Choose a Tree, Not a Tombstone
Spread cremated ashes at your own Memorial Tree in a protected Southern California forest. Celebrate life and return to the earth with our natural, affordable alternative to cemeteries.
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use your information.
A Final Resting Place in the Beauty of the Forest
Instead of a tombstone, a Memorial Tree is a protected place to return ashes to the earth. A custom inscribed Memorial Marker and an intimate in forest ceremony honor life.
Give the ultimate gift - peace of mind
This month only: bundle your memorial marker, ash spreading, and forest memorial with your tree purchase, all in one easy decision.
Memorial Marker - $500 value
Ash Spreading for 1 person
Forest Memorial - $1500 value
A Celebration, Not a Funeral
Choose the natural way to return ashes to the earth
Choose your tree
Explore our protected forests online or in-person and choose your tree with the help of a Guide.
Plan your Forest Memorial
Create a memorial that feels authentic to you. Plan readings, music, and more with the help of our Guides.
Spread your ashes
Ashes are mixed with local soil and returned to the base of your tree, becoming a part of the life of the forest.
Enjoy your forest
You and your loved ones have ongoing access to the forest. Visit as often as you’d like.
Get a fresh perspective on natural end-of-life planning.
CALIFORNIA
Lake Arrowhead
51-acres of ridgetop forest perched on top of the San Bernardino mountains.
Trees start at
$5,900
CALIFORNIA
Yosemite Gateway
172-acres of majestic mountain meadows, just 30 miles from the National Park.
Trees start at
$5,900
“Visiting Mom and Dad’s stone, I always have the sense that their lives were so much bigger than this. The rows of headstones make me reflect on death, and not life.
Better Place Forests is different. It’s a joyous place filled with color and sound. My tree feels just right.”
Pat W.
Berkshires Memorial Forest, Massachusetts
An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Cemeteries
When you choose a Memorial Tree, we plant up to 500 saplings in areas impacted by deforestation of forest fires.
Ashes are mixed with local soil so they can join and support the forest ecosystem.
Unlike traditional cemeteries, we don’t use any harmful substances or embalming chemicals.
Every Memorial Tree Includes
Your choice of tree in a protected forest
Rights to add people and pets in the future
Ongoing access to the forest
Saplings planted in your honor
Your Memorial Tree helps preserve and protect a beautiful forest that your family can visit for generations to come.
Better Place Forests vs. traditional cemeteries
BETTER PLACE FORESTS
$6,900
TRADITIONAL CEMETERY
$9,500
“Having our tree has given me a gift. It’s as if Matt wanted me to have this special place to visit.”
Kim A.
Point Arena Memorial Forest, California
Memorial Trees start at $5,900
Payment Plans are Available
AS LOW AS $122/MONTH
Find Your Forever in the Forest
I am so happy I made the arrangements I did with Better Place Forests . What a lovely way and place for my family to one day remember me.
Sue G.
I have great peace knowing that wherever I travel in this life, the roads will safely return me here to the Lake Arrowhead Forest and my beloved CA. I’ll forever dance on top of the mountain.
Christine G.
What a sense of relief and happiness! To find the perfect resting place for my beloved. I am grateful to Better Place Forests for the opportunity to have this be a living memorial to Lisa.
Chris O.
The process of selecting a tree was deeply spiritual . I am a tree-hugging conservationist and Better Place Forests is exactly what I had in mind for my ashes. We left knowing she will be cared for.
Patricia D.
What I like about Better Place Forests is that since the placing of my family’s ashes, I know of people who have gone to visit a living, vibrant forest.
Lea G.
Thank you so much for everything you and the team have done for my mom, sister and I. You made something so painful into a beautiful, peaceful memory.
Sophia T.
Trees embody vitality and wisdom. I want my ashes mingled with that miraculous joy. When my great granddaughter grows up, she can come to Better Place Forests, hug Tall Red, listen to the forest sing and smile.
Frannielee L.
Redwoods are the strongest tree—they represent a stableness and a security that I feel represents us.
Kathy P. & Joey O.
This is a thoughtful, environmentally smart approach to end-of-life. I appreciate that my children will have a place other than a cemetery to visit.
Francine S.
When I found out that Better Place Forests has a site just outside Yosemite, I knew it was perfect for us. Every time we visit, we are struck by the peace and serenity.
Rose S.
Better Place Forests is the perfect place for us. The idea of being out in nature under our tree gives us such a feeling of peace.
Joy B.
The forest helps ease grief. When I found my tree, it felt as if I was found. My name is now forever associated with the forest.
Silvana B.
It brings me peace to know you’ll be there with the wildlife you love and your feet and the sun shining down on you every day to give you strength and comfort.
Dustin P.
I think having a tree, having a place out in nature is so different. Instead of showing my son a plot in a cemetery I can show him a tree. It’s a chance to teach him about renewal and that life carries on.
Sarah B.
For years I worried about where my final resting place would be. I don't like graveyards. I love the beauty and sounds and smells of nature. I didn't want to end up polluting the earth or ocean.
Diane M
Mother Teresa said, "Peace begins with a smile." My wild black cherry tree in the Rock River Forest brings a smile and a sense of peace, instead of angst.
Judith L.
It's our hope that those we leave behind will find peace, comfort, and a place to cherish good memories at our tree overlooking the Rock River.
Nancy B.
I had been looking for the right place for my husband's ashes for 5 years when I learned about Better Place Forests.
Julie S.
Better Place Forests was an easy choice for us. The concept resonates within my soul.
Mary S.
We both have spent hours walking in different forests, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds. Woodlands are a place of restoration for us.
Laura D.
Picking out a tree, a symbol of family and strength, felt right. My parent's tree is more than a place to visit, it’s a symbolic reminder of our connection.
Michelle C.
Doug’s memorial was as he would have wanted it. It will be so much easier to remember the joys and happy times when we visit a living forest.
Mary T.
I can't imagine anyone who feels the way I feel about their animals wouldn't want to make the same arrangements.
Diane B.
I have spent many days walking in the forest. When you listen to the birds, the wind, the rustling of leaves… it’s a monumental, picturesque experience.
Dwight and Renate B.
My experience with Better Place Forests over all during what has been a difficult emotional time for me and my family has been a real lift for me.
Lynn T.
We love our forest and our tree!
Ann B.
There’s something very magical about picking out your tree and knowing that you’ll become a part of that ecosystem. In a way, you’ll live on in the future.
Susan K,
Return to the earth and become a part of the greater forest ecosystem. Talk to a Guide to learn more.
“The fact that I have a sacred forest to return to (which represents one of mom’s dear desires) is a special gift.
Her Forest Memorial will live inside me as a cherished memory. Thank you dearly, Better Place Forests Team.”
David J.
Point Arena Memorial Forest, California
Explore available trees with a Guide
Find the tree that speaks to you by exploring trees online or in-forest
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use your information.
What came as a wonderful surprise is the reverence the staff added to our Forest Memorial. They guided us through returning our loved one to the earth .
Chris B. Lake Arrowhead Forest, Califorina