Can You Legally Scatter Cremated Ashes in the Grand Canyon?

My friend Jon loves the Grand Canyon so much that he makes a pilgrimage to Arizona's most famous National Park every few years or so. He once waxed sentimental about having his ashes scattered there, which started a lively debate about whether it's even legal.

Can You Scatter a Loved One's Ashes in an Arizona National Park?

The Living Urn website explains that if you've been asked to scatter someone's ashes across the Arizona desert or over a red-rock mesa, there's good news. Arizona doesn't have many restrictions on returning cremains to the earth, and there are no state laws specifically restricting the practice.

You're free to scatter remains on your own property, but if your loved one wants to be left on private property, it naturally makes sense to get the owner's permission first.

Most public lands allow the practice, too, but be sure to check the rules first since some local rules may forbid it.

What about Arizona's beautiful national parks? Every national park has its own regulations, so there may be certain rules to follow, or it may be prohibited altogether. In some cases, it might be as easy as getting a permit first, but be sure to check before you make the pilgrimage for a last goodbye.

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Can You Scatter Cremains at the Grand Canyon?

So, what about my friend Jon and the Grand Canyon? Will he be able to have his final wish fulfilled and have his remains scattered across the beautiful canyon walls?

Unfortunately, no. Jon's ashes will not be scattered across the Grand Canyon or anywhere in the park. He's going to have to figure out a new plan.

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Scattering cremains in the Grand Canyon is not legal.  The Navajo-Hopi Observer reports that the National Park Service (NPS) issued a federal regulation code that prohibits the scattering of human ashes from cremation at Grand Canyon National Park. 

It's prohibited across the entire Grand Canyon region out of respect for the eleven traditionally associated tribes who have inhabited the area for thousands of years. The practice was also restricted to preserve the environment and the area's history.

If you keep your memorial respectful and do a bit of homework, there are many ways to make a final tribute to your loved ones as epic as the Arizona landscapes, just not at the Grand Canyon.