Share our Data

Create a Web Service to Obtain Federal Recreation Data

To create a web service to obtain data from Recreation.gov now, please see the technical procedures on the Recreation Information Database (RIDB) web page.

Other (non-government) organizations are also encouraged to use the RIDB XML standard and create a "web service" to disseminate their data widely, so their recreation sites will appear in other systems. Sharing data according to a standard will allow different computer systems and websites to display up-to-date, consistent information on public recreation sites and activities.

Download and Use the Recreation.gov Data in Your System or Website

You are invited to use the data on this website in your publication/website/computer system, and to get updates and refresh your website often via Recreation.gov. We request that you provide credit and a link to Recreation.gov in exchange.

Recreation.gov includes information on Federal government managed and Federal government affiliated (subordinate, subsidiary or member) sites. It does not list hotels, restaurants, or tourist attractions managed by private companies or other organizations. Our content focuses on nature-based, historic and cultural activities commonly available on federally managed lands.

The data in Recreation.gov is provided for free - there is no cost to use it, and no need to contact us before incorporating Recreation.gov data into your system. (In exchange, we encourage you to provide a link to Recreation.gov and acknowledge credit, such as Data Source: Recreation.gov)

Link to the Recreation.gov Data

Rather than download updates to Recreation.gov and expand your database, you may choose to simply add links on your pages to this website. Add some simple HTML code to your Web pages, and customers who follow those links will see the most-recent information on Recreation.gov.

For the pre-packaged links to query the Recreation.gov database, see the Guide to Linking to Recreation.gov

Why Is the Data Available?

Recreation.gov is an electronic government ("e-gov") initiative that demonstrates the advantages of using a data standard based on an XML Schema and Web services. The initiative is successful if customers can find recreation information easily, either through the Recreation.gov website or through other channels.

Recreation.gov was developed to share recreation data widely so different websites can provide reliable information to visitors, as well as to provide a "retail outlet" so web users could see the data directly. 

Through use of the Internet, different computer systems and websites can exchange up-to-date information on public recreation sites and activities. As more systems exchange data, the consistency of the information seen by online customers will improve substantially - and the data exchange will also streamline operations and reduce costs.