ChatGPT and developer access

Parks Open, for AI agents

Query campsite availability across BC Parks, Ontario Parks and return the official booking path. Day-pass tools distinguish published rules from live inventory, which may be unavailable. Results carry observed_at when live data is available; nothing is booked on anyone’s behalf.

Now in ChatGPT

Install Parks Open from the ChatGPT plugin directory to ask for campsites that fit your dates, equipment, and preferred area. Compare parks and follow the official booking link yourself. Availability is observed, not guaranteed; check its timestamp before making plans.

Add to Claude

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste https://parksopen.ca/api/mcp. No key is needed; the tools are read-only. Then try one of the prompts below, or the built-in prompt plan_bc_camping_weekend.

Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "parksopen": {
      "url": "https://parksopen.ca/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http parksopen https://parksopen.ca/api/mcp. Inspect with npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector https://parksopen.ca/api/mcp.

Try asking

“Find a waterfront site that fits a 30 ft trailer near Squamish this long weekend.”
“Is Golden Ears sold out for the weekend of Sep 12? If so, which nearby park has space?”
“When do Alice Lake reservations open for July, and do they allow dogs?”
“Are any day passes available for Golden Ears or Garibaldi? Break it down by access area and time slot.”

Tools

parksopen_search_campsites — Search campsites by live availability
parksopen_park_availability_calendar — Park availability calendar (8 weeks)
parksopen_find_open_parks — Find parks with openings (ranked)
parksopen_check_alerts — Closures, fire bans, advisories, nearby wildfires
parksopen_check_weather — Forecast and air quality at a park
parksopen_check_day_passes — Check BC Parks day-pass availability
parksopen_park_info — Park facts, rules and fees (knowledge base)
parksopen_get_booking_link — Booking link for a park and dates

All tools are read-only, idempotent and open-world (annotated as such), with declared input and output schemas. The MCP server also exposes a park://<system>/<slug> resource per park and a planning prompt. The REST mirror POST /api/tools/<name> takes the same JSON arguments and returns the same structured fields plus _text.

Cite availability and verify freshness

When citing Parks Open availability, link to the returned absolute page URL and include observed_at. Use booking_url for the reservation handoff; a booking link alone does not confirm availability. Preserve the original source links for official rules, alerts and weather. Parks Open is an independent service, not a park authority.

The page field links to the park’s canonical Parks Open page. Report the requested dates and equipment alongside the observation time. If observed_atis missing, do not present the result as confirmed current availability.

Also machine-readable

/llms.txt — what this site is, per system, with every park.
/.well-known/ard.json and /.well-known/agent-card.json — discovery catalogs.
/sitemap.xml — index; one child per system with real lastmod.
Every park page answers first (the live count in the first sentence) and ships Campground + BreadcrumbList JSON-LD.

Directory listings

Find Parks Open in the official MCP Registry and the Glama connector directory. Connect the server in your assistant to make its tools available for camping questions.

Limits and privacy

Fair use: about 60 tool calls a minute per client; heavier use — email us. We read public availability only, store no user credentials, never hold or pay for sites, and never train on your prompts (they are not stored). Data is observed, not guaranteed: check observed_at and book on the official site.

Building something on this? Email support@parksopen.ca.