Glendale has been burying people since 2002 on more than 350 acres of restored longleaf pine in north Walton County, midway between Mobile and Tallahassee and forty miles inland from the Gulf. It is a 501(c)(13) nonprofit: burial fees, donations and event income go back into stewardship, and about 80 percent of the land is to stay undeveloped, with only trails and boardwalks added. There is an outdoor chapel pavilion and a boardwalk over Lake Barbara. Caskets are not required at all; the single rule is biodegradable materials.
This is the most do it yourself option on the list, and the preserve openly supports home funerals and will point families to inexpensive shrouds or plain boxes. The flip side: there is no spare staff. Tours are free but must be arranged, someone has to be told when you are coming, and the buildings are modest rather than polished.
Address: DeFuniak Springs, FL, 297 Railroad Avenue (entrance 9030 SR 83)
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