Parks Open

Use this when exact dates or equipment fit matter, for questions like 'is X available', 'find a site for the long weekend', or 'which parks have space for a 32 ft RV'. It reads observed campsite availability for BC Parks. Ontario collection is paused; Ontario live inventory and camping alerts are unavailable. Filters the official sites cannot: exact equipment fit, electrical, waterfront, shade, pets, privacy — across every park at once. Returns only sites observed open for EVERY requested night, with an absolute Parks Open page URL to cite, a booking link into the official reservation flow (we never book for the user), and observed_at for freshness; verify availability on the official site. Not for: fees, rules, facilities (use parksopen_park_info), weather (parksopen_check_weather), closures (parksopen_check_alerts), or dates beyond the provider's booking window.

Use this when the user asks 'when is X free', 'how busy is X', or 'which weekend should I try' for ONE named park. It returns nightly open counts for the next 8 weeks, whole-stay counts for four weekends, fill rate, and booking rules. For exact equipment fit or specific dates across many parks use parksopen_search_campsites.

Use this when the user has not named a park and wants PARKS ranked by soonest opening or estimated drive time, such as 'where can I camp this weekend' or 'anything near Vancouver with space'. It uses the default tent-compatible inventory and can filter confirmed amenities. Do not use it when van, trailer, RV, or other equipment fit matters; use parksopen_search_campsites with equipment_class. For a named park use parksopen_search_campsites or parksopen_park_availability_calendar.

Use this when checking current closures, fire bans, advisories, or nearby wildfires for one park or system-wide. Run it before recommending a park in summer; these are 'verify before you travel' notices, never a booking or safety claim.

Use this when the user asks about forecast conditions or air quality at a named park. It returns the Environment Canada forecast (daily high/low/conditions, about 6 days) and AQHI for the nearest station; if the park is beyond range it says so and never invents temperatures.

Use this when the user asks whether a BC Parks day-use pass is required, available, sold out, not released yet, or closed for a date, park, access area, or AM/PM slot. It returns the access areas currently covered by live checks across a three-day booking window, with explicit No pass needed versus Sold out states, freshness, coverage limits, the Parks Open comparison page, and the official BC Parks booking handoff. If live inventory is stale, incomplete, or conflicts with published rules, it fails closed and will not claim Available or Sold out.

Use this when the user asks about reservation policy, fees, pets, fires, facilities, or park descriptions, such as 'does X allow dogs' or 'when do reservations open'. Verified policy knowledge currently covers BC Parks only; other systems return an explicit unsupported answer with the official source. Specify system or province for general policy questions; without a park or system the scope is BC Parks. Do not use it for availability (parksopen_search_campsites) or current closures (parksopen_check_alerts).

Use this when a search is complete, or when the user already knows the park and dates, to create a deterministic official reservation link with park, dates, and equipment pre-filled. The user completes the booking there; Parks Open never books, holds sites, takes payment, or treats the link itself as proof of availability.