Walking at a cemetery

Is the cemetery owned or controlled by a cemetery corporation, church, association, an organization? Is it private or public or owned by the city, county or township? This seems to be very stressful. You may want to contact the entity/owner that is responsible for the property. It is possible that they have laws/rules/regulations regarding fair usage of the cemetery for any other use beyond funerals. It is entirely possible that people are in fact trespassing on private property.

If there are some laws/rules /regulations being broken, bringing the cemetery owners attention to the matter may facilitate change. You and other family members that have loved ones in the cemetery could certainly petition to have the rules followed, including the posting of information/ trespassing signs.

For me, it would depend on the cemetery. If the cemetery has a lot of historical figures buried there, architectural or historical significance, then it’s something I would expect. But if it’s just a normal cemetery, I personally wouldn’t spend any leisure time there.

I love to explore cemeteries and it wouldn't bother me at all to have someone walking near my loved ones--think of them as visitors--but I myself would not walk directly past a ceremony or gathering unless I came upon it by accident. And in that case, I would quietly leave as unobtrusively as possible.

I am sorry for your loss❤️ I am Norwegian, and for obvious reasons (one of the countries in the world with least inhabitants per square km) most cemetaries here are small. When others on this thread talk about picnic etc, it is very, very alien to me. I have never seen anyone just walking through our local cemetary, so I would find it odd if someone was walking their dog, or walk around there chatting and laughing. I wouldn’t be hurt (my family has been buried at that cementary for centuries, and probably since christianity arrived, my mom, who died three years ago after a short and difficult illness, is buried there as well, and the pain is still as bad as it was the day she died) but I would definitely think they were …. odd. Or foreigners, as I realise social codes vary.

I used to live near a large cemetery in Munich and regularly walked there.
The first time I visited was just after we moved there, and I was intrigued by the statues I could see over the cemetery walls. It was just so beautiful and peaceful, as well as filled with history (oldest gravestone I saw as about 1850 - this was a more 'recent' cemetery, built when an earlier one reached capacity).
There were large trees and winding paths and it was divided up into sections. It was large enough and had so many paths that it was easy to take a different route if I came across mourners or a funeral procession. No cars were allowed in except the cemetery ones, so it was a really safe place to walk as well. I also mainly walked alone, so I wasn't talking with anyone.
The cemetery that this one replaced now has a playground and picnic area in one corner. I spent an afternoon there taking photos, as the old graves and the light coming through the trees were so beautiful. It is so old that I doubt many people come their to pay respects to family members. There are some graves of famous people, so people do come to see them.
Where we now live, their is a forest cemetery about 20 minutes walk away. I wandered over there one day, just to visit and see what it was like. It too is so pretty, with trees and well maintained flower beds, but a bit far away for everyday walking.

If I walk in a cemetery, I walk quietly and respectfully. They are usually beautiful places and you do not have to compete with cars, etc.

I would be bothered if I were you as well.

I do not walk at cemeteries simply to walk, but I do visit them very regularly both to care for family graves as well as for genealogical reasons. I, too, try to avoid going near anyone visiting their loved ones if I can help it, especially during the years when I had young children with me.

Along the lines of what Lucy said, some of the larger cemeteries in my area do have signs up with guidelines for visitors.  They can walk, but not run or jog, and the signs do ask walkers to avoid areas where burials or ceremonies are taking place.  The signs do also ask people to keep a respectful volume.  Some do not allow animals as well.

One thing that I think can possibly be a positive about people using a cemetery space is that it might help to ensure that the space is always kept in good repair. I know of many cemeteries that are in poor condition because they changed hands or were abandoned. But I have also seen a community take interest in an abandoned cemetery & do a wonderful job in restoring it, with local companies coming in and donating time & equipment to take down trees, lift fallen stones, repair paths, etc. In doing so, more people now visit that cemetery again, even if they don't have loved ones there, but the more people who are invested in that space, the better chances it will continue to have community support to keep it well cared for going forward.

But none of that matters in terms of your feelings, and I am truly sorry that having people using the cemetery as a walking location makes things more difficult for you.  And I am so very sorry for your loss.  Hugs to you.

I think people walk at cemeteries because they have less traffic than the roads and are usually peaceful and scenic.
I dont have an issue with people walking in a cemetery as long as they are respectful. By respectful, I mean sticking to the roads and keeping conversation quiet when there are others in the area.

My daughter is buried at Arlington in Sandy Springs, Ga. It is a gorgeous place and very quiet and serene despite being flanked by busy streets. I would walk there if I lived close. When we visit there, we are respectful of funerals and mourners especially if it is close to my daughter’s grave but we still visit her grave. I am so sorry for your loss, it’s awful to lose a loved one but losing a child is the absolute worst. Be easy with yourself. 

I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter.

Yes I would walk in a cemetery, I would be respectful of services and people visiting graves.  

We often visit random cemeteries wherever we are. They are full of memories and history.  Now with the amazing grave stones with the etched pictures they are also a beautiful place, although a place to be reverent.  For example I automatically make sure the radio is off or down very very low when driving into one.  

IMO, I feel that a cemetery is to memorialize people important to us, those that we loved and lost.  I feel sad when you see overgrown cemeteries that obviously have no visitor at all. I would rather see cemeteries where people are.  I think people should be respectful of others though.

There are families that get together at gravesites and celebrate their loved one, so sometimes they can be places of love and laughter.  It is just important to recognize how to be respectful of everyone there visiting their loved ones.

First, I am very sorry for the loss of your daughter. I can't imagine the pain that you are in. Your feelings are your feelings and no one can take that away.

My thoughts on this are if we had a nice enough cemetery to walk through, I very well might walk through there. The oldest cemetery we have in our town has gorgeous areas, very green, older trees and statues and ornate tombstones. The reason I don't go there is that it is in a not so good part of town and the area is just paved for cars to drive through. I love seeing historic markers and such. I can also see, if I had a loved one, that walking nearby could make me feel closer to them. My dad is buried 3 hours away so I feel I miss out on "checking in".

I do think if people are walking in these areas they need to be cognizant and if there is a burial/families gathering to walk somewhere else. There should be posted signs to alert folks on this.

I wonder if these walkers might have someone buried there. This may be their way of getting fresh air, walking with a friend and being near their loved ones.

Before my friend moved, she lived close to a large city cemetery. She and I used that one to train for a 5k. The perimeter was almost exactly 1 mile, with other roads in the middle, and there were enough hills that it was great for 2 beginners. We were always respectful of anyone paying their respects to loved ones, and we never ran while there was a service.

When my dd was learning to drive, we visited a few large cemeteries in the big city nearby. The combination of the slow speed, lack of traffic, and the ability to make different routes helped her feel comfortable behind the wheel. Again, we didn't drive by anyone visiting a gravesite and we didn't drive around if there was a service going on.

I think this very much depends on where you are.
I always walked to the cemetery I wandered around, so no car to break into. No cars in the cemetery ground, so no safety issue with that either. There were very few people around at the time I walked (mid-morning) so it would have been fairly obvious if someone was following me. I also was only ever carrying keys and my phone on me, so not much to steal.
I also am aware that I live in a VERY safe city - I walk home alone late at night without feeling in any danger of being mugged or assaulted. I realise this is not the case for many others.

I've walked in a cemetery near my apartment a few times. It is a beautiful, serene place. It's how I found out a former vice president was laid to rest there. If I didn't go for a walk there, I would never have known that.

However, if there were people obviously there to honor their loved ones, or a burial ceremony, I would leave.