Find a Memorial Forest
Choose from 9 protected forests, each with its own character and beauty.
A choice that honors both life and nature
Memorial Forests offer something traditional cemeteries don’t—a living sanctuary protected forever.
Each purchase funds a Stewardship Trust that preserves the forest forever.
Unlike scattering ashes, you have a recorded location to visit in perpetuity.
Your memorial changes with the seasons, reflecting the cycle of life.
Nature cares for your memorial—no upkeep fees or ongoing expenses.
Protect a thriving ecosystem while creating a meaningful memorial.
Create ceremonies and markers that reflect your family’s values.
Two ways to create a living memorial
Memorial Tree
- Multiple people & pets at one tree
- You choose tree & location
- Add a personalized Guide-led ceremony
- Add customized Memorial Marker
Your tree. Your forest. Your choices.
Starting at $6,200 • View Pricing
Bundle with cremation • Save $1,000
Spreading Grove
- Honors one life in a shared grove
- Location chosen for you
- Simple self-led memorial ceremony
- Includes small, simple marker
A grove. A forest. A place to rest.
Starting at $2,250 • View Pricing
Bundle with cremation • Save $1,000
Nature Memorial Ceremony
A personalized ceremony with loved ones to return ashes to the earth.
Memorial Marker
A customized bronze marker placed at a tree or grove to honor a life.
9 Memorial Forests across America
Each location offers the same promise: permanent protection, professional stewardship, and a natural sanctuary where families can return for generations.
Compare Options
Compare Memorial Forests
Memorial Forests honor life differently than traditional burial, natural burial and green burial while offering practical advantages. They create something traditional memorials don’t: a living memorial.
| Memorial Trees | Traditional Cemeteries | Holding Ashes | Scattering Ashes | Green Burial or Natural Burial | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Private tree in protected forest | Cemetery plot | Home storage | Dispersed in nature (if permitted) | Natural burial ground |
| Honors | Multiple people & pets at one tree | Individual plot | No | No individual designation | Individual plot |
| Legal Status | All permissions included | Permitted with purchase | Not applicable | Often illegal without permits | Permitted at certified sites |
| Setting | Living, growing memorial | Maintained grounds | Kept at home | Limited legal sites | Natural landscape |
| Marker | Customizable bronze marker | Tombstone | None | No individual designation | None |
| Visits | Perpetual access rights | Fixed cemetery hours | Not applicable | Nothing to return to | Site-dependent |
| Maintenance | Self-sustaining ecosystem | Required perpetual upkeep | None | None | Site-dependent stewardship |
| Feeling | Alive, growing, changing | Static, formal | Waiting, temporary | Released but uncertain | Returned but unmarked |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
What families say
“After draining experiences with funeral homes, this is the alternative we needed—I never felt rushed or pressured. The Memorial Forest was uplifting and alive—nothing like a cemetery.”
RESOURCES
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See the two ways families honor a life.
Questions?
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What is a Memorial Forest?
A Memorial Forest is a protected natural area designed as an alternative to a traditional cemetery where cremated ashes are returned to the earth at the base of a chosen, established tree or in dedicated groves.
We’ve pioneered this concept, providing a secure place for families to honor loved ones with a personalized Nature Memorial Ceremony and a Memorial Marker, while also supporting forest stewardship.
How are Memorial Forests protected?
Every forest is legally conserved in perpetuity. Each family receives an irrevocable license—recorded with local government—granting permanent rights to access their Memorial Tree or Spreading Grove and spread ashes. Any future owner is legally obligated to honor those rights. Professional stewards maintain the trails and ecosystem, funded by a dedicated conservation trust that never expires.
How is this different from scattering ashes?
Traditional scattering offers no permanent location and is often illegal in parks and public lands. Memorial Forests provide an exact spot that’s legally yours to visit forever, with all permissions handled and memorial markers allowed.
How is this different from a cemetery?
Cemeteries feature manicured lawns, uniform tombstones, and require ongoing landscaping. Memorial Forests are natural, wild spaces where your memorial becomes part of the living, protected forest.
Is this the same as green burial?
No. Green burial involves full-body burial without embalming, typically in biodegradable caskets. Memorial Forests specifically use cremation, with ashes scattered to nourish the forest ecosystem within conservation-protected land.
Can pets be included?
Yes. Beloved family pets (and loved ones) may be included at your Memorial Tree with a pet spreading and pet tribute ceremony.
Can I visit a Memorial Forest?
Absolutely. Your family receives perpetual access rights to visit anytime. We encourage exploring the Memorial Forest before choosing. Schedule an in-forest or online tour to experience the peace and beauty firsthand.
Can you plant a tree in memory with Better Place?
With Better Place, you can spread ashes in a dedicated Spreading Grove within a protected forest, or choose a specific Memorial Tree for a more personal tribute.
Does Better Place offer spreading ashes in national forest locations?
Better Place offers ash spreading in nine protected forest locations throughout the US.
West Coast
Point Arena Memorial Forest – A thriving coastal redwood ecosystem
Santa Cruz Memorial Forest – A redwood forest nestled in the mountains
Yosemite Gateway Memorial Forest – A mountain meadow ecosystem just 30 miles from the National Park
Lake Arrowhead Memorial Forest – A ridge top evergreen forest in the San Bernardino Mountains
Southwest
Flagstaff Memorial Forest – A forest oasis just one hour from Sedona
Midwest
Rock River Memorial Forest – A thriving riverfront forest
St. Croix Valley Memorial Forest – A lakefront forest just 45 minutes from the Twin Cities
Northeast
Berkshires Memorial Forest – A ridgetop forest in iconic Berkshire County
Litchfield Hills Memorial Forest – A quintessential New England forest
Where can you spread human ashes?
With Better Place, you can spread human ashes in a dedicated spot within a shared Spreading Grove in a protected forest. Or choose a private Memorial Tree that can be shared with multiple people and pets.
Does Better Place have actual burial sites in national forests?
No. Better Place offers ash spreading in its Spreading Groves and at Memorial Trees in its nine protected forest locations throughout the US.
