Christmas trees across Montana are getting a second life | State

MONTANA – With the holiday season wrapping up, communities across the Treasure State are offering Christmas tree recycling programs aimed at reducing landfill waste and giving real trees new purpose; everything from mulch and compost, to helping fish habitat.

Officials in every region are reminding residents to remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, plastic, tree stands and any other decorations before dropping off their trees.

Montana environmental officials emphasize that recycling Christmas trees helps reduce waste, limits landfill use and supports multiple community and habitat projects.

Butte-Silver Bow County

The Butte-Silver Bow Parks and Recreation Department is again offering multiple drop-off sites for real trees. Barriers will be in place to mark the following disposal locations:

• Corner of Platinum Street and Excelsior Avenue
• Corner of Sampson Street and Utah Avenue
• High Altitude Skating Center parking lot

Tree disposal begins Christmas Day and continues through the end of January. No trash, artificial trees or debris can be left at the sites.

Great Falls

Christmas tree recycling in Great Falls runs December 26 through January 9.

Containers will be located at:

• Meadowlark Park at Fox Farm and Park Garden Road
• Americans Little League parking lot at 1100 38th Street North

The trees will be used by Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Walleyes Unlimited to improve fish habitat.

Missoula

Missoula’s 34th annual Christmas Ever-Green recycling program returns December 26 through January 15. Residents may drop trees at:

• McCormick Park
• Playfair Park
• Fort Missoula Regional Park (South Avenue parking lot)
• Garden City Compost, located at 1125 Clark Fork Lane, will also accept trees at no charge Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The trees will be composted to help support future planting projects throughout the community.

Billings and surrounding areas

Tree disposal and recycling is available December 27, 2025 through January 19, 2026. Mulch created from the trees will be used at ZooMontana and the Montana Audubon Center.

• Billings drop-off locations include:
• ZooMontana, 2100 South Shiloh Road
• Radius Recycling, 1100 6th Avenue North
• Hanser’s Automotive, 430 South Billings Boulevard
• Billings Landfill, 5240 Jellison Road
• Heights-Clevinger Park, 840 Bench Boulevard
• Poly Vista Park, 38th Street West and Colin Drive

Surrounding community locations:

• Laurel: Thompson Park – Splash Park parking lot
• Lockwood: Lockwood School (1932 US Hwy 87E) and Rocky Mountain Compost (3060 Farley Lane)
• Shepherd: Shepherd High School parking lot (7842 Shepherd Road)
• Huntley: United Methodist Church parking lot

Bozeman

Bozeman’s Forestry Division is offering a courtesy tree recycling service. Trees will be composted and used as mulch in city parks. Residents are asked not to cut trees into smaller pieces and wreaths or garlands will not be accepted.

Sites are now open and will remain open through February 2026 at:

• Softball Complex (enter from Haggerty Lane)
• Gallatin Valley Regional Park (drop-off near BMX tracks, enter off Oak Street)
• Christie Fields (enter off East Mason Street)

Helena area

Residents in Helena, the Helena Valley and East Helena can register for curbside pickup offered by Boy Scout Troop 214. Pickups will occur Saturday January 3, 11 and 17 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. A suggested $10 donation helps fund the service.

Trees collected in Helena will be transported to Canyon Ferry Lake, where they are used to improve fish habitat. Residents may also haul their trees to the Transfer Station for disposal.

Miles City

The Miles City chapter of Walleyes Unlimited and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have established a drop-off location at Spotted Eagle Lake near the west restroom, where trees will later be submerged to create fish habitat. The trees provide hiding cover for juvenile fish and nesting cover for select adult species.

Residents can also drop trees at the Miles City landfill in the designated tree pile.

Kalispell

The City of Kalispell will begin tree pickup around January 2. Residents are asked to place real Christmas trees on the street in the boulevard area. The city will collect trees over a two-week period and either chip them or dispose of them properly.