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Snake River Canyon National Cemetery burial schedule and eligibility

Buhl, Idaho · VA national cemetery

Address, hours, directions and contact details: Snake River Canyon National Cemetery.

VeteranFunerals Editorial·2 min read·May 1, 2026·Facts checked

You can look up burials at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery on VA's daily burial schedule, which lists the committal services families have agreed to publish. Veterans who were not dishonorably discharged can be buried here, and so can their spouses and some dependent children. To schedule a burial, you or the funeral director call VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

History of Snake River Canyon National Cemetery

Snake River Canyon National Cemetery is the first national cemetery in Idaho and is part of the VA National Cemetery Administration Rural Initiative to provide access to VA burial benefits for Veterans who reside in rural areas and who have not previously had reasonable access to a national or state Veterans cemetery.

The VA purchased the 8-acre parcel on September 30, 2016. The first phase of construction began in June of 2017 and was completed in March 2020. The cemetery is designed to accommodate 2,300 casketed gravesites, 2,070 in-ground cremation burial spaces and 2,170 columbaria niche spaces.

Visiting hours at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery

Visitation Hours: Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day. VA will continue its practice of honoring special requests for weekend burials for religious purposes, in cases of service members killed in action and on at least one day of any three-day Federal holiday weekend at all open VA national cemeteries. Please note: Cemetery offices are off-site. Please call 208-732-7499 to speak to cemetery staff. Willamette National Cemetery oversees this cemetery. If you are unable to reach cemetery staff at the cemetery's phone number, please call Willamette National Cemetery at 503-273-5250.

Who can be buried at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

  • A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
  • Opening and closing of the grave
  • A government-provided burial liner
  • A government-provided headstone or marker
  • Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery?

  1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
  2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
  3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Snake River Canyon National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Snake River Canyon National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Snake River Canyon National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Snake River Canyon National Cemetery directly at 208-732-7499.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

  • Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
  • Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
  • Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Idaho law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Idaho and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Funeral homes near Snake River Canyon National Cemetery

A funeral director usually arranges the burial with the cemetery. These are the closest funeral homes by straight-line distance. Each one links to its full listing on FuneralUS, our funeral home directory.

  1. 1.1 mi from the cemetery
  2. 10.7 mi from the cemetery
  3. 13.5 mi from the cemetery
  4. 13.7 mi from the cemetery
  5. 14.1 mi from the cemetery
  6. 14.5 mi from the cemetery

Search all funeral homes by ZIP on FuneralUS

FAQ

Questions about burial at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery

  • Is burial at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery free?

    Yes, for eligible veterans, spouses and dependent children. VA provides the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, a headstone or marker, and perpetual care at no cost. The funeral home's services, such as transport and any service before the burial, are arranged and paid for separately.

  • Can I reserve a gravesite at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery in advance?

    No. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision before a death, but VA says the decision letter doesn't name a cemetery or gravesite, because neither can be reserved in advance.

  • How do I schedule a burial at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery?

    Fax the veteran's discharge papers to 866-900-6417 or email them to [email protected]. Then you or the funeral director call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET). National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

  • Where can I see the burial schedule for Snake River Canyon National Cemetery?

    On VA's daily burial schedule at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/dailyburialschedule/. It covers every national cemetery, but it only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them.

  • Are military funeral honors provided at Snake River Canyon National Cemetery?

    Yes, if you ask for them. Your funeral director, a Veterans Service Organization or the cemetery staff can arrange them. At minimum, two uniformed service members fold and present the burial flag at the committal shelter, and Taps is played.

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