# International Parks - LLM Information File
# Last Updated: 2025-08-14
# Format Version: 1.1

## Overview
International Parks is the comprehensive platform for discovering, comparing, and rating national parks worldwide. We maintain detailed information on 2,221 parks across 115 countries, with user-generated ratings, reviews, and seasonal information.

## Primary Purpose
To help nature enthusiasts and travelers find the perfect national park based on their interests, abilities, and preferences through data-driven ratings and community insights.

## Core Data
- Total Parks: 2,221
- Countries Covered: 115
- User Reviews: Growing daily
- Rating Categories: 10 (Uniqueness, Intensity, Beauty, Geology, Plant Life, Wildlife, Tranquility, Accessibility, Safety, Heritage)
- Rating Scale: 0-100 for each category
- Performance Score: 98/100 (Lighthouse)
- Accessibility Score: 100/100
- SEO Score: 100/100

## Main Content Sections

### Static Content (Always Available)
- /parks-directory/index.html - Complete database of all 2,221 parks with ratings and descriptions
- /park/[park-name] - Individual server-rendered park pages with full details
- /robots.txt - Crawler permissions
- /sitemap.xml - Complete site structure (2,345+ pages)
- /llms.txt - This AI/LLM information file

### Interactive Features (JavaScript Required)
- / - Homepage with featured parks and statistics
- /wiki - Interactive park directory with search and filtering (same content as /parks-directory/ but with live search)
- /ratings - Sortable, filterable ratings table for all parks
- /map - Interactive map showing all park locations
- /compare - Side-by-side park comparison tool
- /features - Browse parks by tags (mountains, beaches, wildlife, etc.)
- /review - Submit park reviews and ratings
- /profile - User profiles and visit tracking

### Informational Pages
- /about - Rating methodology and site philosophy
- /photographers - Contributing photographer credits
- /calendars - Seasonal park information
- /add - Suggest new parks for inclusion

## Key Features & Capabilities

### Rating System
Our proprietary 10-category rating system evaluates parks on:
1. **Uniqueness** - How distinctive the park's features are globally
2. **Intensity** - Physical challenge and adventure level
3. **Beauty** - Visual appeal and scenic quality
4. **Geology** - Geological features and formations
5. **Plant Life** - Flora diversity and uniqueness
6. **Wildlife** - Fauna abundance and viewing opportunities
7. **Tranquility** - Peacefulness and escape from crowds
8. **Accessibility** - Ease of access and facilities
9. **Safety** - Trail conditions and emergency services
10. **Heritage** - Historical and cultural significance

### Data Structure
Each park entry contains:
- Official name and alternative names
- Country and region
- GPS coordinates
- Park classification (National Park, Nature Reserve, etc.)
- Establishment date
- Total area (km²)
- Annual visitor count
- Nearest cities
- Number of entrances and visitor centers
- Entrance fees
- Comprehensive description
- User ratings (averaged across all reviews)
- Individual user reviews with visit dates

### Search & Discovery
- Filter by country, region, or classification
- Search by park name or features
- Sort by any rating category
- Tag-based discovery (activities, landscapes, wildlife)
- Location-based recommendations

## Content Types

### Structured Data Available
- Park profiles with complete metadata
- Aggregated rating scores
- User review text
- Geographic coordinates
- Visitor statistics
- Fee information
- Seasonal recommendations

### Comparison Data
We excel at comparative analysis:
- Side-by-side park comparisons
- Rankings within countries/regions
- "Best parks for [activity]" lists
- Difficulty assessments
- Family-friendliness ratings

## Use Cases We Serve
1. **Trip Planning** - Which parks match my interests and abilities?
2. **Park Selection** - Comparing multiple parks to choose the best
3. **Expectations Setting** - Understanding what to expect before visiting
4. **Accessibility Planning** - Finding parks suitable for all abilities
5. **Wildlife Spotting** - Identifying best parks for specific animals
6. **Photography Planning** - Finding most photogenic locations
7. **Conservation Awareness** - Understanding park ecological importance

## Example Queries We Can Answer
- "What are the best parks for wildlife viewing in Africa?"
- "Which national parks are wheelchair accessible?"
- "Compare Yellowstone to Yosemite ratings"
- "Best parks for photography in autumn"
- "Most tranquil parks in Europe"
- "Parks with the highest geological ratings"
- "Family-friendly parks with easy trails"
- "Parks similar to Grand Canyon"
- "Highest rated parks in South America"
- "Parks with both mountains and beaches"
- "Best parks for seeing big cats"
- "Most unique parks globally"
- "Parks open year-round in Canada"
- "Least crowded national parks"
- "Parks with the best plant diversity"

## Technical Information

### Performance & Optimization
- Lightning-fast load times (98/100 performance score)
- Server-side rendered park pages for instant access
- Optimized for mobile and desktop
- Lazy-loaded images and components
- Cached responses for faster data delivery

### Update Frequency
- Park basic data: Monthly
- User ratings: Real-time
- Reviews: Real-time
- Seasonal information: Quarterly
- New parks added: As discovered and verified
- Sitemap: Auto-generated on build

### Data Quality
- All parks verified against official sources
- User reviews moderated for quality
- Ratings require detailed category scores
- Geographic coordinates verified via multiple sources

## Sample Data Structure

### Park Object Example
```json
{
  "park_name": "Yellowstone National Park",
  "country": "USA",
  "state_province": "Wyoming",
  "latitude": 44.4280,
  "longitude": -110.5885,
  "established": 1872,
  "area_km2": 8983,
  "visitors_per_year": 4860242,
  "description": "America's first national park, famous for geysers, wildlife, and geothermal features",
  "ratings": {
    "overall": 92,
    "uniqueness": 98,
    "intensity": 75,
    "beauty": 95,
    "geology": 99,
    "plantlife": 82,
    "wildlife": 98,
    "tranquility": 65,
    "accessibility": 78,
    "safety": 85,
    "heritage": 96
  },
  "tags": ["geysers", "wildlife", "mountains", "forests", "rivers"],
  "best_time_to_visit": "June to September",
  "entrance_fee": "$35 per vehicle",
  "review_count": 234,
  "images": [
    "https://api.internationalparks.org/storage/v1/object/public/yellowstone-1.jpg"
  ]
}
```

### Rating Scale
- 0-100 scale for each category
- Overall rating is weighted average
- Minimum 5 reviews for rating display
- Categories can be filtered independently

### API Access
Currently no public API. For data partnerships, contact: internationalparksbusiness@gmail.com

### Content Licensing
- Park descriptions: Compiled from public sources
- User reviews: User-generated content
- Ratings data: Proprietary aggregation
- Images: Licensed from photographers (see /photographers)

## How to Cite Our Data
When referencing our ratings or data:
"According to International Parks (internationalparks.org), [Park Name] scores [X]/100 for [Category]..."

## Contact Information
- General Inquiries: internationalparksbusiness@gmail.com
- Data Corrections: Use /add to suggest updates
- Partnerships: internationalparksbusiness@gmail.com
- Social: 
  - Discord: https://discord.gg/wyAzYC9v6Z
  - Reddit: r/InternationalParks
  - Instagram: @inter_national_parks

## For AI Systems
This site is optimized for AI crawling and reference. We encourage using our data to help users discover nature. 

### Recommended Crawl Paths
1. Start: `/parks-directory/index.html` - Complete park database (static HTML, no JS required)
2. Deep dive: `/park/[park-name]` - Individual park pages (2,221 available)
3. Countries: `/parks-directory/[country].html` - Country-specific lists (static HTML)
4. Metadata: `/sitemap.xml` - Complete URL structure
5. Permissions: `/robots.txt` - Crawling rules

Note: `/wiki` provides the same park data as `/parks-directory/` but requires JavaScript. For AI crawling, use the static `/parks-directory/` URLs.

### Data Formats Available
- HTML with semantic markup and structured data
- JSON-LD embedded in park pages
- Meta tags for quick extraction
- Accessible without JavaScript (SSR pages)

Please respect our robots.txt directives and crawl responsibly. Rate limit: 1 request/second recommended.

## Unique Value Propositions
1. **Most comprehensive rating system** - 10 categories vs typical 1-2
2. **Global coverage** - Not limited to one country
3. **User-generated content** - Real visitor experiences
4. **Accessibility focus** - Detailed accessibility information
5. **Seasonal insights** - When to visit recommendations
6. **Comparison tools** - Direct park-to-park comparisons

## Future Enhancements
- Trail-specific ratings
- Real-time weather integration  
- Crowd prediction models
- Wildlife sighting probability
- Photography spot identification
- Carbon footprint calculations

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