Your Questions,
Answered with Care.
We understand this is one of the most meaningful decisions you will ever make. Here you will find honest, plain-language answers to everything families ask us — from permits and process to personal wishes and timing.
Everything You Need to Know
Before You Decide
Browse by category or read through everything. If your question isn't here, we're always just a phone call away.
Unaccompanied ash scattering is a service where your family designates Bonaventure as your personal representative to respectfully scatter your loved one's ashes in a chosen natural setting, carrying out every detail on your behalf.
You are not present at the scattering itself, but you receive photographs, GPS coordinates, and a full record of the ceremony. Many families find this approach brings deep peace: your loved one is in the care of people who truly love these places and treat every ceremony as a sacred privilege.
Our service is designed specifically for unaccompanied scattering: your designated representative carries out the ceremony on your behalf. Family members are not present during the event itself.
However, we provide professional photographs and exact GPS coordinates so families who wish to visit the site later can do so in their own time. Many find a quiet personal visit to be deeply meaningful.
Every step is handled personally by our small, dedicated team: never subcontracted. Upon arrival, your loved one's ashes are assigned a unique tracking ID and remain under our continuous, personal care until the ceremony is complete.
Our team brings nearly a century of combined public lands experience and we treat every ceremony with the reverence it deserves. This is not just a service to us. It is a profound privilege.
Never. There is no timeline on love, and there is no timeline on this decision. Many of the families we serve have waited years, until the timing and setting felt truly right.
Nature welcomes your loved one home at any moment. When you are ready, we are ready.
Currently, we specialize in U.S.-based locations across America's National Parks and public lands. If you have an international site in mind, please reach out and we'll discuss what might be possible.
If you have a specific location or meaningful date in mind, please reach out through our contact page or email us at contact@destinationspreading.com. We will work sincerely to accommodate your wishes.
We offer carefully selected destinations across America's most beautiful National Parks. Browse our destinations page to explore each location, or call us and we'll help guide you personally.
The National Parks change dramatically with the seasons. We schedule ceremonies to align with conditions that best honor each destination: the wildflower bloom in the high country, golden morning light over Zion's canyon walls, the quiet solitude of the Smokies before summer crowds arrive.
Yes, absolutely. Many families include a short reading, a poem, a prayer, a quote, or words written from the heart. Send it to us in writing and your designated representative will respectfully speak those words aloud at the moment of scattering.
Absolutely. Many families keep a portion for a personal ceremony or keepsake. Simply ship us the portion you would like us to scatter, and keep the rest for whatever feels right.
After you select a destination and purchase, we guide you step by step through shipping. Once received, your designated representative manages all logistics: transportation, regulatory compliance, the respectful ceremony, any requested readings, professional photography, and GPS documentation, all compiled and returned to you as a lasting keepsake record.
Your loved one's ashes are transported exclusively by our own trained team: never a third-party courier once in our care. Each set is assigned a unique tracking ID and remains under our continuous personal custody until the ceremony is complete.
After purchasing, we send you our complete step-by-step shipping guide. The simplest method is the free USPS Cremated Remains Kit. Simply package and ship the ashes to us and your designated representative carries out everything from there.
Many families have their funeral home ship directly to us. Funeral directors are very familiar with USPS cremains shipping and are happy to assist.
To preserve the integrity of these protected lands, we are not able to scatter or leave personal items at the scattering site. However, personal messages, readings, and spoken words are always welcome as part of the ceremony.
Yes, and complying with them fully is one of the most important things we do. Ash scattering in National Parks requires authorization from the park. We guide your family through securing any required permissions in your name, and your designated representative carries out the ceremony in full compliance with all applicable federal land regulations.
Our team includes former National Park Rangers and conservation specialists with expertise in environmental compliance, soil science, aquatic systems, and park regulations.
Yes. We use biodegradable scattering techniques and follow strict protocols to prevent disruption to these protected ecosystems. Our team consults with specialists in soil science, aquatic ecology, and archaeological impact.
With every service, Bonaventure donates to the USDA Forest Service Plant-A-Tree Program, planting native seedlings in the national forest nearest your loved one's scattering location. Real trees, planted by hand by Forest Service crews, taking root in the same wild landscape.
None. All associated costs are included in the service price. There are no hidden charges or surprise fees. What you see on our destinations page is what you pay.
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There is no question too small, and no moment too soon or too late to reach out. Our family is here to help yours, with patience, honesty, and care.
