The best green burial sites in Southern California include Eternal Meadow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, Gan Eden at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery in San Diego County, and Joshua Tree Memorial Park. Each lets your family choose burial without embalming or a concrete vault. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation, a family-owned funeral home serving Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties, arranges natural burials at all four. This guide explains what each site offers and how to choose.
Interest in green options is real. The 2017 NFDA Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey found that 53.8 percent of respondents were interested in exploring green funeral services. The challenge is knowing where to go, and what the rules are once you get there.
What Makes a Burial Site "Green"?
The Green Burial Council describes green burial as placing the body directly in the earth, forgoing embalming, and using biodegradable materials, with no vault and no reduction of remains. It certifies three types of burial grounds. A hybrid cemetery is a conventional cemetery with a designated green section. A natural burial ground is land set aside solely for natural burial. A conservation burial ground sits on protected land, and burial fees help fund its protection.
Most Southern California options are hybrid cemeteries, which means a green section within a larger cemetery. That is a good thing to know before you visit, because the rules for casket, shroud, and marker are set by each cemetery.
1. Eternal Meadow at Woodlawn Cemetery, Santa Monica
Opened in 2017 as Southern California's second green burial site, Eternal Meadow is a naturalistic wildflower meadow that protects native California wildflowers and grasses. It sits within Woodlawn Cemetery, which is run by the City of Santa Monica.
Best for: families on the Westside who want a green burial close to home, in a setting that feels like open meadow rather than a traditional lawn.
2. Gan Eden at Hillside Memorial Park, Los Angeles
Gan Eden is a certified green burial area at Hillside Memorial Park, set aside for traditional Jewish burial. It brings together the Jewish custom of simple burial with natural principles such as no embalming and biodegradable materials.
Best for: Jewish families who want a burial that honors tradition and the environment together.
3. Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery, San Diego County
Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery is certified by the Green Burial Council as a hybrid burial ground. According to local reporting, no embalming or preservatives are used, and the body is placed in a natural woven casket or an organic fabric shroud, with materials such as wool, cardboard, bamboo, seagrass, wicker, and hemp. Families may take part in the burial ritual. Memorial plants must be drought tolerant and native to Southern California, and headstones are limited in size.
Best for: families in northern San Diego County and the Inland Empire who want hands-on involvement and a quiet, rural setting.
4. Joshua Tree Memorial Park, Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree Memorial Park offers a green burial option in a high desert landscape. If a desert setting matters to you, or your family has ties to the area, it is worth a visit and a call to the cemetery about current rules and availability.
Best for: families who want a natural burial in a desert landscape.
How to Choose the Right Site
Location: choose a place your family can visit comfortably, not just the one that looks best on a map.
Rules: ask about caskets, shrouds, markers, and planting, since each site is different.
Faith and culture: confirm the site can respect your family's customs.
Cost: ask the cemetery for plot, grave opening and closing, and marker fees in writing.
Availability: confirm space and scheduling before you commit.
Visit if you can. Walking the grounds often tells you more than any brochure.
What a Funeral Home Adds
A funeral home coordinates transportation, paperwork, and the details of the day, and knows each cemetery's rules. Farrington's natural burial packages start at $2,640 and include funeral director and staff services, transportation to the burial site, a biodegradable casket or shroud, and cemetery coordination. The cemetery bills the plot, grave opening and closing, and any marker separately. See our natural burial page and funeral packages and pricing for details.
If you would like to record your wishes ahead of time, including your preferred site, our pre-arrangements page explains how.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I have a green burial in Southern California?
Options include Eternal Meadow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, Gan Eden at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery in San Diego County, and Joshua Tree Memorial Park.
What is the difference between hybrid and natural burial grounds?
A hybrid cemetery is a conventional cemetery with a green section. A natural burial ground is land set aside only for natural burial. Both follow rules such as no vault and biodegradable materials.
Is embalming allowed in a green burial?
No. Green burial forgoes embalming and uses biodegradable materials directly in the earth.
Do I need a funeral home for a green burial?
Most families use a licensed funeral director to handle transportation, paperwork, and cemetery coordination, though California law lets families take a larger role than many expect.
Can I be buried in a shroud?
Often yes. Shroud burial is common in green burial sections, though each cemetery has its own rules, so confirm before you plan.
Key Takeaways
Southern California has several green burial sites, including Eternal Meadow in Santa Monica, Gan Eden in Los Angeles, Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery in San Diego County, and Joshua Tree Memorial Park. Most are green sections within conventional cemeteries, and each sets its own rules. Visit if you can, ask for costs in writing, and choose a funeral home that knows the sites well. Farrington Mortuary & Cremation offers natural burial packages starting at $2,640.
Choose a Place That Feels Right
A resting place should feel peaceful to the people who will visit it. Call Farrington Mortuary & Cremation at (800) 674-3659 at any hour, and we will help you compare sites and plan a farewell that fits your family.