An Unsafe Trend That Could Put A Dampener On Your Colorado Road Trip

Road trips are exciting adventures. They allow the opportunity to take long drives, listen to your favorite music, and see some amazing attractions along the way. You can even stay in new towns, especially if you travel through the most stunning and storied routes for a U.S. road trip. When you need to stretch your legs, it's usually easy enough to find a rest stop. Most spots are perfect for taking a quick nap, grabbing a snack, and using the bathroom, and others might have full restaurants, coffee bars, and information centers. There are also some pretty unique and impressive rest stops across America that offer fun features and views. While most states have an abundance of rest stops, there are a few where you may be out of luck if you go searching for one. 

Colorado is a great example: It was a state once filled with rest stops – 36 in fact – back in 2007. Since then several have closed, leading to just 26 places where drivers can stop as of January 2024. Even ones that are technically open might not be the rest stops you are expecting. Some only allow truckers, and others have absolutely no bathrooms, making it a bit difficult for those traveling in cars. But it's not just inconvenient — it can be very unsafe to have so few. Unfortunately, with more and more rest stops closing down in certain states, it's getting harder to have these spaces.

It's not only closed rest stops that are a problem either. Sometimes, they end up having truckers take over a lot of spots, especially as night approaches. With more semi trucks on the roads every year and fewer and fewer rest areas, the competition for places to stop is turning into a problem. To avoid overtime fines, truckers park where they can and deal with it later. This means they sometimes stop on shoulders, or in the car parking area of a rest stop, limiting spaces for the standard vehicles. However, you hopefully don't have to worry about rest stops disappearing entirely. 

Though it's a slow process, especially in Colorado, many states are looking to not only keep these areas, but improve them. These locations would have more parking for both truckers and cars and updated facilities. It's not just a state or federal push either. Big gas station companies such as Flying J, Buc-ee's, and Love's are making it so all types of drivers can be sure they have places to park, and offer an alternative to the road trip sleeping hack you may want to avoid to stay safe. With Americans' time spent on the road increasing, this is something sorely needed.