Rest Area Overnighting

Above, The Beast at the Coalinga-Avenal rest area in California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in November, when I had my tire mishap in St. Louis, I had to buy two new tires which cost around $460. That put me in a temporary financial bind.

I had enough to last about three days or so in a campground, but not much left for fuel or anything else. So, I stayed at a rest area near Concordia, Missouri one night to save money (and I was too tired to go much further) and to figure out my next strategy (while waiting for the bank to transfer funds). It had posted signs of "no camping" but nothing about parking an RV to get some shut-eye.

Generally, as I have read, when a rest area says "no camping", that means not setting up a tent in the rest area's grassy areas. I took a chance and slept there. I wasn't molested and there was a Class B RV parked overnight as well. This was the first time I boondocked. I probably saved about $30 to $60 by staying there.

RV Life has an article on staying at rest area and lists six states that allow overnight parking. I was surprised to learn that California is one of them.

According to the article, here's what California allows:

“Stay up to 8 hours in any 24 hour period.”

RV Life begins their article with:

Whether you’re a new or experienced RVer, one thing is clear: sometimes it’s tough to know which states allow overnight parking at rest areas. We all know that some RV driving days can turn into grueling jaunts. So when you’re trying to get from Point A to Point B as fast and safely as possible, a quick overnight stop at a rest area is a hassle-free way to get some shut eye. Skipping the time it takes to locate and hook up at a campground saves time and helps you get on the road bright and early the next day. The only problem? Knowing where you can legally park your RV overnight.

To read more, go here.