A long-running (since 1980) farm near Lake Keowee with real per-foot pricing and both choose-and-cut and pre-cut options, though it has a documented history of selling out before Christmas.
$10 per foot for choose-and-cut trees from the field (2025 season); pre-cut Fraser Firs $60-$325 depending on size
Merry Christmas Tree Farm has been operating near Lake Keowee since 1980, now run by Jamie and Tracy Dodson, and it’s one of the more transparent operations in this research simply because it publishes real numbers instead of asking visitors to call for a quote. Choose-and-cut trees are priced at $10 per foot for the 2025 season, which means the math is straightforward and honest to walk through: a 6-foot tree runs about $60, a 7-footer about $70, and a 9-foot tree — a real option here given the farm’s tree variety — would run about $90, before any wreath, garland, or accessory purchases. Pre-cut Fraser Firs are priced separately at $60 to $325 depending on size, which gives you a second lane if you’d rather skip cutting altogether and just want a tree that’s already down.
The choose-and-cut lineup includes Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, Carolina Blue Sapphire, and Eastern Red Cedar, along with White Pine — species that grow well in the Upstate’s climate. If you want an actual Fraser Fir, the classic dense, fragrant Christmas tree most people picture, this farm’s version comes pre-cut rather than field-grown, since Fraser Fir generally needs cooler, higher-elevation conditions than the Upstate provides. That’s a common pattern in this region, not a knock on this particular farm. The record doesn’t say whether cut-your-own visitors need to bring a saw or whether one is provided, so that’s worth a quick question when you call.
The farm’s own website specifies that handmade wreath and garland orders need roughly three days’ advance notice. If a wreath is part of your plan and you’re the type to combine tree-buying with decor shopping in one trip, that same-day convenience isn’t there — you’ll need to call or order ahead and either pick up on a return visit or plan your first stop as an ordering trip.
Aggregator and community-site comments describe the farm as popular enough to sell out most years before Christmas. Combined with daily operation “until sold out” per the record, this points to a season that can end earlier than its calendar length suggests if a particular Saturday brings a wave of buyers. If you have your heart set on a specific size or species — say, a tall Leyland Cypress for a two-story foyer — earlier is safer than later. The 2025 season’s actual close date isn’t specified beyond “typically into mid-December,” which itself implies some years it closes earlier.
No 2026 season_start date has been verified. Two different sources describe the opening differently — one cites a specific November 22, 2025 date for last year, while South Carolina’s own Department of Agriculture page describes the pattern more loosely as “starting Thanksgiving Day.” Those aren’t necessarily contradictory (Thanksgiving fell close to that date in 2025), but they don’t resolve into one confirmed rule for 2026, so treat any assumed date as unverified until you call 864-639-5888 or check the farm’s site directly.
This is one of the more trip-plannable farms in this batch thanks to real per-foot and per-tree pricing, but its track record of selling out before Christmas means the honest advice is to go early rather than wait for a “better” weekend later in the season.
Sources describe the farm operating daily until sold out, typically into mid-December, with 2025 hours of 9 am to dark (about 5:45 pm). Given the farm's history of selling out most years before Christmas, a mid-to-late November visit gives you the best shot at full selection; no 2026 season_start date has been confirmed.
Not stated in the record. Between choosing a field tree, waiting for wreath work if you order one, and browsing tree stands and accessories on site, budget more than a quick stop.
Not stated numerically, but the record notes the farm is popular enough to sell out most years before Christmas, which points to real weekend demand, especially once word gets out that inventory is thinning.
Not described in the record.
Not addressed in the source.
Skip Merry Christmas Tree Farm if you're hoping to walk in for a same-day wreath, since the record says orders need about three days' notice, and skip a December visit if a specific size or species matters to you, since the farm has a documented history of selling out most years before Christmas.
The record notes the farm sits near Lake Keowee, which may be worth combining with a lake-area outing if you're already making the drive to Oconee/Pickens County, though no specific paired attraction is confirmed in the record.
Choose-and-cut trees from the field run $10 per foot for the 2025 season, so a 7-foot tree works out to about $70. Pre-cut Fraser Firs ranged $60 to $325 depending on size in that same season. 2026 pricing isn't confirmed to match, so treat these as the most recent published figures rather than a guarantee.
Probably not. The farm's website says handmade wreath and garland orders need about three days' advance notice.
Based on the record, yes — reader comments on aggregator sites note it's popular enough to sell out most years before Christmas, so earlier visits in the season are the safer bet.
The record lists Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Virginia Pine, Carolina Blue Sapphire, Eastern Red Cedar, and White Pine as choose-and-cut varieties, plus pre-cut Fraser Fir for anyone who doesn't want to cut.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. In past seasons it has run: Daily until sold out (typically into mid-December). Check with the farm before driving out.
Trees start at $10. $10 per foot for choose-and-cut trees from the field (2025 season); pre-cut Fraser Firs $60-$325 depending on size
Yes. It's choose-and-cut (staff cuts it for you).
244 Lay Bridge Road, Central, SC 29630, in Pickens County. It is one of 7 farms we track in Upstate South Carolina.
We track 7 farms in Upstate South Carolina, 5 of which let you cut your own tree. At $10 to start this one sits right on the regional median of $10.
What sets it apart locally: it has wreaths and garland for sale, which most Upstate 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 7 farms we track in Upstate South Carolina had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the farm confirms it.
There is 1 other farm we track in Pickens County. All Upstate South Carolina farms →
merrychristmastreefarm.net
Checked September 2026.