Recreation.gov mobile app makes it easier to plan adventures on BLM-managed lands

Did you hear? Adventure is now right at your fingertips with the Recreation.gov mobile app! From booking a weekend getaway to planning a cross-country road trip, the Recreation.gov app helps you find and reserve campsites, review location details for your trip, and quickly access information on past and upcoming reservations.

This app allows visitors to readily find information for their next public lands adventure. In addition to other public lands locations across the country, the app can be used to access many sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

The Recreation.gov app, launched in 2019, is continually being updated and improved based on customer feedback and input from the 12 participating partner agencies, including the BLM. Since its launch the app has been downloaded more than 3 million times and has received an average 4.8 rating by users on both iOS and Android devices.

“We are excited to promote this app which will help visitors better access their public lands,” said Mark Lambrecht, BLM’s Assistant Director for National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships. “Nearly one-third of BLM’s fee sites can now be accessed through the app, and this number will continue to grow over time.”

The app is available to the public for free download on iOS and Android devices. From the convenience of their mobile devices, users can find the information they need to plan their adventures on public lands all in one place. The app enables users to browse interactive maps, tours, and accessibility information; make and manage reservations; review location details for past and upcoming trips; register for permits, tickets, and lotteries; manage their accounts; and more.

Recreation.gov is an online gateway that allows the public to explore America's outdoor and cultural destinations across the country. Users can find a wide variety of recreational opportunities ranging from camping and hiking to hunting, fishing, whitewater rafting and off-highway vehicle driving. The Recreation.gov mobile app makes exploring these recreation areas and activities even easier.

For example, people can look for tours at the Canyons of the Ancients Museum, part of the BLM-managed Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, which contains the highest known density of archaeological sites in the United States. Visitors can also sign up for tours of the BLM’s Piedras Blancas Light Station, located along the spectacular California coastline. If a visitor arrives at a site that is already full, one feature of the app is a “recommendation” engine, which will alert them to other nearby sites that have availability.

“BLM is promoting use of the Recreation.gov app to meet the agency’s goal to provide enhanced access to online features and customer service—improving the overall visitor experience,” said KC Craven, BLM’s National Recreation Fee Program Assistant Manager. “BLM staff, and especially front-line visitor services personnel, are also encouraged to use the Recreation.gov mobile app to gain confidence in using it and help promote awareness of the app among the public land users they meet.”

We hope that the app will continue to be a useful tool for visitors in the years to come as we continue to add locations and additional information that will help the public better access their public lands and recreation destinations.