Where to Scatter Ashes in the U.S.
A Guide to Meaningful Memorial Destinations & How to Honor Your Loved One with Beauty and Care
What to Expect During a Scattering Ceremony
Whether you’re planning a private, family-led ceremony or using a service like BONAVENTURE, here’s what a scattering might include:
✨ Before the Ceremony
Select a date that’s seasonally safe and beautiful.
Review all required permits and permissions.
Consider writing a short tribute or reading to say at the site.
Bring biodegradable flowers, if desired—though many locations now prohibit artificial petals or plastic tributes.
🌿 During the Ceremony
Choose a quiet, respectful time (sunrise and sunset are especially meaningful).
Scatter slowly, letting the wind guide the remains.
Speak from the heart, or sit silently
If you're near water, scatter downwind and close to the surface to avoid blowback.
🕯️ Tip: Many families find comfort in filming a short video or taking a photograph of the setting as a keepsake, especially if other loved ones couldn’t attend.
📝 After the Ceremony
Log the date, location, and experience in a memorial journal or family group.
If you used a professional service, you’ll often receive a Custom Plaque and GPS-coordinates to mark the spot.
Best Places to Scatter Ashes in the U.S.
Each of the following destinations has been selected not only for its natural beauty but for its emotional resonance—a final resting place that feels like a gift.
Best Scattering Location in the U.S. for Nature Lovers: 🌋 Hawaii – Eternal Light, Endless Ocean
For those who loved the sea, the spirit of aloha, or dreamt of island skies, scattering ashes in Hawaii offers a luminous farewell. Our ceremonies take place at dawn or sunset, when the Pacific glows in hues of gold and blue, and the breeze carries more than just salt — it carries memory.
Why It’s Meaningful:
In Native Hawaiian culture, the ocean is a pathway between worlds — the realm of the living and the place of spirits. Scattering ashes here is a gentle, sacred offering for the free-spirited, the barefoot wanderer, or the one who felt most alive near water.
Helpful Scattering Tips for Hawaii:
Permits: Hawaii does not require a specific permit for ocean scattering if performed at least 3 nautical miles offshore, per EPA guidelines. Shoreline scatterings may require state or private land permission.
Timing: Opt for spring or early fall for milder seas and fewer crowds. Dawn and dusk offer the most serene atmosphere.
Weather & Travel: Be mindful of trade winds, which can shift suddenly. Pack lightweight clothing and reef-safe sunscreen if attending in person.
Can't Travel? BONAVENTURE offers unaccompanied scatterings with geographic documentation, so your loved one’s memory can be honored, even if you can’t make the journey.
Best Location in the United States for Ash Scattering: Yellowstone National Park – Fire, Earth, and Forever
The most iconic location in the United States for ash scattering has to be Yellowstone is where the earth breathes. Geysers erupt skyward. Bison roam valleys unchanged for millennia. To scatter ashes here is to place someone back into the elemental power of time itself — fire, water, stone, and sky.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Perfect for nature lovers, geologists, or those who found transcendence in wide open spaces. Yellowstone represents both transformation and permanence — a final resting place among the timeless.
Helpful Scattering Tips for Yellowstone:
Permits: A free permit from the National Park Service is required. Apply here →
Best Sites: Meadows near the Lamar Valley or high overlooks near Yellowstone Lake offer breathtaking, accessible spots.
Respect the Rules: Ashes must be scattered at least 100 yards from roads, buildings, parking lots, and water sources. Avoid geyser basins to protect fragile geothermal features.
Seasonal Access: Summer and early fall are best. Snow often lingers into May and returns by October.
For Remote Tributes: Our BONAVENTURE team ensures your loved one’s ashes are scattered in full accordance with park guidelines, with deep reverence and documentation.
Alternative to Travel: If you’re unable to attend, BONAVENTURE’s unaccompanied Gulf Coast scatterings include plaques with a scene from the scattering and gps documentation so you can hold the moment in your heart — even from afar.
🏜️ Zion National Park – Cathedral of Red Stone
Book Now →
Zion’s majestic cliffs rise with a beauty that silences viewers. Scattering ashes here offers a ceremony of stillness and scale—where nature speaks in stone and awe-filed-silence.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Perfect for those who found grounding, strength, and clarity in nature. Zion offers a peaceful, and strikingly beautiful farewell.
Scattering Tips:
Permits are required through the National Park Service. BONAVENTURE handles this on your behalf.
Choose early morning or dusk to avoid extreme heat and to honor your loved one in golden light.
Stick to designated trails—ashes must be scattered away from water sources and without altering the landscape.
BONAVENTURE’s team uses discreet tools like scattering sticks or hand-casting in permitted areas.
🌲 Olympic National Forest – Rainforest Requiem
Book Now →
Within Washington’s moss-draped trees and quiet fog, your loved one becomes part of a living symphony of rain, wood, and light.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Ideal for the introvert, the hiker, or anyone who found beauty in silence and stillness. The Olympic rainforest feels timeless and healing.
Scattering Tips:
No formal permit is required for many U.S. Forest Service lands, but BONAVENTURE confirms permissions case by case.
Plan for wet weather—pack rain gear or let our team handle it for you remotely.
Ashes must be scattered at least 100 feet from trails or water and not concentrated in one spot.
The mossy forest floor absorbs ash gently—this is one of the most eco-conscious environments for a return to nature.
🦋 Monarch Migration (Seasonal) – Wings of Legacy
Book Now →
Timed with the breathtaking annual monarch migration, this scattering allows your loved one to be part of a fleeting miracle—millions of butterflies taking flight on their journey south.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A poetic tribute for those who believed in signs, cycles, and the beauty of transformation. Especially powerful for those who loved nature, gardens, or spiritual symbols.
Scattering Tips:
These are seasonal ceremonies—typically late summer to early fall, depending on migration timing.
Conducted in open meadows where monarchs gather, ensuring no harm to the habitat.
BONAVENTURE offers unaccompanied scattering during peak migration, with location details sent to the family.
These spots are often near conservation areas—scattering is done with approval and care to avoid disrupting local flora.
🏔️ Teton Mountains – High Country Farewell
Book Now →
The Tetons rise like stone spires against the sky—sharp, wild, and unyielding. Ash scatterings here feel cinematic: a final chapter written across alpine air and endless views.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Perfect for adventurers, mountaineers, or anyone who found peace in wide skies and mountain solitude. The Tetons hold space for bold lives and quiet endings alike.
Scattering Tips:
Permits are required within Grand Teton National Park. BONAVENTURE secures these for all ceremonies.
Weather can change quickly—summer offers the best accessibility, especially for remote ridgelines or overlooks.
Ashes must be scattered away from trailheads, water, and visitor centers—we guide you to protected, respectful spots.
This region sits at altitude; families unaccustomed to elevation may prefer BONAVENTURE’s unaccompanied scattering, with exact coordinates shared afterward.
🌌 Mount Rainier – Rest Among the Stars
Book Now →
Rainier looms like a sleeping giant—snowcapped and mythic. BONAVENTURE’s nighttime scatterings here are luminous and reverent, timed with stargazing skies or meteor showers when possible.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A sacred send-off for dreamers, stargazers, and climbers who felt drawn to high places. It’s a return to the heavens, under one of the darkest skies in the Pacific Northwest.
Scattering Tips:
Ash scattering on Rainier requires a special use permit—BONAVENTURE handles all logistics and ensures full compliance.
Our ceremonies are often conducted at twilight or under stars for symbolic resonance.
We use discreet hand-casting or custom scattering wands to ensure ashes disperse gently without environmental harm.
Due to variable snowpack, we monitor trail access closely—unaccompanied scatterings are often the most flexible and respectful option.
Bioluminescent Waters of Puget Sound – Nightfall Glow
Book Now →
This one-of-a-kind nighttime scattering takes place under moonlight in bioluminescent waters, where each ripple becomes illuminated by glowing marine plankton.
Why It’s Meaningful:
Perfect for those who marveled at the ocean’s mysteries or found beauty in the unexpected. A farewell that feels like magic.
Scattering Tips:
Bioluminescence peaks in summer (typically July through early September) in select coves around Puget Sound. BONAVENTURE selects timing based on brightness forecasts.
This is a boat-based scattering conducted after dark—families may join by arrangement, though most prefer the intimate, filmed version we provide.
The water must be calm and warm to trigger glow. We ensure the right tidal and light conditions before scheduling.
All scatterings are done in accordance with EPA Ocean Rules
🐋 Ruby Beach Whale Trail – Where Ocean Giants Roam
Book Now →
The rugged shoreline of Ruby Beach is more than beautiful—it’s part of the Whale Trail, where orcas and gray whales migrate with the seasons. Here, scattering ashes means joining the eternal rhythm of the tides, the kelp forests, and the song of the sea.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A deeply resonant choice for conservationists, ocean lovers, and those who felt at peace by the water’s edge.
Scattering Tips:
Tide matters. Low tide offers more accessible shoreline paths, while high tide creates dramatic surf.
Permits: This area is part of Olympic National Park; a special use permit is generally required. Apply here.
Best Season: Whale sightings are more common in spring and fall, adding symbolic beauty to a scattering.
Privacy: Choose early morning for a quiet moment. BONAVENTURE handles all permitting and logistics for you.
🏜️ Badlands – Sacred Sky Country
Book Now →
Cracked earth, layered stone, and endless sky—the Badlands feel like another world. To scatter ashes here is to return to something raw and cosmic, where every gust of wind carries history.
Why It’s Meaningful:
For spiritual seekers, wanderers, and those who embraced life’s mysteries.
Scattering Tips:
Choose a sunrise or sunset ceremony. The Badlands are most surreal in soft light.
Be mindful of wildlife. This is bison and prairie dog territory—BONAVENTURE selects peaceful, non-disruptive sites.
Dry Scattering: Due to the terrain, casting ashes by hand is often ideal.
Permit Required: The National Park Service requires advance approval. We take care of this on your behalf.
🏔️ Rocky Mountain National Park – Alpine Farewell
Book Now →
With blue alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and snow-dusted peaks, scattering ashes in Rocky Mountain National Park feels like releasing them into the breath of the earth.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A perfect tribute for Colorado lovers, hikers, or anyone who found their peace in thin mountain air.
Scattering Tips:
Altitude adjustment: Let yourself acclimate if you attend in person; our team is trained for high-altitude operations.
Permits & Access: BONAVENTURE ensures all park guidelines are followed—this is a protected space.
Fall foliage and summer wildflowers are especially meaningful times to scatter here.
Ash Container: Use a biodegradable urn or scattering tube to reduce impact on fragile mountain soil.
🎈 Hot Air Balloon Scattering – Drift Into the Sky
Book Now →
Lift off into the quiet of the clouds. This elevated farewell begins in a hot air balloon over open countryside. At a peaceful altitude, we scatter the ashes into the wind—a moment of weightless beauty.
Why It’s Meaningful:
For dreamers, romantics, or those who always looked up when they thought about “what’s next.”
Scattering Tips:
Availability: Weather permitting, most flights occur at sunrise or sunset.
Location: BONAVENTURE’s launch sites are in the quiet Midwest—private, serene, and sky-filled.
Witnessing Options: You may choose to watch from below, or simply receive a video and ceremonial log.
Ash Release: Ashes are released at altitude, allowing the wind to carry them for miles in every direction.
🐦 Sandhill Crane Migration – Sky Full of Wings
Book Now →
Each spring and fall, thousands of Sandhill Cranes fill the sky above America’s central plains—trumpeting, soaring, dancing on thermals. BONAVENTURE coordinates ash scatterings to coincide with this natural marvel, honoring a life in motion.
Why It’s Meaningful:
A poetic sendoff for bird lovers, migration-followers, and those who understood the beauty of returning and letting go.
Scattering Tips:
Seasonal Only: This is a limited-time offering—typically late March to early April or mid-October.
Locations: We scatter near protected crane sanctuaries to ensure harmony with wildlife.
Bring Binoculars: If attending in person, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience.
Scattering Timing: Our ceremonies align with peak flyover hours—usually just after sunrise or before dusk.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ash Scattering in Natural Destinations
What are the legal requirements for scattering ashes in National Parks?
Scattering ashes in National Parks requires permits from the National Park Service. BONAVENTURE handles all permitting to ensure full compliance with regulations.
Can I scatter ashes in any National Park or protected area?
Each park has its own rules and designated areas for scattering. BONAVENTURE works closely with parks to identify approved sites and guide the ceremony accordingly.
How do I safely ship ashes for scattering?
The safest way is to use the USPS Cremated Remains Shipping Kit, which meets all regulatory standards for mailing cremated remains. BONAVENTURE provides detailed shipping instructions and coordinates receipt.
What should I expect during a scattering ceremony?
Ceremonies are conducted with respect and care, often including hand-casting ashes or scattering wands. Timing, location, and any personal touches are coordinated to honor your loved one.
Are there seasonal considerations for scattering at natural events like migrations?
Yes, seasonal events like monarch butterfly or sandhill crane migrations have specific timing. Booking in advance ensures participation during these special periods.
Is it better to scatter ashes in a natural area or a cemetery?
This is a personal choice. Scattering in nature connects your loved one with the elements and places they loved, creating a living memorial.
What environmental guidelines are followed during scattering?
BONAVENTURE follows strict guidelines to protect ecosystems, including scattering small amounts, avoiding water contamination, and respecting wildlife habitats.
What weather considerations should I keep in mind for outdoor scattering ceremonies?
Weather affects accessibility and comfort, especially in mountainous or coastal locations. BONAVENTURE monitors conditions and schedules ceremonies accordingly.
How far in advance should I book an ash scattering ceremony?
Booking several weeks ahead is recommended to secure permits, arrange logistics, and coordinate preferred dates.
What happens if scattering isn’t possible due to weather or park restrictions?
If conditions prevent scattering on the planned date, BONAVENTURE will reschedule or suggest alternative nearby sites to maintain your ceremony’s integrity.
How does BONAVENTURE protect privacy during scattering ceremonies?
Privacy is respected by choosing secluded spots. For unaccompanied scatterings, private GPS locations are securely provided to families.
Can I combine ash scattering with traditional memorial services?
Absolutely. Scattering ceremonies can be part of a broader memorial plan, complementing traditional funerals or gatherings.
Are biodegradable urns or containers recommended?
Yes, biodegradable containers reduce environmental impact and are often required by parks. BONAVENTURE can provide or recommend suitable options.
What should I do if I want to scatter ashes at multiple locations?
BONAVENTURE offers multi-location packages, such as the America the Beautiful Package, allowing you to honor your loved one in several meaningful places.
