CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE CENTENNIAL WITH VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN DINING OPTIONS IN AND AROUND THE PARKS

As the National Parks Service celebrates 100 years, The Vegetarian Resource Group commemorated the occasion by compiling a list of vegan and vegetarian options in the parks. See

https://www.vrg.org/travel/doc/NationalParkDining.pdf

One of the most accommodating, Glacier National Park in Montana has seven restaurants on site with vegan options, most of which are clearly labelled on menus. At Ptarmigan Dining Room, organic tofu can be added to a baby spinach or farmer’s market salad or to a vegan pasta dish with whole wheat linguine and vegetables. Two Dog Flats offers steamed edamame, red lentil dahl, and a crunchy tofu taco among other options.

Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona has six restaurants in the park, and all but one offer vegan options. Yavapai Lodge Restaurant offers a vegan chili and grilled vegetables as a salad topping; vegetarian options include a vegetable meatloaf and burger. Bright Angel Restaurant has a house-made, vegetarian tortilla soup, veggie quesadilla, Indian garden grilled vegetable and pesto pasta, and a tepa veggie patty; vegan options are available upon request.

For more variety, Congaree National Park in South Carolina has six establishments within a half hour of the park serving vegan and vegetarian options. Visitors should stop in Lamb’s Bread Vegan Café in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, for an array of meat-free proteins and fresh sides that change daily and are made from local produce. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has three establishments with vegan options no more than two miles away. Mellow Mushroom is just a two-minute drive from the park. Its menu has ample vegetarian options and a vegan menu is available upon request; a vegan pizza can be made with Daiya cheese, tomato sauce, vegetables, and tofu topping. If visiting a park like Gates of the Artic National Park in Alaska – a dedicated wilderness area with no trails, roads, campsites, or restaurants – hikers will need to pack their own food.

For a short day hike, sandwiches and wraps filled with fresh vegetables may fit in a backpack. You can also try soy, sunflower, peanut, or other nut butters. Sesame sticks and soynuts make a nice treat. Additional backpacking and camping recipes can be found here.

For parks with limited vegan options, convenience stores located on the grounds have a variety of fruits, nuts, and trail mixes for a quick snack. Vegans wanting a bigger meal may need to venture to a nearby establishment or consider packing their own meals and dining at the various picnic facilities located onsite. With a little extra planning, vegans and vegetarians can visit national parks with ease. After 100 years, there’s something in or around the parks for almost all dietary needs!

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization educating the public about vegetarianism and veganism. For more information, go to www.vrg.org

The Vegetarian Resource Group sponsors a scholarship contest offering a total of $20,000 to high school seniors. Applicants submit an essay detailing what they’ve done to promote vegetarianism and/or veganism in their school or community. Go here for more information.

http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To learn the number of vegetarian and vegans in the United States, see The Vegetarian Resource Group polls at

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll

For more information on vegetarian and vegan diets, see, www.vrg.org. Or contact The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

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