How Do You Move a 60-Foot Christmas Tree Across Michigan?

I've hauled a Christmas tree home before.

Throw it in the back of the truck, tie it down, then spend the whole drive home looking in the mirror making sure it's still there.

If only moving Michigan's official state Christmas tree from Iron Mountain to Lansing could be this simple. (Photo via Julianna Arjes on Unsplash)

This... is a little different.

Michigan has picked its 2026 state Christmas tree, a 60-foot spruce from Iron Mountain, donated by the Larry Riccio family.

READ MORE: Hold Up! That Might Not Be a Pine Cone in Your Christmas Tree

It's scheduled to be cut down November 5 and eventually make its way to the Capitol in downtown Lansing, where it'll be lit during Silver Bells in the City on November 20.

Cool.

But what does it take to move a 60-foot Christmas tree from Iron Mountain to Lansing? You can't just throw this one in the back of a pickup.

My son Ryan works for SUNTECKtts and arranges unusual transportation jobs for a living, so I asked him to dig into what a move like this might involve.

Turns out, cutting the tree down may be the easy part.

Michigan actually considers transportation when choosing the state tree. The state looks for a tree at least 60 feet tall, with a crown no wider than 24 feet across and a trunk no more than 30 inches across. There also needs to be reasonable road access without utility lines causing problems.

Now I understand why.

How Do You Haul a 60-Foot Christmas Tree?

Once it's cut, Ryan says the branches would need to be bundled and compressed as tightly as possible without damaging the tree.

And even the species can matter.

Why the Type of Spruce Matters

Blue spruce branches tend to be pretty stiff compared to something like a white spruce. That could make squeezing a massive tree down to transportation-friendly dimensions a little more interesting. Because with an oversized load, every extra foot matters.

Blue spruce branches tend to be stiffer than some other evergreen choices often used as Christmas trees. (Photo via Paul T on Unsplash)

Ryan says you'd likely be looking at a removable gooseneck trailer, which keeps the load relatively close to the pavement.

Escort vehicles will be required based on the load's width and length. A "pole car" may also be needed, depending on how tall the load still is once the tree is bundled.

READ MORE: Big Red Ball Aren't Enough - 6 Things We Could Decorate the Lansing Roundabout With Year-Round

A "pole car," you ask? I'd never heard of one either.

Basically, that's a vehicle that drives ahead of an overheight load with a vertical measuring device set to the load's clearance. If that pole encounters something the truck won't clear, such as a bridge, wire, sign, or other obstruction, the load can stop before somebody learns the hard way.

Michigan permit rules can require that type of measuring device on especially tall loads.

Suddenly, "bringing the Christmas tree to Lansing" sounds less like a Hallmark movie and more like a military operation.

And Then There's the Mackinac Bridge

The Mackinac Bridge operates under special wind restrictions for high-profile and oversized vehicles. Once sustained winds get high enough, over-dimensional loads may not be allowed across until the winds die down.

Which means November weather at the Mighty Mac could potentially mess with the entire schedule.

Strong winds on the Mackinac Bridge could delay the delivery of Michigan's state Christmas tree to the Capitol. (Photo via Emily Studer on Unsplash)

And if the load gets stuck waiting?

There goes the budget.

Getting Into Lansing Isn't Simple Either

Oversized loads require special permits from MDOT, and certain loads face additional travel restrictions in heavily populated areas.

In Ingham County, permitted oversized loads can face restrictions during the morning and afternoon rush.

READ MORE: 5 Signs You're From Lansing

So you can't necessarily just roll into Lansing whenever you feel like it with a 60-foot Christmas tree hanging off a trailer.

Routes have to be planned. Clearances checked. Escorts coordinated. Weather watched. And probably a whole lot of people crossing their fingers.

So What Does It Cost?

Ryan's best-case estimate for moving something like this?

Around $6,000.

That's his professional estimate, not an official figure from the State of Michigan.

And that's assuming everything behaves itself.

Add more escorts. Route changes. Weather delays. An overnight stop. Wind at the Mackinac Bridge.

READ MORE: The 20 Lowest Clearance Bridges in Michigan

That number could climb pretty quickly.

This will be Michigan's 40th official state Christmas tree, and once it's decorated and glowing in front of the Capitol, it'll probably look pretty effortless.

Get our free mobile app

It definitely isn't.

Somebody has to figure out how to get a 60-foot tree from the U.P. to downtown Lansing without hitting anything along the way.

And now I kinda want to watch them do it.