National Geographic National Parks Cookbook: Dishes Inspired by America's Great Outdoors

by Nina Elder, Melissa Knific, National Geographic Society

Find 100 recipes inspired by the lodges, restaurants, and ingredients of America’s 63 national parks in this delicious and easy-to-use cookbook.

From Acadia National Park’s historic popovers—first served in the 1890s—to Grand Teton’s comforting chili, this collection tells the story of the National Parks one bite after another.

Bring the great outdoors home with 100 dishes inspired by the beloved lodges, fare, and mom-and-pop favorites throughout the National Park System.

Filled with fascinating historical details offer a glimpse at the heritage of each dish and the parks themselves, you'll findclassic dishes such as Shenandoah’s Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie to celebrated ingredients grown in and around the parks (think all things huckleberry in Glacier), each recipe pays homage to the parks' unique nature, beauty, and culinary history. Other recipes include:

Great Basin’s breakfast burritos
Cuyahoga Valley’s Trapp Family roasted chicken
Olympic’s clam chowder
Zion’s Navajo tacos
Death Valley’s freshly baked date-nut bread
The Badlands' griddled squash salad
Grand Canyon’s blue corn pancakes
Hot Spring’s beer cheese dip and smash burgers
Saguaro’s Sonoran hot dogs

...and more!

You’ll be craving your next trip to the parks once this cookbook is in your kitchen.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2026

Reviews

[Charla Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book and the recipes are truly evocative of the National Park they are paired with. Here are a few of the National Parks I have visited along with the recipes inspired by them. First up is the Gooey Butter Cake, inspired by Gateway Arch National Park. This cake is a St Louis icon first created by a local German American baker in the 1930s.

Next is the Grand Teton National Park which inspired Signal Mountain Wild Game Chili. The Signal Mountain Lodge’s Trapper Grill serves this belly warming chili which is a nod to some of the local mammals, including bison and elk.

Next is Great Smoky Mountains National Park which inspired loggers to make Buttermilk Biscuit’s and Sawmill Gravy. This hearty dish was perfect for those hungry workers in the sawmill and logging camps back in 1934.

Finally we have Yellow Stone National Park which was the first National Park established in 1872. This great park inspired Roosevelt Baked Beans, good enough for any hungry cowboy. These beans would be perfect along with a huge steak. And the perfect end to this cowboy dinner would be the Campfire Cobbler cooked in a cast iron skillet.

[Donna Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cool cookbook featuring a whole bunch of food based on the National Parks in the USA. The book gives amazing detail as well to the history of certain Parks and food, a recipe is assigned to. There are some really cool recipes that also highlight the Native American communities that once lived on these sites. Overall, a good cookbook with cool recipes highlighting the National Park that they are connected to.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you love travel, food, history, and amazing photos? You have to check this book out. I have already tried the Berry Cobbler and Roosevelt Chili, and both were amazing! I would give this book 5 stars, but a few of the ingredients are hard to find.

[Andrea Press]

So far I've made two good recipes and have a few more saved. The no churn cinnamon ice cream and the Key West Shrimp Salad. I will make the Key West Shrimp Salad again. I don't know about the cinnamon ice cream. It had cream cheese in it so tasted like cheesecake ice cream.

[Lavender]

Placeholder.

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the recipes in this book. It is well written and the pictures are beautiful.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Canyonlands NP mini—pies!