RIDB Search

A Python CLI for searching the Recreation Information Database (RIDB) to find federal campgrounds and recreation facilities near a location.

Overview

RIDB is the authoritative database behind recreation.gov. This tool searches it to find:

• Campground IDs needed for recgov-availability
• Facility metadata (reservable status, managing agency)
• Nearby recreation areas

Use this to discover campgrounds, then check availability with recgov-availability.

Coverage

• National Park Service facilities
• USDA Forest Service campgrounds
• Bureau of Land Management sites
• Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas
• Bureau of Reclamation facilities

For state parks, use reserveamerica instead.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• RIDB API key (free)

Getting an API Key

1. Go to https://ridb.recreation.gov/profile
2. Create an account
3. Generate an API key
4. Set the environment variable:

export RIDB_API_KEY=your_key_here

Quick Start

cd /Users/doop/moltbot/skills/ridb-search

# Search by location name
python3 scripts/search.py --location "Newport, Oregon" --radius 30

# Filter to camping only
python3 scripts/search.py -l "Yosemite Valley" -r 25 --camping-only

# JSON output for scripts
python3 scripts/search.py -l "Bend, OR" --camping-only --json

CLI Options

python3 scripts/search.py [options]

Examples

Find campgrounds near Newport, OR

python3 scripts/search.py -l "Newport, Oregon" --camping-only

Output:

📍 Geocoded 'Newport, Oregon' to 44.6368, -124.0534

Found 34 facilities within 50 miles
------------------------------------------------------------

🏕️  TILLICUM
   ID: 233965 | ✅ Reservable
   Org: Siuslaw National Forest
   URL: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233965

🏕️  CAPE PERPETUA
   ID: 233900 | ✅ Reservable
   Org: Siuslaw National Forest
   URL: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233900

JSON output for scripting

python3 scripts/search.py -l "Bend, OR" --camping-only --reservable-only --json

{
  "query": {
    "latitude": 44.0582,
    "longitude": -121.3153,
    "radius_miles": 50
  },
  "total_count": 47,
  "facilities": [
    {
      "id": "232089",
      "name": "TUMALO STATE PARK",
      "type": "Campground",
      "reservable": true,
      "latitude": 44.1272,
      "longitude": -121.3308,
      "description": "...",
      "url": "https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232089",
      "parent_org": "Oregon State Parks"
    }
  ]
}

Workflow: Search → Check Availability → Book

# 1. Find campgrounds near your destination
python3 scripts/search.py -l "Newport, OR" --camping-only --reservable-only

# 2. Note the IDs, then check availability
python3 ../recgov-availability/scripts/check.py \
  -c 233965 233900 \
  --start 2026-07-10 \
  --nights 2

# 3. Book on recreation.gov
open "https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233965"

Architecture

scripts/
└── search.py      # Single-file CLI (stdlib only)

references/
└── (add API docs here if needed)

API Endpoint

GET https://ridb.recreation.gov/api/v1/facilities

Headers:

• apikey: Your RIDB API key

Query Parameters:

• latitude, longitude: Search center
• radius: Miles
• limit: Max results
• activity: Activity ID filter (9 = Camping)

Technical Notes

Geocoding

Uses OpenStreetMap Nominatim for free location→coordinates conversion. No API key needed.

Rate Limiting

RIDB doesn't document rate limits, but be reasonable (~1 req/sec for bulk operations).

No Dependencies

Uses only Python standard library.

Combining with Other Skills

License

MIT