ridb-search_skill

Overview

This skill searches the Recreation Information Database (RIDB) to find campgrounds, recreation areas, and federal facilities near a given location. It supports geocoding from place names or direct latitude/longitude and returns human-readable summaries or machine-friendly JSON. Use it to locate camping options, filter for reservable or camping-only facilities, and get facility IDs for availability checks.

How this skill works

The skill accepts a location name (auto-geocoded via OpenStreetMap/Nominatim) or latitude/longitude coordinates and queries the RIDB API within a specified radius measured in miles. It can filter results for camping-only or reservable facilities, limit result counts, and output either a readable list or structured JSON with facility IDs, names, reservability, and URLs. An API key for RIDB is required and used to authenticate requests.

When to use it

• Finding campgrounds or federal recreation facilities near a city or coordinates.
• Filtering results to only reservable or camping-specific sites before checking availability.
• Generating a machine-readable list of facility IDs and URLs for automation.
• Planning trips when you need a quick list of nearby recreation areas within a radius.
• Integrating location-based campground search into an app or workflow.

Best practices

• Provide either a clear place name (e.g., 'Yosemite Valley') or precise lat/lon for best results.
• Set a reasonable radius (default 50 miles) to balance result relevance and count.
• Use --limit to avoid excessive results if you plan to post-process output.
• Use JSON output for programmatic workflows; use human-readable output for quick checks.
• Keep your RIDB API key secure and set it in the environment rather than embedding it.

Example use cases

• Search campgrounds within 50 miles of 'Bend, OR' and get a readable list of options with IDs and URLs.
• Auto-geocode 'Yosemite Valley', filter to camping-only facilities, and export JSON for trip planning.
• Query by coordinates for a backcountry trip basecamp and limit results to the nearest 10 sites.
• Filter to reservable facilities when you want sites that can be booked via recreation.gov.
• Integrate into a travel app to display nearby federal recreation areas with direct links.