Top 5 National Parks for Spreading Your Ashes

If you have selected cremation instead of normal burial then you need to decide whether you want to spread your ashes or have them interred into a memorial garden or grave yard. Personally, I don't like the idea of being buried in a grave yard because it is full of dead people. Who wants their final resting place to be in such a crowded area. I plan on having mine spread in some remote section of a wilderness.

I travel around spending time at various places and one day I will decide on where I will want my final spot to be. Currently, my ashes will be spread along the Appalachian trail. As my travels take me to more and more spots, those instruction are subject to change. You may also want to check out locations. The trips are enjoyable and one may be calling your name. Here are my top 5 National Parks in the US for spread my ashes. When you go into the National Park to spread ashes, be discreet and don't draw attention to yourself.

If you like a rugged area for a final resting place, this is the place for you. Zion National Park has a variety of life zones with unusual plant and animal diversity. It is located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions. Once in the park, there are many trails to select for your final resting place. A good place to start is at the cabin once owned by Gustav Larsen and head north up Horse Ranch Mountain, the highest elevation in the park at 8,726 ft. The adventurous will want to pick the The Zion Narrows. Just walking in the shadow of its soaring walls, sandstone grottos, natural springs, and hanging gardens can be an unforgettable experience to make you want to come back permanently.  If you select the narrows, find an experienced person to do the spreading because you don't want to send an inexperienced hiker walking up that river.

How could you leave out the grand canyon in a list of places to spread your ashes? There isn't anything in the US like that area. You can have your ashes spread in the canyon by aircraft or even spread them out over the Grand Canyon Skywalk. A private aircraft must be chartered because they don't allow spreading of ashes from the tours. Check with the Hualapais Indians first before going to the Skywalk because they don't allow tourist to carry anything out. There are many trails in the park but none of them are easy ones. Try the hermit trail to Santa Maria Springs or Dripping Springs.

Bears, Blueberries, blackberries, wild pigs, and perhaps a hillbilly or two are what I think about with the Smoky Mountain National Park. There are 800 miles of trails to pick from once you get there. I recommend you select the Don't forget if you stay overnight away from a developed campground, you will need a back country permit. Try the Big Cove Road which goes through the Cherokee Indian Reservation on the east side of the park. There are many trails there like the Balsam Mountain Trail and very few people. You can go early in the morning to Clingman's dome and get to the highest point but it may be crowded at other times. Another quiet entrance to the park is through the Cosby campground or Davenport Gap which has access to back country trails for quiet spreading f your ashes.

There are alligators, Burmese pythons, numerous Iguanas, and bugs to keep you company as you canoe or your legs to see the sites of the Everglades National Park. The Hell's bay canoe trail through the mangrove trees. It is 9.5 miles from Flamingo and you will have lots of opportunities to spread your ashes. Once again, be discrete, watch for Alligators, and pick an out of the way place to spread them. If you decide to do the 99 mile long Wilderness Waterway Trail, there are as many places as you care to stop your boat to select for your final resting place. Most of the hiking trails in the park are short so you have to pick a time with sparse traffic or be very discrete. A better place to hike would be the nearby Big Cypress National Preserve.

This is still the frontier located on the Mexican Border in West Texas. You can select from mountains, river and desert. If you are looking for a wonderful sunset while you have your ashes spread, go for the Window View Trail in the Chisos Mountains. For solitude, try the Emory Peak trail but watch that last 25 feet. Finally, for those who want to be a part of the southwestern desert,  you need to hike The Mesa de Anguila but this is for very experienced hikers. It is a place where visitors rarely go and you can rest there all alone. For the ultimate in peace and quiet, you can't find a better place.

There are so many places in the US with spectacular scenery. You just might find it hard to select one, once you see a few of these spots. There are 58 US National Parks so enjoy searching out the one that is perfectly suited to be your final resting place.

Top 5 hiking trails to spread your ashes