How do I use NPS MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@NPS MCP Server show me campgrounds in Yosemite National Park" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

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.

Prerequisites

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

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

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.

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.

Connecting to Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop config file:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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?"

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.

NPS MCP Server

NPS MCP Server

Prerequisites

Installation

Configuration

Running the Server

Connecting to Claude Desktop

Connecting to Claude Code

Testing with MCP Inspector

Available Tools

🗺️ Trip Planning

🚨 Alerts & News

🏛️ Facilities

🥾 Activities & Experiences

♿ Amenities

🎟️ Fees & Passes

📸 Multimedia

📚 Educational Content

Known Park Codes

Example Queries

License

Resources

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