Developer Tools

Recreation.gov MCP Server

Connect your account, then chat with AI to run tools.

Let AI agents search U.S. recreation areas, campgrounds, campsites, events, and tours from the federal Recreation Information Database — for trip planning and outdoor-recreation research.

Best forOutdoor Trip PlannersTravel AppsPark ResearchersRV & Camping Operators

Try this workflow

Find campgrounds near a city

Search Recreation.gov facilities within 50 miles of Moab, Utah and list campground names, managing agency, and facility ids.

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Managed
12 tools
Agent guide included

Opens MCPBundles Studio with this server selected. After sign-in, chat and run tools from the same thread.

Browse all tools

What you can do with Recreation.gov

Built for

Outdoor Trip Planners, Travel Apps, Park Researchers, RV & Camping Operators, Public Lands Analysts

Example workflows

Find campgrounds near a city

Geo + facility search is the core camping-discovery workflow.

Try this

Search Recreation.gov facilities within 50 miles of Moab, Utah and list campground names, managing agency, and facility ids.

Explore a national park

Area search then single-fetch by id mirrors how agents plan visits.

Try this

Find recreation areas matching 'Yosemite' in Recreation.gov, then pull full details for the best match including amenities and description.

Agency inventory

Organization browse helps analysts map federal land managers.

Try this

List National Park Service organizations in Recreation.gov and summarize how many recreation areas they manage.

Event discovery

Events + geographic context is a common visitor-center question.

Try this

What ranger-led events are listed in Recreation.gov for facilities in Colorado this month? Include dates and facility names.

Context to know first

What data does Recreation.gov MCP cover?

Federal recreation metadata from RIDB: recreation areas, facilities, campsites, events, tours, activities, organizations, permits, media, links, and addresses. It does not book campsites — use Recreation.gov directly for reservations.

Can agents modify recreation records?

No. RIDB is read-only metadata published by managing agencies. Agents can search and retrieve records but cannot create or update upstream data.

How do I narrow a large park search?

Start with a text query and optional state filter on recreation areas or facilities. For map-based discovery, pass latitude, longitude, and radius on facility list requests.

AI Skill
SKILL.md

Domain knowledge for Recreation.gov — workflow patterns, data models, and gotchas for your AI agent.

Recreation.gov (RIDB)

RIDB (Recreation Information Database) is read-only federal recreation metadata powering Recreation.gov. Recreation Areas contain Facilities; Facilities have Campsites, Events, and Tours.

Operational order

  1. Search recreation areas or facilities with query/state/geo filters when the user names a region or park.
  2. Capture area or facility ids from list responses before single-record fetches.
  3. Pull campsites, events, tours, media, and links once you know the parent context.
  4. Use organizations to identify managing agencies (NPS, USFS, BLM, etc.).

Data model

  • Recreation areas — parks, forests, wildlife areas; top-level geographic units.
  • Facilities — campgrounds, visitor centers, boat launches within recreation areas.
  • Campsites — individual sites within facilities.
  • Events — scheduled activities at facilities.
  • Tours — guided tours.
  • Activities — activity type catalog (camping, hiking, etc.).
  • Organizations — managing agencies.
  • Permits — permit types for certain activities.
  • Media / links / addresses — photos, external URLs, and mailing locations.

Gotchas

  • Read-only: RIDB exposes GET metadata only — no create, update, or delete.
  • List vs single fetch: Omit id to list with pagination; pass id from a prior list row for one record.
  • Pagination: RIDB uses numeric offset (0-based) and limit (default 25, max 50). Increase offset by rows returned; it is not an opaque cursor.
  • Facilities geo search: List mode accepts latitude, longitude, and radius (miles) together with optional state and query filters.
  • Detail level: Pass full on facilities and recreation areas when compact list rows lack fields you need.

Tools in this Server (12)

Recreation Get Activities

List federal recreation activity types or fetch one by id. Omit id to page through activity names; pass id after listing or from a facility record. Op...

Recreation Get Campsites

List campsites or fetch one by id. Omit id to browse individual sites with amenities and capacity; pass id for a single campsite record. Optional quer...

Recreation Get Events

List scheduled recreation events or fetch one by id. Omit id to discover upcoming programs with dates and locations; pass id for full event details. O...

Recreation Get Facilities

List campgrounds, visitor centers, and other facilities — or fetch one by id. Omit id to search with query, state (comma-separated USPS codes), latitu...

Recreation Get Facility Addresses

List mailing or physical addresses for recreation facilities or fetch one by id. Omit id to page through address rows; pass id for a single address re...

Recreation Get Links

List external web links tied to recreation areas or facilities, or fetch one by id. Omit id to browse URLs and descriptions; pass id for a single link...

Recreation Get Media

List photos and media assets for recreation areas and facilities, or fetch one by id. Omit id to browse media metadata and URLs; pass id for one media...

Recreation Get Organizations

List managing agencies (NPS, USFS, BLM, etc.) or fetch one by id. Omit id to page through organization names and abbreviations; pass id for contact an...

Recreation Get Permits

List permit types required for recreation access or fetch one by id. Omit id to browse permit requirements; pass id for a single permit record.

Recreation Get Recreation Area Addresses

List addresses for recreation areas (parks, forests, preserves) or fetch one by id. Omit id to page through location data; pass id for a single addres...

Recreation Get Recreation Areas

List recreation areas (parks, forests, wildlife refuges) or fetch one by id. Omit id to search with query and optional state filter; pass id for area ...

Recreation Get Tours

List guided tours offered at recreation areas or fetch one by id. Omit id to browse schedules and descriptions; pass id for one tour record. Optional ...

Frequently Asked Questions

What data does Recreation.gov MCP cover?

Federal recreation metadata from RIDB: recreation areas, facilities, campsites, events, tours, activities, organizations, permits, media, links, and addresses. It does not book campsites — use Recreation.gov directly for reservations.

Can agents modify recreation records?

No. RIDB is read-only metadata published by managing agencies. Agents can search and retrieve records but cannot create or update upstream data.

How do I narrow a large park search?

Start with a text query and optional state filter on recreation areas or facilities. For map-based discovery, pass latitude, longitude, and radius on facility list requests.

How do I connect Recreation.gov to my AI agent?

Add the MCPBundles server URL to your MCP client configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, etc.). The URL format is: https://mcp.mcpbundles.com/bundle/recreation. Authentication is handled automatically.

How many tools does Recreation.gov provide?

Recreation.gov provides 12 tools that can be called by AI agents, along with a SKILL.md that gives your AI agent domain knowledge about when and how to use them.

What authentication does Recreation.gov require?

Recreation.gov uses API Key or One-click sign in. Recreation.gov requires credentials. Connect via MCPBundles and authentication is handled automatically.

Setup Instructions

Connect Recreation.gov to any MCP client in minutes

MCP URL
https://mcp.mcpbundles.com/bundle/recreation
Claude.aiCursorVS CodeVS Code InsidersGooseLM StudioCherry StudioChatGPT

One-click install:

Install on Claude.aiInstall for organization (admins)

The link prefills the Add custom connector dialog — you still review the values and click Add, then Connect to complete OAuth.

Or add manually

  1. Open claude.ai → Settings → Connectors.
  2. Click the + button and choose Add custom connector.
  3. Set Name to Recreation.gov and paste the MCP URL into Remote MCP server URL.
  4. Click Add. Recreation.gov will appear under Not connected — select it and click Connect to complete OAuth.
Name: Recreation.gov
Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.mcpbundles.com/bundle/recreation
Authentication: OAuth

Custom connectors at claude.ai require a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise).

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Recreation.gov MCP — Federal Parks & Campsite Data for AI