Of course the first thing you need to do is find out the cemetery in which your ancestor is buried. We will assume you have already completed that portion of the cemetery research task.
Don’t expect to rush off to the cemetery and walk around quickly to find the actual grave site. Many times it is much more difficult than that and you may spend hours wondering back and forth, at some point forgetting what rows you covered and which ones you didn’t (we have done this in our excitement!)
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First off make sure you are dressed casually and for the weather. Go in the early spring if possible, and if not try the fall. You need to get there when there are no overgrown weeds, grasses and bushes. This is especially important to avoid chiggers, ticks and snakes! It is always possible to trip at cemeteries and literally fall on the ground. There are usually many uneven areas and perhaps some sunken graves, let alone the gravestone you didn’t see.
We do not recommend you go alone to any cemeteries. There usually is no one in authority like a policeman or caretaker actually watching over the area, so you will be alone usually. While visiting one cemetery in hills of Kentucky we got a scare as a car load of drunken teenagers decided to stop right in view of us and get out acting rowdy, relieving themselves and yelling at each other. We tried to act like we didn’t see them but had several nervous minutes until they left. We live in Pennsylvania and actually got a permit, after that, to carry a gun, if necessary. It never hurts to have something to feel like you are protected, especially in today’s strange society. Gun packin genealogists?
If available, visit the cemetery caretaker’s office to get any maps and other information (history) of the cemetery. We found this to be of great help in finding graves quickly, especially in the very large cemeteries. Also, ask their permission if you are doing gravestone rubbings. A map will speed up your day and make it a lot less stressful. It is not unusual to visit a cemetery of which you know your ancestor is buried there (according to some record) and never find the grave. This has happened to us more than once, after driving for two hours to get there.
Cemetery research and grave hunting are two of the adventures that any genealogist will eventually get involved in. Most of us feel closeness to cemeteries more so than most people. So don’t be afraid to get out there and do some research.
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Your comment about asking for permission if you are doing gravestone rubbings is very important as I found out from a caretaker. He told me that a lot of the older stones are very fragile and becoming damaged because so may of us are engaging in the practice. He and his wife provided copies of rubbings and I only hope other cemeteries do the same to preserve this prescious heritage.