Where are WA’s rest stops? Where else can I stop on common routes this holiday season?

The holiday season has arrived, and with it comes holiday travel.

Some of the worst traffic conditions of the year fall around specific holidays, as family members and friends hit the road en route to their loved ones and holiday gatherings.

Whether headed a couple towns over, across Washington state or even farther, many are preparing for a classic road trip.

But the classic travel experience comes with classic caveats. Sitting in a car is only comfortable so long, and you may have to stop to stretch your legs and more. There’s also the food, drink and bathroom breaks for you or your group.

All of these challenges can be mediated by using a rest stop. Managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, rest stops are located along major highways throughout the state to offer drivers a place to rest, use the bathroom, stretch their legs or have a snack.

Many are also part of the department’s free coffee program, in an effort to prevent drowsy driving.

“Safety rest areas, including WSDOT’s, serve a vital safety purpose of preventing drowsy driving by giving drivers a place to stop, rest and stretch their legs,” Barbara LaBoe with WSDOT Communications told McClatchy in an email.

About 20 rest areas also have RV dump stations.

“WSDOT rest areas provide service to 24 million annual users,” she said.

Where are Washington’s rest stops?

This map pinpoints each of the WSDOT rest stops. A handful are multi-directional, while the others have facilities on each side of the divided highway for drivers headed in either direction.

Western Washington’s northbound and southbound counterparts are closer together than the eastbound and westbound counterparts at eastern Washington rest stops. They may appear as one pin on this map, but the majority are two. Zoom in to see individual pins.

Some locations have seasonal schedules.

The Iron Goat, Forest Learning Center and Blue Lake Rest Areas are closed in the winter, and the Winchester Rest Areas are currently closed for maintenance.

The Silver Lake rest stop on I-5 is closed indefinitely.

Check your route and rest stops online before hitting the road.

Choosing rest stop locations in WA

How do they pick the locations for rest stops?

Despite the expanse of eastern Washington, many of its routes have no rest stop. Across the state, there are trips with little to no rest areas available.

For starters, WSDOT’s LaBoe said, all rest stop locations were chosen between 1967 and 2011.

Modern funding is available for building new rest stops, just upkeep and maintenance of current sites.

Additionally, location decisions were based on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Guide for the Development of New Rest Areas. That includes guidelines like:

• Service locations with effective stopping opportunities every 60 miles on state routes and interstates

• Safety benefit analyses, based on average annual traffic volume, collision data and associated costs

• Effectiveness of location based on information on the area

• Feasibility analysis on whether the location could handle the traffic volumes

Based on the guidelines, some areas are better sites than others.

WSDOT may pass up on larger urban areas with many places to stop along the route, or routes to less popular scenic byways or camping areas with accommodations from other departments, like the Department of Fish and Wildlife, or local organizations or tribes.

Traveling between rest stops in WA

So, what if you happen to be driving in one of these areas without many nearby rest stops? What if you passed a rest area and need to find an alternative?

Here are some routes with long stretches between rest stops, and where you can stop in the meantime, many including a place to fill up your gas tank or charge your electric vehicle, as well as stretch, find a bathroom and get something to eat, without stopping at a fast food joint.

These routes may have seasonal closures in certain areas. Always plan your trip ahead of time by checking the WSDOT Real Time Travel Map.

U.S. 101

US-101 is a north-south highway from around Washington’s Olympic National Park down to southern California. It wraps around the national land, starting with its I-5 connection near Tumwater, reaching Sequim up north, continuing west to Forks, then south through California.

Through the entire Washington stretch of the highway, which would take over seven hours to drive in its entirety, there are no WSDOT rest stops.

Here are some recommended stopping points. Google the coordinates below or put them in a mapping tool and you’ll get the location:

Tumwater to Sequim:

• Hood Canal Outfitters Gas Station - 24171 N. US Highway 101

• The Tides Family Restaurant - 27061 US Highway 101

• Longhouse Market and Deli - 271020 US Highway 101

• Geoduck Restaurant and Lounge - 307103 US Highway 101

Sequim to Forks:

• Texaco - 232951 US Highway 101

• Fairholme General Store - 221121 US Highway 101

• Granny’s Cafe - 235471 US Highway 101

• Shell - 170 N. Forks Ave.

Forks to Aberdeen

• Kalaloch Lodge/Creekside Restaurant at Olympic National Park - 157151 US Highway 101

• Queets Trading Post - 402 Jackson Heights Drive

• Quinault Internet Cafe - 6094 US Highway 101

• PetroCard CFN - 128 US Highway 101

Aberdeen to Chinook

• Clarks Restaurant - 731 US Highway 101 #6

• 76 - 104 E. Robert Bush Drive East

• Chen’s Restaurant and Motel - 206 Robert Bush Drive East

• Chinook Country Store - 775 US Highway 101

State Route 20

SR-20 connects to US-101 near Uncas, traveling through Port Townsend. A ferry route reconnects SR20 near Keystone, then travels north through San de Fuca, then north right up to the Fidalgo Bay. From there, SR-20 splits, offering a route through Anacortes and to a ferry route to Canada, or a route to the east toward Burlington.

The eastbound route continues through northeastern Washington. Near Okanogan, it connects with U.S. 97 through Tonasket, before breaking off and continuing east up through the Washington-Idaho state line.

Uncas to Canadian border (Anacortes Ferry Terminal) or Burlington

• Safeway Fuel Station - 2611 E. Sims Way

• Midway Carwash Chevron - 960 NE Midway Blvd.

• Bayview Restaurant - 1539 Water Street

• Callen’s Restaurant - 12981 State Route 20

Burlington to Diablo

• GULL - 21481 State Route 20

• Lorenzo’s Mexican Restaurant - 221 Central Avenue

• Birdsview Diner - 39974 State Route 20

• Mondo Restaurant - 60102 State Route 20

Diablo to Omak

• Mazama Store - 50 Lost River Road

• Winthrop Store - 228 Riverside Ave.

• Methow Valley Ciderhouse - 28 State Route 20

• East 20 Pizza - 720 State Route 20

Omak to Republic

• Tonasket Food Mart - 589-501 S. Tonasket Ave.

• El Torito Bar and Grill - 914 Koala Drive

• Appaloosa - 202 2nd Street

• Omak Travel Plaza and China Express - 800 Riverside Drive

Republic to Colville

• The Knotty Pine Restaurant and Lounge - 645 S. Clark Ave.

• Pine Grove Junction - 16267 State Route 21

• Sandy’s Drive Inn - 1045 US-395

• Maverick’s Restaurant - 153 W. 2nd Ave.

Colville to Washington-Idaho border

• Usk Bar and Grill - 112 5th Street

• Crystal Falls

• Kalispel Rest Stop - 418452 - State Route 20

• Mi Pueblo - 311 N. Washington Ave.

U.S. 97

Route 97 is another west coast interstate, stretching from northern California to past the Washington-Canadian border. In the Evergreen State, it starts at the Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing, heading south through Omak and down to Brewster. The route heads around Chelan before briefly connecting with US2 between Dyden and Sunnyslope.

It continues south through Liberty and down to Ellensburg to connect with I-90 and I-82 toward Yakima. Breaking off again around Union Gap, Route 97 goes through Washington and Toppenish before heading south to Goldendale and reaching the Washington-Oregon border near Maryhill. Its only WSDOT rest stops are located along the I-82 stretch, around Pomona.

Oroville-Osoyoos Border Crossing to Omak

• Tonasket Food Mart - 589-501 S. Tonasket Ave.

• Brickhouse - 2002 Main Street Suite 3

• Hometown Pizza, Pasta & Bakery - 1315 Main Street

• Appaloosa - 202 2nd Street

Omak to Dryden

• 12 Tribes Omak Casino Hotel - 28968 US-97

• Exxon - 405 US-97

• Entiat Pub and Grub - 14481 US-97A

• Agave Azul - 128 Cottage Ave.

Dryden to Thrall

• Love’s Travel Stop - 1512 US-97

• Perkins Restaurant & Bakery - 1504 US-97

• Saks Family Restaurant - 2300 Canyon Road

• Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park - 1081 Umptanum Road

Thrall to Toppenish

• WSDOT’s Selah Creek Rest Stops

• Wolf Den - 61 W. Wapato Road

• JJ’s Birrieria and Antojitos - 633 W. 1st Street

• Dad’s Family Restaurant - 433 S. Elm Street

• Sherman Park - W. Birchfield Road

Toppenish to Maryhill

• Yakamart Inc. - 111 Fort Road

• Ayutla’s Family Mexican Restaurant - 630 E. Simcoe Drive

• El Noa Noa - 227 S. Toppenish Ave.

• Town House Cafe - 1040 E. Broadway Street Suite A

U.S. 395

U.S. Route 395 is another West Coast highway, connecting the inland regions of Washington, Oregon and California, with some crossover into Nevada. Crossing into the Canadian border at Laurier, the Washington section of the route heads southeast toward Colville and connects with I-90 around Spokane.

It breaks off around Ritzville, continuing southwest toward Connell and through Tri-Cities. The 395 then connects with I-82 through the Washington-Oregon border near Plymouth, breaking off again near Umatilla, Oregon.

Candian Border at Laurier to Colville

• Barstow General Store - 25290 US-395

• Colville Fuels Noisy Waters - 34291 State Route 20

• Sandy’s Drive Inn - 1045 US-395
  
  

• Ronnie D’s Drive In - 505 N. Lincoln Street

Colville to Mead

• The Old Schoolhouse Trading Post -1372 North Street

• SpoKo Fuel - 2509 US-295

• Loon Lake Grocery and Gas - 3937 Gardenspot Road

• Wisconsinburger - 916 S. Hatch Street

Mead to Lind

• WSDOT’s Sprague Lake Rest Areas

• Ming Wah Restaurant - 1618 W. 3rd Ave.

• Love’s Travel Stop - 1370 N. Highway 261

• Viking Drive-Inn - 209 E. 4th Street

• Mi Jalisco Mexican Restaurant - 1604 Smittys Boulevard

Lind to Washington-Oregon border near Plymouth

• WSDOT’s Hatton Coulee Rest Area

• Connell Gas and Food Mart - 641 S. Columbia Ave.

• Pizza Station - 238 N. Columbia Ave.

• Papa Ray’s - 245 N. Columbia Ave.

• King City Indian Restaurant and Bar - 2125 E. Hillsboro Street

There are many more routes in Washington without WSDOT rest stops. Which would you like to see recommended stops for? Let us know here: