Can RVs Park Overnight At Rest Areas?

Above, the Coalinga-Avenal rest area off Interstate 5 in California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One advantage of RVing is that when one gets tired while on the road, they can find a campground or RV park to stop for the night.

But what if there are no campgrounds or RV parks in the vicinity? An obvious solution is to stop at a roadside rest area (should one happens to be in the area). 

I have stayed at a rest area once to overnight. That was six years ago in Missouri. Fortunately, overnighting in the Missouri rest area was allowed.

RV Life has an article on overnighting in rest areas.

They begin it with:

Driving an RV or hauling a trailer when you are tired is dangerous. It just doesn’t make sense to keep going when your brain and body need to sleep.

Highway engineers knew this when they put many rest areas on most of the major routes throughout the US and Canada. These rest stops are usually set up with a parking area, restrooms, and a few picnic tables. Really awesome rest stops have some nice trails or walkways to stretch legs and refresh. There are even a few rest areas with Wi-Fi access and/or a small store where you can buy souvenirs and refreshments. These days, it’s not unusual to find rest stops with electric vehicle charging stations. 

Rest areas are plentiful along most highways because driving is hard work, and sooner or later we can all benefit from a visit to the restroom, a stretch of our legs, and maybe even a nap. If the sun is setting, it can be tempting to just park for the night. 

 To read more, go here.

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.

Up The San Joaquin Valley

Above, The Beast at the Los Banos KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is a very warm day in the San Joaquin Valley of California, where I am currently heading up to Marin County for the book signing event by former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill.

I am taking it easy heading up. I left around 5:30 this morning, only because I didn't want to mess with the morning rush hour.

Above, the Coalinga-Avenal Rest Area facilities. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I am not in any kind of hurry, I made a few stops. The first was for coffee and breakfast in Gorman. Next, it was for fuel somewhere near Buttonwillow on I-5. The next stop was at a rest area in the Coalinga-Avenal area.

I made it to my day's destination, the KOA Kampground in the Los Banos area. It was a good thing I got there when I did (around 11:30), I was starting to feel drowsy.

Above, The Beast at the RV and truck parking at the
 Coalinga-Avenal Rest Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I will be heading the rest of the way to Marin County tomorrow morning and will be staying at a RV park in the area. The event with Clint Hill will be Saturday afternoon. I am looking forward to it. So all I'll have to drive tomorrow is 125 miles.

Oh, yes, I did manage to see one Donald Trump sign along the way. It read: "Another Farmer For Trump".

The Beast is performing splendidly!