Of the many national cemeteries across the United States, Georgia National Cemetery is consistently rated among the top five most notable. Open from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year, the cemetery lies midway between Canton and Cartersville, Georgia, near the Etowah River. Offering views of the North Georgia Mountains and Lake Allatoona, the cemetery is ideal for awe inspiring sights, quiet reflection, or community connections.

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The property on which the cemetery is located was donated by the late philanthropist, Scott Hudgens. The land is now owned and operated by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) under the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Georgia National Cemetery Advisory Council (GNCAC) is a supportive entity for the cemetery, but it has no authority in the daily operations and decisions made by cemetery management. GNCAC plays an advisory role, and it receives no state or federal funding as a separate, volunteer-run, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. GNCAC raises funds to support cemetery management in establishing community programs, projects, and events not funded by the NCA or VA.

 

Georgia National Cemetery opened in 2006 and over 200 individuals are laid to rest there each month. Among the burial options offered are casketed gravesites, a columbarium, in-ground burials of cremated remains, and a scattering garden. All plots, vaults, and headstones, as well as memorial services and perpetual care of burial sites, are free of charge to eligible veterans, their spouses, and eligible dependent children.