Rec-MCP Server

Provides tools to locate camping facilities and recreational areas using RIDB data and Google Geocoding for coordinates.

python

1

GitHub Stars

python

Language

6 months ago

First Indexed

2 months ago

Catalog Refreshed

Documentation & install

Readme and setup notes from the catalogue, plus a client-ready config you can copy for your MCP host.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "melanieawilson-rec_mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/your_file_path/rec_mcp/",
        "run",
        "ridb_mcp_server.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "RIDB_API_KEY": "YOUR_RIDB_API_KEY",
        "GOOGLE_GEOCODE_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_GEOCODE_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

You can use Rec-MCP to locate camping facilities and recreational areas near any location, using data from Recreation.gov’s RIDB and coordinates from Google Maps. This MCP server provides flexible search, rich facility details, and easy integration with MCP clients for fast, actionable results.

How to use

You interact with Rec-MCP through an MCP client. Start the local MCP server first, then connect your client to it to perform searches for campgrounds and recreational facilities. You can geocode cities to coordinates, specify search radii and result limits, and tailor searches to find reservable or first-come, first-serve sites. The server returns detailed facility information including contact details, amenities, and image URLs for easy presentation in your application.

Typical usage patterns you can perform with an MCP client include:

Find nearby camping facilities by providing a location name or coordinates.
Convert city names into coordinates to use as a search center.
Customize the search to a radius and a maximum number of results.
Filter by activity types or reservability to locate sites that fit your needs.
Retrieve rich facility data to display in your UI, including amenities and images.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before running the server:

Python 3.12 or higher
API keys for RIDB (Recreation.gov) and Google Maps Geocoding

Steps to set up and run the MCP server locally:

Create a project directory and navigate into it
Install dependencies

uv add requests python-dotenv mcp

Create a .env file in the project root and add the API keys

RIDB_API_KEY=your_recreation_gov_api_key_here
GOOGLE_GEOCODE_KEY=your_google_maps_api_key_here

Run the MCP server

uv --directory /your_file_path/rec_mcp/ run ridb_mcp_server.py

Testing and initial validation

To validate that the MCP server is reachable and functioning, use an MCP inspector tool configured for your environment. The key is to confirm the server starts and responds to basic queries before integrating with clients.

Integrating with clients

Connect your MCP client to the Rec-MCP server using the appropriate MCP configuration for the client. The server is designed to work with MCP clients such as Claude Desktop and VSCode, enabling you to perform searches and display results directly in your chosen interface.

Configuration and security

Store your API keys securely in the environment file and avoid committing them to version control. Use separate credentials for development and production environments if possible. Ensure that only authorized clients can access the MCP server endpoints.

Notes and troubleshooting

If you encounter connectivity or authentication issues, verify that the .env keys RIDB_API_KEY and GOOGLE_GEOCODE_KEY are correctly set, and confirm that the server process is running with the expected command and working directory. Check logs for any RIDB or Google Geocoding API errors and ensure network access to the external APIs is available.

Available tools

find_facilities

Search for camping facilities and recreational areas near a specified location, returning basic facility data and coordinates.

geocode

Convert a city, town, or location name into geographic coordinates using Google Maps Geocoding API.

flexible_search

Customize search radius, maximum results, and activity types to fine-tune results for reservable or first-come, first-serve sites.

rich_data

Return detailed facility information including contact details, amenities, and image URLs for display in client applications.

mcp_integration

Provide seamless integration points for MCP clients to discover, query, and present data from RIDB-backed sources.