A Guide to Scattering Ashes in National Parks: Permits, Process, and Honoring Legacy

Written By Sarah Marie Sherbon

1. Why National Parks?

National Parks protect some of the most extraordinary landscapes in America — places of soaring peaks, timeless forests, and thriving wildlife. Choosing to scatter a loved one’s ashes here honors not only their memory but also their passion for the beauty of the natural world.

But there are many considerations to keep it legal, safe, and special. Here are our thoughts, tips, and guidance to maximize your family’s experience:

🌿 See Available National Park Destinations →

📞 Speak to a Memorial Specialist: (515) 206-4845

bonaventurememorial@gmail.com

2. Understanding Permits and Regulations

Every National Park has its own process for ash scattering, and permits are almost always required. The National Park Service issues Special Use Permits to ensure ceremonies are held respectfully and without harm to the environment.

Families should:

  • Apply for a permit well in advance (often several weeks before the planned date).

  • Follow location-specific restrictions, such as staying away from visitor centers, roadways, or waterways.

  • Choose a site that reflects their loved one’s spirit but still honors conservation rules.

BONAVENTURE helps families navigate this process seamlessly in destinations like Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

3. Choosing the Right Location

The beauty of scattering in a National Park is the variety of landscapes available. Each offers a different emotional resonance:

4. Best Practices for Respecting Nature and Wildlife

When scattering ashes in National Parks, it’s essential to minimize environmental impact:

  • Scatter discreetly: Avoid high-traffic areas and popular overlooks.

  • Stay away from water: The EPA regulates water scatterings separately; lake and river scattering is not permitted in parks.

  • Leave no trace: Do not leave flowers, urns, or markers behind — allow nature to hold the memory.

  • Respect wildlife: Keep distance from herds, nesting sites, or marine mammals. Destinations like the Whale Trail at Ruby Beach and bioluminescent waters of Puget Sound remind us that wildlife encounters are gifts, not guarantees.

5. Returning to Visit

One of the most meaningful aspects of scattering in National Parks is the ability to return. Many families find healing in revisiting the place where their loved one’s ashes were released — hiking the same trail, watching the same sunset, or listening to the same river.

Unlike private property or restricted sites, National Parks remain accessible for generations, ensuring that remembrance can continue across lifetimes. Packages like the America the Beautiful collection even allow families to honor their loved one in multiple parks across the country.

6. Making the Experience Special

Some families choose to pair their scattering with a symbolic gesture — reading a poem, playing music, or walking quietly together. Others opt for unique ceremonies, such as a hot air balloon scattering, which combines the vastness of the sky with a sense of rising beyond.

What matters most is that the ritual reflects the life lived — whether adventurous, peaceful, or deeply rooted in the natural world.

National Parks protect some of the most extraordinary landscapes in America — places of soaring peaks, timeless forests, and thriving wildlife. Choosing to scatter a loved one’s ashes here honors not only their memory but also their passion for the beauty of the natural world.

Before scattering ashes in any National Park, you’ll need a Special Use Permit. This ensures the ceremony is conducted in harmony with the park’s mission of preservation.

  • Where to Apply: Each park has its own process. Applications and instructions can be found through the National Park Service memorialization page.

  • How Long It Takes: Approval can take 2–6 weeks, so apply well ahead of time.

  • What’s Included: Your permit will specify approved locations, group size, and guidelines to minimize impact.

At BONAVENTURE, we manage the permit process for families, ensuring every detail aligns with park rules and environmental protections.

🌿 See Available National Park Destinations →

📞 Speak to a Memorial Specialist: (515) 206-4845

bonaventurememorial@gmail.com

Ash Scattering: Choosing the Right Place

Every National Park offers unique opportunities for scattering ashes. Some families choose alpine meadows or river overlooks; others prefer quiet forest trails or wildlife migration routes.

  • Yellowstone – A tribute among geothermal wonders and roaming bison. Explore more

  • Glacier – Where mountains cradle lakes of glass-like stillness. Plan here

  • Mount Rainier – Meadows filled with wildflowers and marmots. Discover more

Respecting Wildlife

Honoring wildlife is at the heart of scattering in natural spaces. A few guidelines:

  • Do: Keep ceremonies quiet and simple.

  • Do: Observe animals from a respectful distance.

  • Don’t: Scatter near water sources frequented by wildlife.

  • Don’t: Leave flowers, urns, or objects behind — only memories.

Unique Ash Scattering: Crafting the Ceremony

There is no “right way” to scatter ashes in a National Park, but many families find comfort in weaving personal touches into the ceremony:

  • Read a Poem or Prayer: Many draw on nature verses or loved ones’ favorite passages.

  • Walk a Trail Together: Some scatter slowly as they walk, letting the ashes mingle with earth and wind.

  • Pause in Silence: Allow the landscape itself to speak.

Our Celebration of Life Guide offers inspiration for finding words when words are difficult.

A Living Tribute: Returning to National Parks After Ash Scattering

Scattering ashes in a National Park doesn’t end with the ceremony. Families often return to these landscapes — to hike, to watch wildlife, to sit quietly in the same places their loved one once cherished. It becomes a living memorial, a place of ongoing connection where memory and nature intertwine.

This guide will help you understand how to revisit scattering sites in National Parks, what to expect, and how to continue honoring your loved one over time.

Why National Parks Make Timeless Memorials

America’s National Parks are more than just scenic wonders — they are protected landscapes that endure through generations. Scattering ashes in places like Yellowstone, Glacier, or Mount Rainier creates a connection that can be revisited again and again.

Each visit offers a renewed sense of belonging: the mountain air, the call of an elk, the crash of waves — all reminders that your loved one’s spirit rests within these landscapes.

🌿 See Available National Park Destinations →

📞 Speak to a Memorial Specialist: (515) 206-4845

bonaventurememorial@gmail.com

Visiting Again: What Families Can Expect

After a scattering, families often wonder whether they can return to the exact location. The answer is yes — but with mindfulness.

  • Scattering sites are unmarked. National Parks prohibit plaques or permanent memorials. The tribute lives in memory and in the land itself.

  • Permits are not required for future visits. Once the ceremony is complete, families may freely return to hike, picnic, or simply be present.

  • Nature will have changed. Snow may blanket the Tetons, wildflowers may bloom in the Badlands, or whales may return to the Puget Sound. Each visit becomes a new encounter.

How to Deepen the Connection

Families often find comfort in building small rituals during return visits:

  • Hiking familiar trails — Walking the same paths your loved one enjoyed keeps their memory alive in motion. Consider Zion’s canyon overlooks or Olympic’s mossy forests.

  • Wildlife watching — The monarch migration or sandhill crane gatherings offer annual touchstones of continuity.

  • Quiet reflection spots — Some families choose a favorite bench, overlook, or riverside clearing to return to each year.

Honoring Without Leaving a Trace

While it may feel natural to leave flowers, stones, or tokens, the best way to honor your loved one in a National Park is to let the land itself serve as the memorial.

  • Take only photographs.

  • Leave only footprints.

  • Carry home renewed peace and memory.

This ensures that generations to come can experience the same beauty untouched.

A Tribute That Lives On

Destination scattering allows a loved one’s memory to become part of America’s most breathtaking places. By returning — season after season, year after year — families create a living tribute, woven into the eternal rhythms of nature.

Whether it’s the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the desert silence of the Badlands, or the glow of bioluminescent waters in Puget Sound, these places become more than destinations — they become touchstones of remembrance.

Resources

Sarah Marie Sherbon
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