Massive 80-Foot U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Chosen

The 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Announcement

We told you recently that the 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is coming from our neighbors to the west, and now the U.S. Forest Service has announced that it has chosen the tree.

A Historic Selection: The First Grand Fir

According to the U.S. Forest Service's Nex-Pearce Clearwater National Forests, it's an 80-foot-tall Grand Fir tree from the Salmon River Ranger District.

According to the Forest Service, the tree exemplifies this year's theme of "over the rivers and through the woods". This is the first year in U.S. Capitol Tree History that they have chosen a Grand Fir for the tree.

Can you imagine having the job of picking out the Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol?

That's a pretty big responsibility.

Hopefully, it doesn't dry out like some of our regular Christmas trees. We've certainly had plenty of dry weather around the Northwest this summer.

Montana's Involvement: Custom Ornaments for the Tree

The really cool part is that even though the tree is coming from Idaho, Montana still gets to be part of it.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center continues to hold workshops where you can make custom ornaments that will travel with the tree to Washington, D.C.

Join in Creating Ornaments: A Community Effort

The goal is to have more than 10,000 ornaments made for the tree, and you still have time to participate. The ornament workshops will continue until August 31.

So, if you're looking for an excuse to take a drive toward Lolo, this is a pretty cool one.

You can make an ornament that will become part of the 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

A Historic Journey: Transporting the Capitol Christmas Tree

We'll get to watch the whole thing unfold as that massive tree is cut down, transported across the country, and eventually put on display in Washington, D.C.

And somewhere on that tree will be an ornament made right here in Montana.