How to Choose the Right Scattering Method
The right method depends on your loved one’s spirit, your family’s traditions, and the landscapes that hold meaning.
For free spirits: Casting to the wind may feel most true.
For adventurers or aviators: Aerial scattering carries their story to the skies.
For hikers and pilgrims: Walking stick scattering mirrors the journey of life.
For those rooted in home and soil: Trenching honors the earth and its cycles.
💡 Remember: there is no single “correct” way — only the way that best reflects the life you’re honoring.
🌿 See Available National Park Ash Scattering→
Best Ash Scattering Methods by Location: A Complete Guide
Choosing the right scattering method is about more than logistics — it’s about honoring your loved one in a way that feels aligned with the spirit of the place. Each landscape offers its own natural rhythm, and with it, a scattering style that feels most fitting.
Below, we’ve outlined the best scattering method by destination, with practical tips, tricks, and links to BONAVENTURE’s offerings in each location.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Hawaii
🌊 Method: Casting into the ocean
In Hawaii, where the Pacific stretches endlessly to the horizon, casting ashes directly into the water is both traditional and symbolic. The tide carries them outward, weaving their memory into the rhythm of the sea.
Tip: Choose a calm morning for gentle waters.
Trick: Flower petals can be scattered alongside (if permitted), creating a visual trail across the surface.
➡️ Explore our Hawaii Ash Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Yellowstone National Park
🏞️ Method: Walking stick scattering
Among geysers, canyons, and bison herds, Yellowstone invites a slower pace. A walking stick urn allows you to scatter ashes gradually along a favorite trail — creating a journey rather than a single moment.
Tip: Apply for an NPS scattering permit well in advance.
Trick: Walk at sunrise or sunset for solitude and golden light.
➡️ Learn about our Yellowstone Ash Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Pensacola, Florida
🐬 Method: Casting at sea, alongside dolphins at sunset
In Pensacola, dolphins often accompany boats at dusk. Casting ashes into Gulf waters at sunset turns the farewell into a radiant, living tribute.
Tip: Notify the EPA for sea scatterings.
Trick: Bring a biodegradable wreath as a marker for the moment.
➡️ Discover our Pensacola Dolphin Sunset Scattering.
🌿 See Available National Park Ash Scattering→
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Zion National Park
🪨 Method: Trenching among red rock vistas
The towering sandstone cliffs of Zion call for a grounded ritual. Trenching — creating a shallow groove in the earth, placing the ashes, and covering them — allows them to become part of the canyon floor.
Tip: Choose soft desert soil away from trails.
Trick: Time your visit for autumn when crowds thin and colors deepen.
➡️ Explore our Zion Scattering.
🌿 See Available National Park Ash Scattering→
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Olympic National Park
🌲 Method: Walking stick scattering through rainforest trails
Mossy trails, fog-draped pines, and waterfalls make Olympic ideal for scattering gradually while walking. Each release becomes part of the forest’s mist and renewal.
Tip: Follow Leave No Trace principles.
Trick: Visit in spring when the waterfalls are strongest.
➡️ Learn about our Olympic Rainforest Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes at the Monarch Migration
🦋 Method: Casting into the wind
During the monarch migration, scattering ashes into the breeze allows them to rise and swirl like the butterflies themselves — a moment of pure transformation.
Tip: Schedule your tribute during peak migration.
Trick: Stand in an open field for the most graceful release.
➡️ Honor a life at the Monarch Migration.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in the Tetons
⛰️ Method: Casting at a mountain overlook
Few places feel as eternal as the Tetons. Casting ashes at a scenic overlook allows the wind to carry them into the alpine valleys below.
Tip: Sunrise reveals the Tetons at their most dramatic.
Trick: Pair the scattering with a reading of a favorite poem.
➡️ Explore our Tetons Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes on Mount Rainier
🌼 Method: Trenching among wildflower meadows
In summer, Rainier’s meadows bloom with endless color. Trenching here allows ashes to join the soil that nourishes the next season’s blossoms.
Tip: Visit during wildflower peak in July–August.
Trick: Carry a journal and write as you scatter, weaving memory into words.
➡️ Learn about our Mount Rainier Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes at Devil’s Tower
🌌 Method: Casting into the wind from sacred distances
This monolith carries spiritual resonance. Casting ashes into the surrounding breeze honors its grandeur respectfully.
Tip: Keep distance from climbing areas and sacred prayer sites.
Trick: Twilight skies make the Tower glow in tribute.
➡️ Learn about our Devil’s Tower Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes at Puget Sound Bioluminescence
✨ Method: Casting into glowing waters
On certain summer nights, waters in Puget Sound sparkle with light. Casting ashes here feels like releasing memory into starlit tides.
Tip: Aim for warm months and moonless nights.
Trick: Gently scatter near the surface to maximize glow.
➡️ Experience our Bioluminescence Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes on the Whale Trail (Ruby Beach)
🐋 Method: Casting at sea, in view of whales
Few farewells are as moving as watching whales crest while ashes drift to sea.
Tip: Whale sightings peak in summer migrations.
Trick: Pair scattering with a reading that honors the ocean.
➡️ Discover our Whale Trail Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in the Badlands
🏜️ Method: Trenching in desert soil
The Badlands’ layered earth tells stories of time. A shallow trench allows ashes to rest within these ancient formations.
Tip: Visit in spring or fall to avoid extreme heat.
Trick: Choose dawn for dramatic shadows across the land.
➡️ Learn about our Badlands Scattering
Best Way to Scatter Ashes in Rocky Mountain National Park
⛰️ Method: Casting from alpine overlooks
In Rocky Mountain, high overlooks offer sweeping skies where ashes can rise on mountain winds.
Tip: Summer months allow safer access to high elevations.
Trick: Choose evening for alpenglow — peaks painted pink.
➡️ Explore our Rocky Mountain Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes by Hot Air Balloon
🎈 Method: Aerial scattering
From a hot air balloon, ashes drift gently into the breeze, touching fields and horizons unseen.
Tip: Morning flights mean calmer winds.
Trick: Keep cameras ready; the view is unforgettable.
➡️ Discover our Hot Air Balloon Scattering.
Best Way to Scatter Ashes at the Sandhill Crane Migration
🕊️ Method: Casting into the wind amid flocks
When cranes fill the sky, scattering into the same air honors both flight and return.
Tip: Peak migrations happen spring and fall.
Trick: Stand along riverbanks where birds gather at dusk.
➡️ Honor life at the Sandhill Crane Migration.
Closing Reflection
Every scattering method — casting, trenching, walking stick, or aerial — takes on new meaning in the right place. By pairing location with method, families create a farewell that is practical, poetic, and unforgettable.
