canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/ridb.recreation.gov/ridb-recreation-gov

# Ridb Recreation Gov RIDB API

The Recreation Information Database (RIDB) API provides data about federal recreation areas, facilities, campsites, permits, tours, activities, and events managed by the US government. Requires an API key for authentication. The API exposes 12 endpoints secured with apiKey authentication.

## For AI agents

Programmatically list all organizations, get a specific organization. Covers 12 operations with apiKey authentication.

## Scope

Does not handle payments, communications, or crm - use for identity and authentication only.

## Capabilities

- List all organizations
- Get a specific organization
- Integrate RIDB API into automated workflows
- Query and filter RIDB API records by parameters
- Monitor RIDB API operational status and events

## Use cases

### Identity and Authentication Operations

Use the RIDB API to perform identity auth operations programmatically. The API provides 12 endpoints covering core functionality including list all organizations, get a specific organization, list recreation areas.

Example prompt: Call GET /organizations to list all organizations

### Automated Activities Management

Automate activities operations by combining multiple RIDB API endpoints. Agents can get a specific organization and then list recreation areas in a single workflow.

Example prompt: Call GET `/organizations/{orgId}` to get a specific organization, then verify the result

### AI Agent Integration via Jentic

AI agents discover and call RIDB API endpoints through Jentic without managing credentials directly. An agent searches for the required operation by intent, receives the matching endpoint schema, and executes the call with Jentic-managed authentication. This eliminates the need to read API documentation or handle apiKey tokens manually.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'list all organizations', load the operation schema, and execute with Jentic-managed credentials

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GET | `/organizations` | List all organizations |
| GET | `/organizations/{orgId}` | Get a specific organization |
| GET | `/recareas` | List recreation areas |
| GET | `/recareas/{recAreaId}` | Get a specific recreation area |
| GET | `/facilities` | List facilities |
| GET | `/facilities/{facilityId}` | Get a specific facility |
| GET | `/campsites` | List campsites |
| GET | `/campsites/{campsiteId}` | Get a specific campsite |

## Key resources

- **Activities** — Operations for activities
- **Campsites** — Operations for campsites
- **Events** — Operations for events
- **Facilities** — Operations for facilities
- **Organizations** — Operations for organizations

## AI readiness

This API is usable in Jentic One now. Its AI-readiness score against Jentic's framework shows where it stands today and where improvements would make it even easier for agents to use.

- **Score:** 47 / 100
- **Maturity:** Foundational
- **Dimensions:**
  - Foundational Compliance: 93 / 100
  - Developer Experience & Jentic Compatibility: 63 / 100
  - AI-Readiness & Agent Experience: 48 / 100
  - Agent Usability: 94 / 100
  - Security: 15 / 100
  - AI Discoverability: 66 / 100
- **View full report:** https://jentic.com/apis/ridb.recreation.gov/ridb-recreation-gov/scorecard
- **How the score is calculated:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/overview/
- **More about the dimensions:** https://docs.jentic.com/reference/api-readiness-framework/specification/#dimensional-model-overview

### Score it yourself

Every API in the directory is allowlisted, so you can re-score it with no key required.

- **Score your own API:** https://jentic.com/scorecard.md
- **Scoring CLI agent skill:** https://github.com/jentic/jentic-api-scorecard/blob/main/skills/jentic-api-scorecard/SKILL.md

```sh
npx @jentic/api-scorecard-cli score <openapi-url>
```

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the RIDB API by hand means registering for an apikey, appending it as a query parameter on every call to the recreation.gov host, and paging through organizations, rec areas, facilities, and campsites yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the RIDB API from the API Directory, store the API key once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** RIDB puts the resource id in the URL path (`/facilities/{facilityId}`, `/recareas/{recAreaId}`), so a rule can pin your agent to one facility or rec area and its lookups. You choose the operations it may call, and since this directory is read-only the agent lists and reads records without any write path unless you add one.
- **Credential handling:** Your RIDB API key is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'find campsites in a rec area' or 'look up a facility by id', and Jentic returns the matching RIDB API operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Auth0** — Alternative identity auth API
- **Okta** — Alternative identity auth API

## FAQ

### What authentication does the RIDB API use?

The RIDB API uses an API key passed in the `apikey` query. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time, so raw secrets never enter the agent context.

### Can I list all organizations with the RIDB API?

Yes. Use the GET /organizations endpoint. The API returns structured JSON responses that agents can parse and act on directly.

### What are the rate limits for the RIDB API?

Rate limits are not specified in the OpenAPI spec. Check the vendor documentation for current limits. Through Jentic, rate limiting is handled automatically with retry logic built into the execution layer.

### How do I list all organizations through Jentic?

Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, authenticate through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer, then search for 'list all organizations'. Jentic returns the matching RIDB API operation with its input schema. Load the schema and execute the call - credentials are injected automatically.

### How many endpoints does the RIDB API have?

The RIDB API exposes 12 endpoints covering activities, campsites, events operations.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the RIDB API?

Yes. Jentic One is self-hosted, so your own rules decide which RIDB operations and credentials the agent may use. Because RIDB puts the resource id in the URL path, such as `/facilities/{facilityId}` and `/recareas/{recAreaId}`, you can pin the agent to a single facility or recreation area and its lookups, and choose exactly which endpoints it may call. Since this directory is read-only, the agent lists and reads organizations, rec areas, facilities, and campsites with no write path unless you add one.