Recreation Information Database Search

Search the Recreation Information Database (RIDB) for campgrounds and recreation facilities near a location. Use when finding campgrounds, recreation areas, or federal facilities by location/radius. Supports geocoding (city names) and lat/lon coordinates.

RIDB Search

Search recreation.gov's database for campgrounds and facilities near a location.

Setup

Requires a free RIDB API key:

1. Go to https://ridb.recreation.gov/profile
2. Sign up and generate an API key
3. Set environment variable: export RIDB_API_KEY=your_key_here

Usage

Search by location name (auto-geocodes):

bash

python scripts/search.py --location "Bend, OR" --radius 50
python scripts/search.py -l "Yosemite Valley" -r 25 --camping-only

Search by coordinates:

bash

python scripts/search.py --lat 44.0582 --lon -121.3153 --radius 50

Options

Flag	Description
--location, -l	Location name to geocode (e.g., "Bend, OR")
--lat	Latitude (use with --lon)
--lon	Longitude (use with --lat)
--radius, -r	Search radius in miles (default: 50)
--limit	Max results (default: 50)
--camping-only	Filter to camping facilities
--reservable-only	Filter to reservable facilities
--json	Output JSON (for programmatic use)

Output

Human-readable (default):

text

📍 Geocoded 'Bend, OR' to 44.0582, -121.3153

Found 23 facilities within 50 miles
------------------------------------------------------------

🏕️  Tumalo State Park
   ID: 234567 | ✅ Reservable
   Org: Oregon State Parks
   URL: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234567

JSON output (--json):

json

{
  "query": {"latitude": 44.0582, "longitude": -121.3153, "radius_miles": 50},
  "total_count": 23,
  "facilities": [
    {
      "id": "234567",
      "name": "Tumalo State Park",
      "reservable": true,
      "url": "https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234567"
    }
  ]
}

Notes

• RIDB contains federal recreation data; some state/private campgrounds may not be listed
• The id field is the campground ID used for availability checks on recreation.gov
• Radius is in miles (RIDB native unit)
• Geocoding uses OpenStreetMap/Nominatim (free, no key required)