For 25 years Recreation.gov has made it easier for visitors to find and enjoy their public lands and waters and offer innovative solutions to local land managers. When Recreation.gov first launched in 1998, it was an information sharing hub, bringing destination descriptions and agency links onto one centralized platform, rather than forcing visitors to search multiple websites to learn about federal recreation opportunities.

Now, more than ever, people are seeking outdoor recreation experiences, especially to iconic destinations and activities. This creates supply and demand challenges; some locations simply cannot safely accommodate the number of visitors they receive without affecting the experience or the resources. Land managers are faced with the daily challenges of keeping visitors and staff safe, protecting fragile ecosystems, providing quality recreation experiences, and are seeking solutions to address those concerns.

Recreation.gov is a critical service for visitors and employees. It provides trip-planning and reservation services for 14 federal agencies across more than 5,000 recreation areas and 121,000 individual sites and activities. Recreation.gov is a one-stop shop to make a reservation, secure a permit and buy a ticket to popular federal sites and activities. The interactive website can help users discover hidden gems and off-the-beaten path, some of which may not require reservations at all.

Some people view Recreation.gov as a barrier to going where they want to go, doing what they want to do, when they want to do it. Others appreciate a guarantee of entrance and accommodations that come with their reservation.

Marc Peruzzi, contributing editor for Outside Magazine, published an article in Outside Online titled, “You May Hate Recreation.gov. It Keeps Our Parks from Being Loved to Death.” This article offers a better understanding of great services offered through Recreation.gov and explains just how lucky we are to have this system to help manage the large number of visitors we see. 

We know that managing public lands for future generations is a difficult balance. That’s why we should recognize the great agency staff who listen to internal and external users, create innovative approaches to support management of our public lands, provide program oversight, and inform rules and policies. All that feedback goes to support and improve Recreation.gov and the overall visitor experience.

After 25 years providing millions of visitors with memorable experiences, we should acknowledge Recreation.gov’s success and how they continue to strive for improvement. As part of the Recreation.gov team, we can help provide innovative solutions that balance visitor demand while conserving natural resources.

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