Who Runs Recreation.gov? Booz Allen, the Contract and What Changes in 2028

Published October 10, 2026

Recreation.gov looks like a government website, and it is one, but it's built and run by a private company. Here is who's behind it, how they get paid, and why 2028 matters.

What Recreation.gov covers

Recreation.gov is the shared reservation system for the federal land agencies, including the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation. According to the Congressional Research Service, it handles reservations for roughly 4,000 federal recreation sites and more than 120,000 campsites, plus permits, lotteries, timed entry tickets, tours and passes.

The program behind it is called Recreation One Stop. It's run jointly by the participating agencies, and the U.S. Forest Service handles the contract.

Who operates it

In 2016 the Forest Service awarded the contract to Booz Allen Hamilton, a large government consulting firm, after a competitive selection. Before that, the system was operated by ReserveAmerica. Booz Allen launched the redesigned Recreation.gov in 2018 and now hosts, operates and maintains the site and app for the agencies.

How it's paid for

Booz Allen is paid mainly through the fees added to each reservation (for example, $8 for an online campsite reservation), not through a fixed government payment. The Congressional Research Service notes that no portion of that processing fee is kept by the federal government. Those fees have drawn criticism and lawsuits; see Recreation.gov fees explained.

Why 2028 matters

The current contract expires on September 30, 2028. In 2026 the Forest Service began the process of choosing what comes next, asking companies for feedback on its draft requirements for "Recreation One Stop Support Services." Whoever runs Recreation.gov after 2028, and the rules in that contract, will shape:

• What fees campers pay and who keeps them
• How bots and automated booking are handled
• Whether outside websites get more data access, or even the ability to book (see can a third-party website book Recreation.gov for you?)
• How lotteries and permit releases work

Congress is paying attention too. See what Congress is doing about Recreation.gov.

Is Wandering Labs part of Recreation.gov?

No. Wandering Labs is an independent cancellation alert service and isn't affiliated with Recreation.gov, Booz Allen or any federal agency. We watch sold-out Recreation.gov campgrounds and tell you when a site opens up, and you book it on Recreation.gov yourself. Create a free alert.