• FILTERED
  • DETAILS
  • OPTIONS
  • HUMAN

How to find campgrounds by activity with your AI

Connect your AI to Recreation.gov data to find the right spots for your next trip. Once connected, your agent handles the filtering and searching for you.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I find campgrounds based on what I want to do?

Tell your AI what activity you're interested in, and it will scan federal facility data to find matching locations. You'll get a list of sites that support your specific interests like fishing, biking, or hiking.

Where every search lands.

The outcomes of your search

Your AI turns a simple request into these specific results.

FILTERED

Activity-specific lists

The AI identifies which federal facilities support your chosen activity. You get a curated list instead of scrolling through thousands of random sites.

DETAILS

Facility specifics

Your agent pulls exact data for individual sites. This includes names, locations, and specific details about the facility.

OPTIONS

Activity availability

The AI checks which recreation areas offer the specific things you want to do. It maps activities to the right locations automatically.

HUMAN

Final booking decisions

The AI finds the data, but you make the final call. You'll need to visit the official site to actually reserve a spot or pay fees.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

Your agent uses specialized tools to navigate the federal recreation database.

  1. Identify activities

    The AI looks up the valid list of recreation activities to ensure your request matches what the database recognizes.

    list_activities

  2. Scan facilities

    Your agent searches through the federal database to find all available recreation areas and facilities.

    list_facilities

  3. Filter by interest

    The AI cross-references the facilities with your specific activity to narrow down the list.

    list_facilities

  4. Retrieve site info

    Once you pick a spot, the AI pulls the specific details for that exact facility.

    get_facility

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to kick off your search.

Starting points

Swap out the bracketed text for your actual interests like 'mountain biking' or 'camping'.

Recreation.gov (RIDB) Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_rHxROOiqEooq7g22bs58a61vpzDKF787m9BYjwzm/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Recreation.gov (RIDB) capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recreationgov-ridb-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_rHxROOiqEooq7g22bs58a61vpzDKF787m9BYjwzm/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find me campgrounds that allow fishing.

  • List all federal facilities that have hiking trails.

  • What facilities are available for mountain biking in this area?

  • Give me details on the facility named Yosemite Valley Campground.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Recreation.gov (RIDB) once, then ask.

Click the link to connect. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start asking questions in your preferred AI client.

Connect Recreation.gov (RIDB) to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI book a campsite for me?

    No. The AI can only find and retrieve information about facilities. You must handle all bookings and payments yourself.

  • 02

    Can the AI change facility rules or hours?

    No. The AI only reads data from the federal database. It cannot modify any information or update facility status.

  • 03

    Does it work with any activity?

    It works with any activity listed in the official federal recreation database. If the activity isn't in the system, the AI won't find it.

  • 04

    Can I see the exact location of a campground?

    Yes. The AI can pull specific facility details to help you find where a site is located.

  • 05

    How does it know which activities are allowed?

    The AI uses the activity list tool to verify which recreation types are officially supported by the facilities.

  • More questions about Recreation.gov (RIDB)? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Recreation.gov (RIDB) Connector can do

Connect Recreation.gov (RIDB) to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more