2025 season opened November 23 at 1 pm, but that's a specific prior-year date, not a stated recurring rule, so it wasn't converted into a 2026 date here.

When is Hollow Creek Tree Farm open in 2026?

2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. Check with the farm before driving out.

How much does a tree cost at Hollow Creek Tree Farm?

Trees start at $58. $58-$328 depending on species and height (2025 season); trees are individually priced and tagged

Can I cut my own tree at Hollow Creek Tree Farm?

Yes. It's cut-your-own and choose-and-cut (staff cuts it for you).

Where is Hollow Creek Tree Farm?

228 Windmill Rd, Gilbert, SC 29054, in Lexington County. It is one of 11 farms we track in Midlands South Carolina.

How Hollow Creek Tree Farm compares in Midlands South Carolina

We track 11 farms in Midlands South Carolina, 9 of which let you cut your own tree. At $58 to start this one sits above the regional median of $8.

What sets it apart locally: it has a hayride or sleigh ride, a gift shop or farm market, which most Midlands South Carolina farms on our list do not.

One caveat worth repeating: this farm had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 1 of the 11 farms we track in Midlands South Carolina had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the farm confirms it.

Other farms near Gilbert

There are 4 other farms we track in Lexington County. All Midlands South Carolina farms →

Quick facts

SeasonSeason dates not yet published for 2026
Days openNot published
HoursSunday-Thursday 1:00-5:30 pm; Friday-Saturday 9:00 am-5:30 pm
Starting price$58
Tree typesLeyland Cypress, Jingles Cypress, Murray Cypress, Fraser Fir, Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, Concolor Fir (pre-cut)
CountyLexington County
RegionMidlands South Carolina

Sources

hollowcreektreefarm.com · agriculture.sc.gov

Checked September 2026.