Deep in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado lies the small town of Salida, with a population of just under 6,000. Its location on the Arkansas River, surrounded by mountains, makes it an ideal home for lovers of the outdoors, with easy access to skiing, mountain biking, fishing and more. It’s also home, according to ABC7, to the largest Christmas tree in the United States.
Since 1989, volunteers and local businesses have worked every year to light up ‘Christmas Mountain’, a 750-foot-tall LED Christmas tree on the side of Tenderfoot Mountain. The day after Thanksgiving, residents light up 4,500 lightbulbs to create the design, and it stays lit through early January.
“There could be 70 [mile per hour] winds up there, and snow, and somebody has to go up there and do the repair. It’s it’s not a flat [surface]. We’re talking gullies and little ravines and it’s steep.” – Salida Chamber of Commerce’s executive director Lori Roberts
This year, the tree will remain lit every night until January 7.
Records regarding the largest Christmas tree in the country or the world don’t appear to be super complete, but Guinness World Records puts the tallest cut Christmas tree at around 221 feet (67.36 meters). That tree was Douglas fir, erected and decorated in the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington, back in 1950.
In 2016, the world’s largest artificial Christmas tree was erected by the Arjuna Ranatunga Social Services in Colombo, Sri Lanka. That tree was about 236.5 feet (72.1 meters) tall and a little more than 55 feet (20.2 meters) wide.
I’m not sure what record Salida’s Christmas tree decoration would fall into. Maybe it’s among the largest Christmas light displays. It doesn’t really matter, though. This Colorado Christmas decoration is one of the coolest in my book.
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Image Credit: Salida Chamber of Commerce via Facebook