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The Wilds burial area

Burial Ground

Welcome to Great River

We would like to extend a warm greeting and express our gratitude for considering Great River Natural Burial as a final resting place for yourself or your loved ones. We understand that choosing a final resting place is a deeply personal choice, and it is our privilege to have the opportunity to share with you the meaningful experience of natural burial.

Immediate Need?
Planning Ahead?
hand holding wildflower bouquet in meadow

Great River, where the circle of life is celebrated

Honoring Life While Keeping Nature Unchanged

Unlike conventional or hybrid cemeteries, we only offer natural burials at Great River Natural Burial and follow Green Burial Council guidelines. Burial here provides a way to honor a loved one’s life in a more sustainable and meaningful way, without toxic chemicals and needless concrete and metal, preserving the natural beauty of the earth, without pesticides, wasteful irrigation, or fossil fuels for landscape maintenance.

When our cemetery is fully populated, it will remain as it is now—an undeveloped natural habitat, unchanged by the burials except for the nourishment provided by those laid to rest, offering their final act of environmental kindness to the land.

A Serene Resting Place in the Heart of Nature

Nestled just outside of the small town of Mosier, Oregon in the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge, our dedicated 20-acre natural burial cemetery, with 6.5 acres dedicated to burial plots, is part of the 150-acre Great River site. The cemetery is easily accessible via a paved, private road from the main entrance gate.

The cemetery burial areas are interwoven with hiking trails and have majestic mountain views of Hood, Adams, Defiance, and the Simcoe range. The panorama extends to the Columbia River, the Mosier Creek Valley, and encompasses forests, sprawling orchards, and vineyards.

The natural beauty, tranquility, hiking trails and places to picnic make it a place people want to visit, not just in times of sorrow, but also to return to in moments of reflection and celebration, embracing life-affirming activities at every point in the circle of life.

Natural Burial Ground Layout

We have three burial sections, Mountain View Meadow, Twin Meadows, and the Wilds, and an in-ground scattering meadow. The burial grounds, scattering meadow, and memorial areas are interwoven among meadows of wildflowers, forests of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir and Oak Savannah.

Our plot size is 10′ x 13′, which is over four times larger than the average 3’ x 8’ plots in conventional and hybrid cemeteries. With a burial density of under 340 plots per acre, compared to the 1,000 to 1,500 plots per acre in conventional and hybrid cemeteries, our approach promotes ecological balance and sustainability. This layout also ensures dignity for those interred and serenity and privacy for those visiting.

Flexible and Eco-Friendly Burial Options

We offer pre-need and at-need burial packages, and our offerings accommodate both whole body burials and the burial of remains from cremation, natural organic reduction (composting), and alkaline hydrolysis. Our full-size plots permit second and third interment rights, allowing for a whole-body burial and up to two additional cremains burials, or up to four cremains-only burials in the plot. Additionally, we offer quarter-size plots for single cremains burials. For those who prefer scattering, our scattering meadow offers in-ground communal scattering.

Consider Making a Donation

Great River Natural Burial has established a fund to assist those who cannot afford natural burial and to support the work of building facilities such as restrooms and an ADA-compliant trail.

Support the Natural Burial Ground

We are Forever

Great River Natural Burial provides a permanent record of a life lived, keeping it alive in a setting people truly enjoy visiting

We are committed to the long-term care and accessibility of our cemetery. As a permanently dedicated cemetery, we ensure that the land will be used exclusively as a cemetery in perpetuity, protected against future development forever.

Through our irreducible and irrevocable endowment care trust fund, regulated by the state, we ensure the care and maintenance of the cemetery. This commitment preserves the integrity of the cemetery, the memories of those interred, and the natural beauty of the grounds for generations to come.

blue sky and clouds through tree tops

Immediate Need

Call Great River Natural Burial at (541) 490-6001

If a death has occurred, we are here to support you and are committed to providing personalized care, attention to detail, and a deeply compassionate approach throughout your journey with us. For immediate assistance call Great River Natural Burial at (541) 490-6001 and our staff will walk you through the planning process.

There are 2 immediate steps to take following a death:

  1. Certify the death  if it has occurred at home by calling the local sheriff, hospice, or physician.
  2. Contact Great River Natural Burial  and we can create a plan together and coordinate the transportation and safe keeping of your loved one.

If death has occurred outside the area, contact the out-of-area funeral home resource to arrange transportation and temporary safekeeping of your loved one until Great River can coordinate transportation and local safekeeping until time of burial.

Final thoughts – saying goodbye

Should you wish for a moment with the body of your loved one, know that this request is both normal and entirely acceptable. Dealing with loss can be overwhelming, and spending time with the deceased can be an integral part of your healing journey. Healing is a deeply personal process, there is no singular “right way” to navigate it, everyone’s path to finding peace and acceptance is unique.

Do you have
an immediate need?

For immediate assistance, call us at (541) 490-6001 and our staff will walk you through the planning process.

Call 541-490-6001

Planning Ahead

Planning for the end of life in advance offers numerous benefits, both for the individual and their loved ones. These include:

  • Peace of mind
  • Personal autonomy
  • Easing burdens on loved ones
  • Ensuring desired care and treatment
  • Financial considerations

Moreover, pre-planning can lead to significant savings by avoiding the surcharges and additional fees often associated with at-need burial arrangements.

At Great River Natural Burial, we are dedicated to providing personalized care, attention to detail, and a deeply compassionate approach throughout your journey with us. Begin by exploring the information on our website to learn more about natural burial, then schedule a planning session with us. During this meeting, we will:

  • Discuss natural burial options tailored to your preferences
  • Explore your choices and end-of-life wishes
  • Select your burial plot(s)
  • Provide a planning guide to help you document your burial wishes and communicate them to your loved ones

Plan ahead
for peace of mind.

To schedule a planning session, use our contact form and we’ll get right back to you.

Schedule Planning Session