National Parks MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the National Park Service API. Search parks, get details, check alerts, find campgrounds, browse events, and locate visitor centers across all U.S. national parks.

View on mpak registry | Built by NimbleBrain

Install

Install with mpak:

mpak install @nimblebraininc/nationalparks

Configuration

This server requires a free API key from the National Park Service Developer Portal.

mpak config set @nimblebraininc/nationalparks api_key YOUR_NPS_API_KEY

Claude Code

claude mcp add nationalparks -- mpak run @nimblebraininc/nationalparks

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nationalparks": {
      "command": "mpak",
      "args": ["run", "@nimblebraininc/nationalparks"]
    }
  }
}

See the mpak registry page for full install options.

Tools

findParks

Search for national parks based on state, name, activities, or other criteria.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`stateCode`	`string`	No	State code, e.g. `"CA"` or `"CA,OR,WA"`
`q`	`string`	No	Search term for name or description
`limit`	`number`	No	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
`start`	`number`	No	Start position for pagination
`activities`	`string`	No	Filter by activities, e.g. `"hiking,camping"`

getParkDetails

Get detailed information about a specific national park including descriptions, hours, fees, contacts, and activities.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`parkCode`	`string`	Yes	Park code, e.g. `"yose"` for Yosemite

getAlerts

Get current alerts for national parks including closures, hazards, and important information.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`parkCode`	`string`	No	Park code(s), e.g. `"yose"` or `"yose,grca"`
`limit`	`number`	No	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
`start`	`number`	No	Start position for pagination
`q`	`string`	No	Search term for title or description

getVisitorCenters

Get information about visitor centers and their operating hours.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`parkCode`	`string`	No	Park code(s), e.g. `"yose"` or `"yose,grca"`
`limit`	`number`	No	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
`start`	`number`	No	Start position for pagination
`q`	`string`	No	Search term for name or description

getCampgrounds

Get information about available campgrounds and their amenities.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`parkCode`	`string`	No	Park code(s), e.g. `"yose"` or `"yose,grca"`
`limit`	`number`	No	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
`start`	`number`	No	Start position for pagination
`q`	`string`	No	Search term for name or description

getEvents

Find upcoming events at parks.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`parkCode`	`string`	No	Park code(s), e.g. `"yose"` or `"yose,grca"`
`limit`	`number`	No	Max results (default: 10, max: 50)
`start`	`number`	No	Start position for pagination
`dateStart`	`string`	No	Start date filter (`YYYY-MM-DD`)
`dateEnd`	`string`	No	End date filter (`YYYY-MM-DD`)
`q`	`string`	No	Search term for title or description

Example Prompts

Tell me about national parks in Colorado.

What's the entrance fee for Yellowstone National Park?

Are there any closures or alerts at Yosemite right now?

Which national parks in Utah have good hiking trails?

Park Codes

Park	Code	Park	Code
Yosemite	`yose`	Great Smoky Mountains	`grsm`
Grand Canyon	`grca`	Acadia	`acad`
Yellowstone	`yell`	Olympic	`olym`
Zion	`zion`	Rocky Mountain	`romo`
Joshua Tree	`jotr`	Sequoia & Kings Canyon	`seki`

For a complete list, visit the NPS website.

Quick Start

Local Development

git clone https://github.com/NimbleBrainInc/mcp-server-nationalparks.git
cd mcp-server-nationalparks

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build
npm run build

# Run (stdio mode for Claude Desktop / mpak)
node build/index.js --stdio

# Run (HTTP mode for cloud deployment)
node build/index.js

The server supports HTTP transport with:

Health check: GET /health
MCP endpoint: POST /mcp

Development

# Build TypeScript
make build

# Build MCPB bundle locally
make bundle

# Bump version across all files
make bump VERSION=0.3.0

About

National Parks MCP Server is published on the mpak registry and built by NimbleBrain. mpak is an open registry for Model Context Protocol servers.

License

MIT

National Parks

README