Honor their Life with a
Natural Final Resting Place
A permanent resting place among protected meadows and forests for your loved one’s cremated remains.
A Gentle Return
to Earth
Choosing where to place your loved one’s cremated remains is among the most personal decisions you will ever make. If you have selected cremation for its simplicity, you deserve a final resting place that honors this choice.
Serenity Ridge offers families a natural sanctuary for cremated remains within our 177 acres of protected landscape. Your loved one joins blooming meadows, forest nesting areas, and valleys that remain undisturbed in our permanent sanctuary.
Why Families Choose Natural Interment for Cremated Remains
- Maryland’s first 100% natural burial cemetery offers families something that traditional cemeteries cannot. Certified by the Green Burial Council, we are situated on a Level 1 Arboretum: A professionally curated landscape where memory and nature coexist.
- Protected Landscapes: Your loved one’s biodegradable urn is placed directly in the earth among rolling meadows or beneath a forest canopy. Over time, their ashes become part of the soil that nourishes wildflowers each spring and shelters birds through winter. This is conservation at its most intimate.
- A Simple Transition: Our team handles every detail of the interment process, making the return to the earth as seamless and stress-free as possible.
Families who visit say they find comfort in the butterflies on milkweed, the wind through the trees, and changing seasons. The gates are open from 9-5 daily during the winter and 9-7 during summer. You may return anytime.
Natural Cremation Placement
Simple Tribute
For families seeking a quiet, dignified return to nature without a formal gathering.
- How it works: Families entrust the cremated remains to our care in a biodegradable urn (approved by the Green Burial Council, max 10”x10”).
- The Burial: Our staff will respectfully bury the urn in a specially selected spot within our Valleys and Meadows sections within 7 business days.
- Remembrance: While this option does not include a graveside service, you will receive a Certificate of Interment with the exact coordinates of your loved one’s resting place.
Investment: $1,150
What this Journey Looks Like
When you reach out, you speak directly with someone from our team. There are no call centers, no automated systems. We answer questions about our cremation placement options, explain what biodegradable urns meet our standards, and help you understand what happens on burial day.
Choosing a Site
If you want to see the grounds before making any decisions, we offer guided tours where we walk our meadows and wooded areas together. You see exactly where cremated remains are placed and can ask questions as they arise. Once you’ve chosen, our team will walk you through our paperwork at a gentle pace.
Plan for the Burial
For loved ones who have already been cremated, you will need a natural vessel for their burial. We offer 100% biodegradable urns with our services.
You’re in Good Hands.
Our team provides patient and respectful support, advocating for your family’s well-being and guiding you through thoughtful choices.
We offer cremation and natural burial services, emphasizing dignity and kindness for every life. When you contact us, you are greeted by compassionate individuals ready to help during this delicate time.
Melissa Baughman, Cemetery Manager
Melissa Baughman brings over ten years of cemetery management experience in Maryland to Serenity Ridge. Committed to equality in death, she is passionate about natural burial and helping families with their decisions.
When you speak with Melissa, you are speaking with someone who understands both the practical questions about biodegradable urns and burial timing and the emotional weight of making these decisions.
Listen to Melissa explain our cremation placement process:
FAQ: Natural Burial for Cremated Remains
Is this legal in Maryland?
Yes. Serenity Ridge holds a cemetery license from the State of Maryland and is certified by the Green Burial Council. Natural burial for both full-body interments and cremated remains is permitted under Maryland law. We comply with all state regulations regarding burial depth, record-keeping, and land use.
Can we place a marker or headstone?
Only markers provided by Serenity Ridge are permitted. We work with local quarries to source native Maryland fieldstone. These markers lie flat and blend into the landscape rather than standing in uniform rows. Serenity Ridge arranges for the name and dates of your loved one to be inscribed on the marker.
How will we find the location when we visit?
Every burial site receives GPS coordinates recorded on your Certificate of Interment. We also maintain detailed maps in our office. If you have placed a marker, you will recognize the stone. If you prefer an unmarked site, the coordinates guide you to within a few feet. Some families take photos of nearby trees or landscape features to help them remember the location. We can be available to walk you to the site if you need help finding it.
What if we have not purchased a biodegradable urn yet?
Depending on the service you choose, we include a biodegradable urn or you may purchase one that meets the Green Burial Council standards. If you already have an urn and want to verify it meets our requirements, send us details about the material. We need to ensure the vessel breaks down completely, leaving no synthetic materials in the soil. Acceptable materials include bamboo, recycled paper, cornstarch, unglazed clay, and pressed plant fibers. Metal, plastic, and ceramic urns do not meet natural burial standards. Please note that scattering of ashes is not permitted at Serenity Ridge.
Can we hold a memorial service at the cemetery?
Yes. The Graveside Service option includes staff support during your gathering. Families bring readings, music, or simply stand together in silence. We have no requirements about ceremony content or duration. The land provides the setting. You provide the words and rituals that feel meaningful. You are welcome to bring clergy to offer a service as well.
What happens to the cemetery land in the long term?
Serenity Ridge is a Cemetery within a Nature Preserve. The cemetery is a permanent cemetery that has a perpetual care set up to maintain the cemetery in perpetuity. This protection prevents future development, the installation of lawn sections, or changes to the property’s natural character. The 177 acres will remain a protected meadow and forest regardless of who manages the cemetery in future decades. Families who bury here are choosing a landscape that will look and feel the same for generations to come.
Take the Next Step
We welcome your questions. To find out if natural interment for cremated remains is right for you, schedule a guided tour, download our Natural Burial Guide, or call us to speak with a team member today.
Office Phone
240-NATURAL
(240-387-8633)
Text
301-437-0959
natural@serenityridgemd.com
Follow Us
Location
2406 Ridge Road
Windsor Mill, MD 21244
Schedule a Guided Tour
Visit our grounds and see where cremated remains are placed. Tours are available by appointment.
Download Our Natural Burial Guide
A complete resource covering natural burial practices, cremation placement options, and what to expect when working with Serenity Ridge.
Contact Form
Share a few details about your situation, and we will respond within 24 hours.