NPS MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives Claude (or any MCP-compatible AI client) access to the National Park Service API. Ask questions about parks, alerts, campgrounds, events, parking, and more — all in natural language.

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Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• An NPS API key — free, get one at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/developer/get-started.htm

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Installation

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AniruddhaShukla/nps-mcp.git
cd nps-mcp

# 2. Create and activate a virtual environment
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

# 3. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

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Configuration

# Copy the example env file
cp .env.example .env

# Open .env and replace the placeholder with your real API key
# NPS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Your .env file is listed in .gitignore and will never be committed.

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Running the Server

python server.py

The server communicates over stdio (standard MCP transport) and stays running until you stop it. You don't interact with it directly — your MCP client does.

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Connecting to Claude Desktop

1. Open your Claude Desktop config file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this block inside the "mcpServers" object (create the object if it doesn't exist):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "national-parks": {
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/nps-mcp/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "NPS_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace the paths with the actual absolute paths on your machine. Using the env block here means you don't even need the .env file — the key is passed directly.

3. Restart Claude Desktop. To verify it's working, click the paperclip / attachment icon in the chat input bar, then select Connectors — you should see national-parks listed with a blue toggle indicating it's running. You can enable or disable it per conversation from there.

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Connecting to Claude Code

claude mcp add national-parks -- /absolute/path/to/.venv/bin/python /absolute/path/to/nps-mcp/server.py

Then set the environment variable in your shell before running Claude Code:

export NPS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
claude

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Testing with MCP Inspector

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector python server.py

This opens a browser UI where you can call each tool manually and inspect responses.

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Available Tools

🗺️ Trip Planning

Tool	Description
plan_visit	One-stop trip planner — fetches alerts, fees, visitor centers, things to do, campgrounds, and events for a park in a single call
list_known_parks	List all 63 park codes and full names
search_parks	Search parks by name or keyword, optionally filtered by state
get_park	Full details for a specific park (description, hours, directions, weather)

🚨 Alerts & News

Tool	Description
get_park_alerts	Current closures, dangers, cautions, and notices
get_news_releases	Recent press releases from a park
get_road_events	Road closures and construction zones

🏛️ Facilities

Tool	Description
get_visitor_centers	Visitor center hours and contact info
get_parking_lots	Parking lot capacity, accessibility, and live occupancy
get_campgrounds	Campground details, fees, and reservations
get_webcams	Live webcam feeds

🥾 Activities & Experiences

Tool	Description
get_things_to_do	Recommended activities at a park
get_tours	Guided tours available at a park
get_events	Upcoming ranger programs and park events
get_activities	Browse all activity categories (hiking, kayaking, stargazing, etc.)
get_activities_parks	Reverse lookup — find parks that offer a specific activity
get_topics	Browse all topic categories (Civil War, geology, Indigenous culture, etc.)
get_topics_parks	Reverse lookup — find parks associated with a specific topic

♿ Amenities

Tool	Description
get_amenities	Browse all amenity types (restrooms, fire pits, picnic tables, etc.)
get_amenities_places	Find places within a park that have a specific amenity
get_amenities_visitor_centers	Find visitor centers with a specific amenity

🎟️ Fees & Passes

Tool	Description
get_fees_passes	Entrance fees and pass information

📸 Multimedia

Tool	Description
get_photo_galleries	Photo galleries published by parks
get_videos	Video content from parks
get_audio	Audio tours and recordings

📚 Educational Content

Tool	Description
get_places	Notable landmarks and places within a park
get_people	Historical figures and conservationists associated with a park
get_articles	Educational articles published by the park
get_lesson_plans	Teacher lesson plans related to a park
get_passport_stamp_locations	Where to collect National Park Passport stamps

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Known Park Codes

All 63 officially designated U.S. National Parks are pre-mapped. For any other NPS site (monuments, seashores, recreation areas, etc.) use search_parks to find its code.

Northeast

Code	Park
acad	Acadia National Park
neri	New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
shen	Shenandoah National Park
viis	Virgin Islands National Park

Southeast

Code	Park
bisc	Biscayne National Park
cong	Congaree National Park
drto	Dry Tortugas National Park
ever	Everglades National Park
grsm	Great Smoky Mountains National Park
hosp	Hot Springs National Park
maca	Mammoth Cave National Park

Midwest

Code	Park
cuva	Cuyahoga Valley National Park
indu	Indiana Dunes National Park
isro	Isle Royale National Park
jeff	Gateway Arch National Park
voya	Voyageurs National Park

Great Plains

Code	Park
badl	Badlands National Park
thro	Theodore Roosevelt National Park
wica	Wind Cave National Park

Rocky Mountain

Code	Park
blca	Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
brca	Bryce Canyon National Park
cany	Canyonlands National Park
care	Capitol Reef National Park
grsa	Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
grte	Grand Teton National Park
meve	Mesa Verde National Park
romo	Rocky Mountain National Park
yell	Yellowstone National Park
zion	Zion National Park

Southwest

Code	Park
arch	Arches National Park
bibe	Big Bend National Park
cave	Carlsbad Caverns National Park
deva	Death Valley National Park
grca	Grand Canyon National Park
grba	Great Basin National Park
gumo	Guadalupe Mountains National Park
pefo	Petrified Forest National Park
sagu	Saguaro National Park
whsa	White Sands National Park

California

Code	Park
chis	Channel Islands National Park
jotr	Joshua Tree National Park
kica	Kings Canyon National Park
lavo	Lassen Volcanic National Park
pinn	Pinnacles National Park
redw	Redwood National & State Parks
sequ	Sequoia National Park
yose	Yosemite National Park

Pacific Northwest

Code	Park
crla	Crater Lake National Park
mora	Mount Rainier National Park
noca	North Cascades National Park
olym	Olympic National Park

Hawaii

Code	Park
hale	Haleakalā National Park
havo	Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Alaska

Code	Park
dena	Denali National Park & Preserve
gaar	Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
glba	Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
katm	Katmai National Park & Preserve
kefj	Kenai Fjords National Park
kova	Kobuk Valley National Park
lacl	Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
wrst	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

Other

Code	Park
glac	Glacier National Park (Montana)
npsa	National Park of American Samoa

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Example Queries

Once connected to Claude, try asking:

Trip Planning

• "Help me plan a visit to Yellowstone National Park."
• "I'm visiting the Grand Canyon next week — what should I know?"

Alerts & Conditions

• "Are there any closures or alerts at Yellowstone right now?"
• "Are there road closures at Glacier National Park?"

Activities

• "Which national parks offer stargazing?"
• "Where can I go kayaking in a national park?"
• "What are the best things to do at Zion?"

History & Topics

• "Which parks relate to Civil War history?"
• "Find parks connected to Indigenous culture."

Facilities & Accessibility

• "Find accessible restroom locations at Yellowstone."
• "What visitor centers are in Grand Canyon and when are they open?"
• "Show me parking lots at Yellowstone and their occupancy."

General Discovery

• "What national parks are in Utah?"
• "Find campgrounds in Yosemite."
• "What are the entrance fees for the Grand Canyon?"
• "Does Yellowstone have any live webcams?"

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License

This project is released under the MIT License — free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose.

The NPS API is a free public service provided by the U.S. National Park Service.