Rest area overnight stops.
Is it allowed to spend the night at a rest area? Hope this isn't a dumb question to ask.
Forum Discussion
J-Rooster wrote:
What a great question! In Washington State your allowed by law to stay in a rest area for 8 hours. A coworker of mine before I retired pulled over in a truck chain up area (This was during the summer) on Snoqualmie Pass, WA. and went to sleep. He slept for 10 hours and when he woke up he had a ticket on his windshield from the Washington State Patrol. The ticket said your only allowed to stay in a rest area for 8 hours. Don't know about the other 49 States!
A chain up area is not a rest area. A chain up area is a narrow spot on the side of the road for just that purpose. Overnighting in a chain up area prevents others from using that lane for the designated purpose. This is a safety issue.
I apologize for missing that this was in the summer, but my answer will remain mostly the same. You will not block others from chaining up. You will still be parcked in a narrow area along 55-70 MPH traffic and in the state of WA this is not legal. Please call the State Troopers if you don't believe me. Using a breakdown or chainup area to sleep over night is illegal and nothing like using a rest area in WA.
