Learn · Burial grounds
Where a green burial can happen in Colorado.
Not every cemetery allows a green burial, and the ones that do allow different things. Here is what we know about the burial grounds near us, what each one permits, and how to tell whether any cemetery your family has in mind can hold the burial you are picturing.
We work with all of them, and with cemeteries that are not on this list at all. Where your person rests is your family’s choice, not ours.
What makes a burial ground green-burial-friendly
It comes down to three permissions. A burial ground can hold a green burial if it does not require a concrete vault or grave liner, accepts a biodegradable casket or a shroud, and does not require embalming. Those are the same three standards the Green Burial Council holds burial grounds to.
One honest caveat, because families are often surprised by it: most burial grounds ask for a rigid board or carrier beneath a shroud so the lowering is safe for the people holding the straps. That is a handling requirement, not a vault, and it does not make the burial any less green.
The three levels of certification
| Level | What it means | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid burial ground | A green section inside an otherwise conventional cemetery. | No vault and a biodegradable container within that section. The rest of the grounds follow ordinary rules, so ask which section you are being shown. |
| Natural burial ground | Land set aside for natural burial and nothing else. | Green rules everywhere, plus an ecological assessment of the land and limits on where graves can go. |
| Conservation burial ground | Natural burial on land held under a conservation easement or land trust. | Everything above, with binding commitments to protect and restore the land permanently. The burial helps preserve the place. |
Certification is a helpful signal, not a requirement. Several fine burial grounds near us offer green burial without seeking it.
Burial grounds on the Front Range
Each of these accepts green burial. Costs were gathered by calling the burial grounds directly in June 2026 and are a guide, not a quote: cemeteries change their pricing, and several charge differently depending on where your family lives. We confirm the current figures before any burial is arranged, and you are always welcome to ask us first rather than call around yourself.
Roselawn Cemetery
Fort Collins
Green Burial Council certified, hybrid burial ground
A green section inside a city-run cemetery, kept to green burial standards while the rest of the grounds operate conventionally. It is the only certified option this close to the northern Front Range.
- No outer burial container required in the green section
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming, or only certified products
- Plot
- $2,932
- Opening and closing
- $1,514
Seven Stones Botanical Gardens Cemetery
Littleton
A botanical-garden cemetery south of Denver with dedicated natural burial areas. The setting is deliberately garden-like rather than wild, which suits some families exactly.
- Natural burial areas with no vault required
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- Mystic Law / Meadow View $5,750 · The Grove $8,050
- Opening and closing
- $2,800
Evergreen Memorial Park
Evergreen
A foothills cemetery with a published green burial option, close enough to Denver for most families to visit easily.
- Green burial section
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $2,845
- Opening and closing
- $2,320
Foothills Gardens of Memory
Longmont
Offers both natural and green burial, with perpetual care included in the plot cost. One of the closest options to our Lafayette funeral home.
- Natural and green burial sections
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $2,480, perpetual care included
- Opening and closing
- $1,550 for green and natural burial
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Erie
A town-run cemetery in Erie that accepts green burial, minutes from Lafayette.
- Green burial accepted
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- Residents $2,500 · non-residents $3,500
- Opening and closing
- $3,000
Lyons Cemetery
Lyons
A small municipal cemetery in the foothills northwest of Boulder, and one of the least expensive options on this list.
- Green burial accepted
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $1,200
- Opening and closing
- $900
Cedar Hill Cemetery
Castle Rock
A Castle Rock cemetery accepting green burial, with pricing tiered by how close your family lives.
- Green burial accepted
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- Castle Rock residents $2,500 · Douglas County $3,000 · outside the county with family already buried there $3,500
- Opening and closing
- $1,400
Bear Canyon Cemetery
Sedalia
A rural cemetery south-west of Denver with the lowest plot cost on this list for nearby zip codes.
- Green burial accepted
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $900 for zip codes 80131, 80135 and 80118 · $1,500 elsewhere in Douglas County · $2,500 outside it
- Opening and closing
- $975, or $1,125 at weekends
Resthaven Memory Gardens
Fort Collins
A large Fort Collins cemetery with green burial available across a range of sections and price points.
- Green burial available
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $2,495 to $5,995 depending on section
- Opening and closing
- $2,195
Fort Logan National Cemetery
Denver
Eligible veterans and dependants only
A national cemetery serving veterans and their families. Burial is covered by VA benefits, and natural burial practices are accommodated within the cemetery’s own rules.
- Burial covered by VA benefits
- Confirm shroud and container rules directly
- Eligibility requirements apply
- Plot
- Included in VA benefits
- Opening and closing
- Included in VA benefits
Farther afield in Colorado
Both of these are certified natural cemeteries, and both are a genuine drive from the Front Range. Some families decide the place is worth the distance, and we will carry your person there.
Colorado Burial Preserve
Florence, about two hours south of Denver
Green Burial Council certified, natural cemetery
Colorado’s first conservation-minded burial preserve. Burial here is part of keeping the land itself intact, which is exactly the point for some families.
- Natural burial only, across the whole ground
- No vaults, no embalming
- Biodegradable container or shroud
- Plot
- Assigned grave space at need $2,760 · choose your own gravesite $4,025
- Opening and closing
- $1,125
Crestone Cemetery
Crestone, in the San Luis Valley
Green Burial Council certified, natural cemetery
Saguache County residents only
Colorado’s first certified natural cemetery, in a small town with a long tradition of caring for its own dead. Burial is limited to residents of its county, so it is not an option for most Front Range families.
- Natural burial only
- No vaults, no embalming
- Biodegradable container or shroud
Buckskin Cemetery
Alma, in Park County
A high-country cemetery in one of the highest towns in North America. Modest costs, and a genuine drive from the Front Range.
- Green burial accepted
- Biodegradable casket or shroud
- No embalming required
- Plot
- $1,000
- Opening and closing
- $250
Pikes Peak National Cemetery
Colorado Springs
Eligible veterans and dependants only
A national cemetery south of Denver serving veterans and their families, with burial covered by VA benefits.
- Burial covered by VA benefits
- Confirm shroud and container rules directly
- Eligibility requirements apply
- Plot
- Included in VA benefits
- Opening and closing
- Included in VA benefits
Questions families ask
What actually makes a cemetery green-burial-friendly?
Three things, mostly. It does not require a concrete vault or grave liner. It accepts a biodegradable casket or a shroud. And it does not require embalming. A cemetery that says yes to all three can hold a green burial, whether or not it is certified.
Does the cemetery have to be certified?
No. Certification by the Green Burial Council is a useful signal, and Colorado has three certified cemeteries. But several excellent burial grounds here offer green burial without pursuing certification. What matters is what the ground actually permits, in writing.
Can we use a shroud with no casket at all?
Almost always, with one practical caveat families are often surprised by. Most burial grounds ask for a rigid board or carrier beneath the shroud so the lowering is safe and steady for everyone holding the straps. It is a handling requirement, not a vault.
What if the cemetery we want is not on this list?
Then we call them together. Plenty of conventional cemeteries will allow a greener burial than their brochure suggests, and we know which questions get a straight answer. Here is how our green burial service works.
Can we be buried on our own land instead?
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on where the land is, because county zoning governs it. The answer differs from county to county, so it is a real question with a real answer. Ask us and we will help you find yours.
Have a cemetery in mind already?
Tell us which one and we will find out exactly what they allow. It is usually one phone call, and we are happy to make it.