There are pumpkin patches and then there is Rancho Siempre Verde. My best friend, who lives in Berkeley and has a strong search algorithm, looked up "pumpkin patches" and found this true gem. When she reached out and said it was $115 a car, I thought she had officially lost her mind. Then she explained that this isn't your regular pumpkin patch. it's an all-inclusive, all-day, serotonin-boosting U-pick adventure. After a quick search myself, I realized it was only 10 minutes away from Swanton Berry Farm. Okay, I'm in! The experience includes: - 1 large pumpkin - 2 medium pumpkins - 2 small pumpkins - 1 bouquet of flowers (12 stems) from their U-pick flower garden (they even wrap it up like a florist) - A bag for U-pick fruits and veggies. You can add on wreaths (DIY or pre-made) and more produce for an additional cost. For the kiddos, there are slides, swings, tractor rides, hay bales honestly, I might be missing something because I was too busy foraging tomatoes, passion fruit, and peppers. And the best part? It's all for a good cause! The owners donate all the food to the Berkeley Food Bank. For busy families, don't worry they have a stand with freshly picked produce, so you don't have to forage if you'd rather bring a picnic and watch your kids swing all day. This is surely a new tradition for us, and I can't wait to return to the farm for Christmas trees, wreath making, and whatever other activities Rancho Siempre Verde has in store. I'm so happy that people and places like this exist in the world. read more

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A family run farm with 100% proceeds going to food banks. Be fall ready and support a good cause too. Got a few pumpkins, picked a flower bouquet and some farm fresh produce + made my own fall wreath to get ready for the holidays. Staff are down to earth, friendly, welcome and helpful. Looking forward to coming back again. read more

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What a cute farm. I drove by this place in mid October and decided to stop by and browse. They had pumpkins scattered, still a good selection, they had a couple of high swings afar that people were enjoying, and a cute set up of dried flowers and pumpkins. It's such a spacious land, plenty of parking and it's all the same ground level, a little more uphill if you go to the very back to ride the swings. I enjoyed my time here. read more

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We've been coming to RSV for years after finding it online: I especially wanna highlight the swings, pictures don't do them justice. Every years we've gotten pumpkins in October and a tree for Xmas after turkey day. The family who runs the farm is warm and welcoming. Our very first year was unforgettably in the rain, and we've been lucky with weather ever since. If it tells you something, I'd go back in a light rain: it was beautiful!! Is it far from the east bay? Yes. Is it worth supporting a farm that supports the Berkeley food bank? Definitely. The trees are great; I was really surprised by the few one-star reviews. There's always been a good selection for us, and I think we've been going since around 2017. I think people are disappointed in the seedlings and young trees. Give it time, people! If you can manage the drive, do yourself a blessing of spending the day with RSV. we take a picnic for their tables and use the swings. Their flowers are wonderful and the fruits tasty. Thank you, RSV, for all the holiday cheer!!! read more

Amazing experience always. Pumpkin festival in October. Tree farm in December. We love this place so much. So joyful and fun not to mention drop dead gorgeous!! Thank you for all the good times!! read more

Really really happy with our whole morning here. It does cost a bit more than other Christmas tree farms in the area, but you are paying for the experience and that's why it gets 5 stars - the experience was great. Also, it's a flat fee for any tree, so with that in mind, if you want a really big tree, maybe it's actually a pretty good price. So, what this awesome experience? There are a variety of trees of many different shapes and sizes and varieties and they are spread out all over, so it's an adventure to go out and find one that works for you. If you find one that you love far from the entrance - no worries, the tractor will come pick you up. They also have wreath making. You do have to buy the base to the wreath but then they have the clamper things for you to use and lots of different kinds of boughs and pine cones. Also very clear directions and staff to help you do it. Pro tip - bring your won berries to add - they didn't really have any of those. And then there are tons of swings - some that go very high out over a drop - fun stuff for kids. And hay bale piles to climb. And a picnic area. And a hammock area. And a bonfire with marshmallows and sticks for roasting. Apparently they used to have an epic pipe slide, but it burned down in the CZU fire and they are still in the process of rebuilding it. Anyways, we had no problem at all spending 2.5 hours here with our 3 year old and another 3 year old friend. Could have stayed longer, but it was nap time. It would be super fun for older kids too - more fun. On COVID - in general I was really happy. There was hand sanitizer everywhere. And disinfecting wipes at the porta potties. It's a huge space so clearly easy to social distance. Mask were required and compliance was high. There was one employee I kept seeing who often had his gator mask pulled down - which was discouraging because it makes me think that maybe they haven't created the culture around the importance of masks which I would really hope for. So yeah, that's there spot to improve - better culture around masks in their employees. Oh yeah, and I LOVE the tree we found! And although it's hard work, it's actually pretty fun to cut it down! read more

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Love the years of memories we have been able To make here. The kids and I adore the community, the SWINGS!!!!! The beautiful trees, and wreath making, marshmallows to roast too! They are so wonderful and even they were adversely impacted by the czu fires they are open!!! read more

Rancho Siempre Verde - Found the one! - Christmas Trees Near Me - Pescadero, California

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I journeyed to Rancho Siempre Verde today for the first time! I love the laid-back feel of the place. The owner, Jake, was there to greet people and explain the 'tree getting' process. He was very friendly, informative, and had a good sense of humor. He gave me a map of the grounds that laid out where each type of tree is. He assured me that if I needed any help to just wave down one of their crew and they'd help me out. I got a saw and headed off to find a tree! I love the fact that the tree will grow back if you leave some branches at the bottom. So you don't kill the tree...yay! I found a lovely cedar and, leaving a good amount of the bottom to give it a good head start at growing back, I began to saw. Well, I got about 70% of the way through before I pooped out. I walked back to the parking lot area and let a crew member know I needed help. I was told that normally they drive around on the tractors to assist but it was slower today being a weekday so I had to go to them. Jake came down, grabbed a chain saw, and gave me a tractor ride out to my mostly cut tree. In just a couple of minutes he had it cut and loaded onto the tractor. When we got back to the parking lot area he put it through this device that magically nets the tree (see pic) which makes it so much easier to manage getting in on/off the car, into the stand, and into the house. One of his crew did a great job at strapping it to the top of my car, and I drove up highway 17 without it blowing off. ;) I really enjoyed the whole process, and now we have a beauty of a tree to enjoy for the holiday season. It's like having a little bit of the forest in our home. Thank you, Jake and crew! One thing I noticed is that the tree looks much bigger in the house than it did on the farm, so keep that in mind when you're picking a tree. It's a good thing we have high ceilings! Tip --If you're planning on cutting your own tree, I recommend bringing a pair of gardening gloves with you. read more

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Great experience! All my kids really enjoyed this place. Friendly staff and great selection of pumpkins. We enjoyed a nice picnic prior to choosing our pumpkins and sunflowers. I would definitely recommend! read more

Excellent!! So much fun for the kids. Lots of dirt. Apple picking and a pumpkin patch. When swings from a tree. I took my granddaughters five and six years old we had got there late so we only had about an hour I could easily see us spending three hours there and having lunch. We will be back!!! read more

Note: This place is cash and check only. Ok, now that's out of the way let me tell you about this place.... IT'S AMAZING! Marshamallows, multiple huge swings, LOTS OF DOGS and the most of all... the drive to go to this place - ocean view along the highway 1 coast.. worth the drive from San Jose :) Our friend had this place in mind to go cut a small tree to bring to her parents' place. It is family owned tree farm with friendly and helpful staff. It was both of our significant others' first time to cut a tree and the man with the hat had given us the "orientation" on how things work here. He gave us a map and told us each locations and what they are plus a saw to use for cutting the tree. I didn't pay attention much since I was so busy playing with dogs that was coming to us. Our friend has a Jack Russell Terrier mix who wanted to play with the big dogs. It was super cute. We walked around the farm to find the "perfect" small tree and we found it towards the front-ish area of the farm. Cutting the tree was kind of challenging since it was more on the smaller side so our significant others took turn cutting the stump. Once we were done cutting the tree, we walked back to the front desk for some assistance to get it netted. We were asked if we needed help carrying the tree to our car but we didn't need to since it was manageable to carry and we parked pretty near. We didn't know that it was cash or check only so the lady handling the payments gave us an option to send the check so it worked out in the end. We walked around more to explore the area and we see kids and their parents making wreaths out of the tree they've cut too. Looked pretty fun. Lots of family dogs running around and wanting to play fetch with you too.... with fallen pine cones lol. We found a place to cut Christmas tree in the future. I love that you can bring your dog(s), roast marshmallows and breathe fresh air! I highly recommend coming here :) read more

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I'm an annual member here! Jk, there's no membership, but I do go here when Christmas comes around to find a tree with family/friends. The grounds are awesome. We usually sit at the top of the hill where there are picnic tables, outdoor musical instruments, rope swings, pipe slide, and an awesome view of Christmas trees. At the bottom of the hill, you can roast marshmallows and make wreaths ($15-$20). We brunch on the picnic tables, drink hot alcoholic drinks in our thermos, and take in that holiday spirit! Hunting for a Christmas tree can get pretty muddy so I suggest to wear hiking boots! read more

We've been going here (from San Jose) for a few years in a row and each year we try to go earlier and end up staying later. We usually go the day after Thanksgiving. I guess every place can run out of trees the closer to Christmas you wait but we have such a good time hanging out and picking out the right one it's more about the experience and memories than the piece of wood that sits in our living room for a few weeks. Do bring food and drinks to snack on while you're there. Also - we brought both our dogs this year and they all got along fine with all the others running around off leash. Marsh-mellows are provided but you might want a pocket knife to whittle down a good stick - there's a huge bonfire and plenty of wood to keep the fun going. I agree with Kurt K - the view from the top of the hill is magnificent. https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S6m17TwTRTStBzeojBHYCmasXc0A1zUWc19Y0lOcPiQ?feat=directlink read more

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Such a darling family owned pumpkin patch. You can get your tickets online. We had a blast picking out our pumpkins and then hand picking a bouquet of flowers. read more

We've gotten Christmas trees for the past two years here. The staff is very friendly and the swings and fire pit make the outing feel like an occasion. We'll be back next year! read more

So after reading a number of glowing reviews of this place as a great, affordable place to get your tree while having a fun day trip the fiance and I decided to drive on down. Alas our hopes were quickly dashed. As we pulled into the lot it looked like the fields had been completely picked over. It was only two days after Thanksgiving! How could the selection already be so threadbare? After finding someone who worked there we were given a map of the farm and saw that they had quite a bit of space so we thought our first impression was way off base. It wasn't. Every tree looked haggard except a few redwoods (who wants a redwood Christmas tree?) The douglas firs were as Charlie Brown as you could get. I was looking forward to swinging on the swings, roasting some marshmallows, maybe even making a wreath, but after finding a tree! So sadly we hopped back in the car and found a tree lot just north of 92 in Half Moon Bay. The staff was great and they had an amazing selection of Noble Firs. Didn't get to cut our own but for an amazing price we got a 9 foot tree, a hardcore tree stand and a festive wreath. Christmas happiness achieved! read more

The cut-your-own christmas tree farm to beat! This place really has the SOUL of christmas - no by-the-numbers plots of the same perfect trees here! No, these are all varieties of Charlie Brown style trees, from Incense Cedar to Arizona Cypress and more. Sure, you can pick up a Noble Fir and be done with it, but I suggest you go with one of the Dr. Seuss-like floppy Cedars or Cypresses! I'm actually not sure which kind exactly we ended up with - but it really looks like something we picked in the woods, and not something that was sheared by a chainsaw. They give you a handsaw to cut it on your own too. All the trees are $50, no matter how big or small (and don't forget that they all look pretty good until you bring them in and realize they're 4 feet too tall for your ceiling! I thought ours was going to be too small but man, I'm so glad we have a 15 ft tall ceiling!) The coolest thing: they have this bailing machine where they feed your tree into it and pull it through and it's wrapped in netting - so it has much less lift on your car roof, and it's much easier to drag into your house without scattering pine needles everywhere. Tip: keep the wrap on until you've stuck it in the stand, then cut it off - so much easier! Oh, and the swings! They have these awesome homemade swings scattered all around the property - from giant tires to a wood plank 4 feet long you can fit the whole family on. Plus all the marshmellows you can roast and eat. And wreath-making for cheap (we didn't get around to doing that - next year!) And they'll take you on a ride on the tractor too. It's a huge farm - we wandered around for 1 hour and probably only saw half of it. Great benches for picnics up on the hill with a view of the Pacific. Really, this place redeems the commercialization of Christmas entirely! Bonus save-the-earth tip: they ask you to leave the bottom few branches, then they graft a new tree onto the stump and let it grow again, so it's not like you're ripping something out by the roots to die in your overheated living room! read more

We've treked down from San Francisco two years in a row and it's totally 110% worth it. Bring a picnic lunch and plan to stay a few hours to make some wreathes, ride a tractor, play on rope swings or roast marshmellows. Bring a spare set of shoes for everyone cuz it's muddy! It's the same price for every tree, cut-your-own. They have a lot of cool varieties as well. We ended up with a Cypress. read more

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My family and I just returned from our first time cutting our own tree from Rancho Siempre Verde, and this place was absolutely wonderful! We drove from San Jose and it was worth it to visit this tree farm! It is a family owned and operated tree farm, and everyone was so friendly and helpful! RSV has the best customer service I have ever experienced -- they are extremely hospitable, from the moment we stepped out of the car and were warmly greeted and handed a map! I asked a tall gentleman (the owner's son I think) for guidelines and instructions, and he was more than willing to assist us. There is a shortage of Christmas trees this year, so they do have pre-cut trees available. The price is $65 for any sized tree! My family and I chose a large one... and when we got home, it seemed to have grown larger! Cutting the tree itself was a bit challenging because the stump on ours was thick, so we all took turns at the saw. It is beautiful and smells so nice... very different than the "fresh" ones from the tree lots in my town! Once we were done cutting our tree, my mom and I went back down towards the front to ask for some help to carry it out. I love that everyone in their family pitches in; the young lady (she couldn't have been more than 13 years old) was very attentive and quickly let the gentleman (perhaps in his mid to late 20s) at the tractor know. We rode the tractor to our tree and he loaded it up for us. The tree is really heavy and when I offered him a tip three times, he declined and said the services were included. Afterwards, they netted the tree for us and loaded and tied it onto our SUV. Despite how busy they were, the staff was accommodating, cheerful, and all had smiles on their faces. I appreciate that they took the time to chat with us while they were loading the tree. I am so glad we were able to have such a pleasant experience here and I would definitely recommend it! My family and I will be returning next year!! I only wish the staff had their names on their shirts so that I may commend them in this review! cut your own tree: $65 pre-cut tree: $85 new memories: PRICELESS Additional information: parking, boughs, roasting marshmallows, netting, tractor, swings: $FREE.99 read more

I'm sorry to see a couple poor reviews... as this was one of the greatest xmas tree experiences in my 30 some odd years of getting trees.. (and about 34 of those years were in picturesque update NY/Vermont.) The experience is worth dedicating a full afternoon to: Overlooking the distant Pacific, they offer an orchard of at least 6 variety of trees, all sustainable, as well as: wreath making station; giants swings throughout the grounds; picnic tables; hammocks, little sandbox and hay maze for toddlers; and ongoing bonfire with all you can toast and eat marshmallows. After much debate, we went for an Arizona Cypress. Very beautiful and fragrant tree. (Doing great in our house after 2 weeks, although not drinking alot... but it'll fine into January.) You do have to walk around a bit and fine your gem. But that's the point!!! You can go for giants, traditionals, Charlie Browns, or best yet in my opinion - one that speaks something new and interesting to you. Owned and operated by a family, great help, free tractor rides. THIS IS THE PLACE unless you're into more of the artificial look read more

We have purchased our trees from this farm for the last three years. The reason we keep coming back are twofold: 1) The setting is beautiful! The farm literally overlooks the ocean 2) The selection of trees is truly unique. If you are looking for the perfect cone-shaped tree, this isn't your place. If you are looking for a unique tree (i.e. cedar, cypress, sequoia, etc) this is the place to cut your own. I think the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality of tree you can cut down. read more

We made a trip to this place last year to pick out a Christmas tree. We got there late in the day, and late in the season, so we didn't hike very far to find a tree. Suffice it to say, the tree we ended up getting was a serious dud (it ended up smelling horrible, stopped soaking up water, and dropped a ton of needles). The tree barely lasted two weeks. We were, however, mesmerized with this place. The swings were amazing, the view of the sun setting over the ocean was magical, and roasting marshmallows by the big bonfire was a hit with the kiddies. We noticed lots of folks seemed to have brought picnics and left without trees. So my plan for this year is to spend some time there playing and enjoying the scenery, making (buying) a few wreaths, and getting a tree elsewhere. read more

I would agree with the positive things previous reviewers have mentioned. Our kids had fun on the tree swings and roasting marshmallows. But we went for a Christmas tree and ended up very disappointed. This is a small tree farm -- when we visited in early December, there were very few trees that were over 4' tall. At least none that we found. We ended up getting a small tree (maybe 3.5'). But given that we have had such a dry year, we didn't realize until we got home that the tree was very distressed. The needles starting dropping en masse within the first day. (That might have been the case for any live tree farm. We probably would have been better off this year getting a pre-cut Oregon tree.) The bottom line: if we go back, it won't be for several years or until they are able to replenish/re-grow their stock. read more

While it was a unique holiday experience, we felt like we were at Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree lot. The tree selection was weak with small oddly shaped trees in a fairly large area. The swings were fun and, had we not been on the hunt for a Christmas tree, the marshmallow roasting looked like fun as well. read more

Getting a tree is a unique holiday experience. I love that they are less commercial than other spots. If I'm going to haul the family out to cut a tree, I don't want to feel like I'm at Disney Land. Rancho Siempre has a great selection of trees and lots of magical moments for the kids including swinging on the swings and roasting the marshmallows. I'll be back there this year. Good summary of Bay Area Christmas Tree Farms (including Rancho Siempre at www.99places.com. read more