Can You Stay Overnight In Wyoming Rest Areas? (New Rules)


Can You Stay Overnight In Wyoming Rest Areas

Have you ever wondered if you can stay overnight in Wyoming rest areas? Look no more. We´ve got you covered.

Wyoming is a state with some fairly relaxed rules when it comes to using their rest areas. In fact, some would argue that Wyoming is probably one of the best states to park in if you want to use a rest area.

So, can you stay overnight in Wyoming rest areas? Yes, you absolutely can stay overnight in Wyoming rest areas. In fact, Wyoming allows you to stay as long as you want in their rest areas. This is because they do not want people to drive on the roads when they are too tired, after all.

Can You Stay Overnight in Wyoming Rest Areas?

I cannot stress enough just how important it is that you are only using Wyoming rest areas to actually rest.

While you can stay an indefinite amount of time at the rest areas, the law only allows you to stay there while you are too tired to drive.

So, you can’t just pull into a rest area and stay overnight if you have been on the road for an hour or so. It is more for those long-distance travelers.

Read also: Where Can You Legally Live in an RV? (Incl. 10 Examples)

Can You Sleep in the Wyoming Rest Area?

Yes. You are allowed to sleep at the Wyoming rest area. In fact, it is actively encouraged. Nobody should disturb you. Pretty much the whole point of these areas in the first place is to allow people to sleep.

If you are sleeping, it may actually work in your favor as this indicates that you are far too tired to drive.

Are There Rules Related to Staying in Wyoming Rest Areas?

You are not allowed to camp in the rest area. This means that you cannot pitch a tent or pull the awning out of your vehicle.

You may not even be allowed to set chairs up outside of the vehicle. The whole purpose of a rest area is to rest. It is not supposed to be used as a long-term area to relax in. 

👉 You should not be giving the impression that you are not tired too. For example, if you have done a bit of sleeping and you are now spending time watching TV in your RV, then you will probably be moved on.

This is because you will have rested, and if you are alert enough to watch TV and not sleep some more, then you are alert enough to use the roads.

👉 Obviously, you should not be creating any noise. If you are creating noise, then this would indicate that you are not tired enough to be on the road.

You should also ensure that your vehicle is not left unattended. If it is left unattended, then you are clearly not too tired to drive. When you return, you will probably be asked to leave.

Finally, you are allowed to cook at Wyoming rest areas, but you cannot use an open fire. You should be using a gas stove only. This means no pulling out a BBQ!

Read also: Average RV Park Rates: Nationwide Campgrounds Prices per Night

Are Wyoming Rest Areas Monitored?

Most Wyoming rest areas are going to be staffed at all hours of the day. The rest areas that do not have staff there will have somebody driving past every so often to ensure that everybody is playing within the rules of the rest area.

So, if you are at a rest area, then you will have somebody monitoring you, but it does not necessarily mean that they are going to be interacting with you.

Read also: Can I Park an RV at Walmart? [Recent Law & Rules]

What Happens if You Break the Rules of a Wyoming Rest Area?

If you break the rules of the rest area, then you will be asked to leave. Although, this will often have to be quite a serious rule breach.

Most people report that those that spend their time around the rest area are barely ever going to be disturbed by the staff.

👉 Even then, they may allow you to correct your mistake. For example, if you are clearly far too tired to be on the road and you pull the awning of your vehicle out, they aren’t going to kick you out right away.

rest-areas-in-wyoming

They will inform you of the issue and you can correct it.

👉 If they have little choice but to kick you out, then their decision is firm. If you refuse to leave when asked, you are committing trespass.

This, of course, is going to be a crime. You will feel the full penalty of the law. Thankfully, it is rare that it will come to that. Most staff members will just want you to move on without causing any issues.

👉 Remember, if you do not know the rules for a specific rest area, or you are looking for clarification on certain rules, then do not hesitate to ask the staff.

They are there to help you. There will also be signposts scattered around the are that will tell you exactly what is expected of you while you are on the property.

Read also: Can You Sleep In McDonald’s Parking Lot? (The Truth)

How Do You Find Wyoming Rest Areas?

All rest areas will be clearly signposted. They are mostly going to be located close to commercial shipping areas.

For example, it is likely that the rest areas will be located close to main roads. There are some that are a bit off the beaten path, but these are few and far between.

You can also find plenty of guides online about Wyoming rest areas.

However, you will probably want to bear in mind that a lot of the information you find online is not 100% guaranteed to be accurate. This is because the rules for staying at rest areas can change over time.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of the rules for Wyoming rest areas were tightened up in order to reduce the risk of a disease spreading. Some even remained unstaffed.

Check out the rest areas in Wyoming here >> http://whp.dot.state.wy.us/sites/wydot/home.html

Map Of Rest Areas Near Me

Just follow the link where you can find the map of rest areas in Wyoming >> http://whp.dot.state.wy.us/restareas

Wyoming Overnight Parking and Rest areas Rules

If you are interested in the overnight parking and rest areas rules in Wyoming, then just follow the link to the Interstate Rest Areas Webpage where you can see the current status.

https://www.interstaterestareas.com/overnight-parking-rules/

Is it Safe to Stay at a Wyoming Rest Area?

Yes. Since these rest areas are going to be patrolled fairly often, then they should be safe. It is rare for there to be crime at the best of times at rest areas.

This is because there will almost always be multiple people there, and everybody keeps an eye out for each other.

That being said, as with all situations, you can never be 100% certain that you are not going to be the victim of a crime at one of these rest areas.

This means that you will need to ensure that you keep an eye out.

For example, make sure that your vehicle is locked, that no valuables are on display, etc. If you do not do that, then you are going to be more at risk of being the victim of a crime.

Read also: Tips For NON-Truckers: Are Truck Stops Safe for RV’s to Park Overnight?

Conclusion 

You can stay overnight at a Wyoming rest area. In fact, legally, you are allowed to stay as long as you want.

Assuming that you do not break the rules for the rest area, then nobody is going to disturb you. You can even sleep while at the rest area!

However, do be prepared to be moved on if the staff of the rest area believe that you are doing more than just resting.

This isn’t going to be the same as a campsite. It is purely to give you a break from the road.

Mike Gilmour

Hi, I'm Mike, co-founder, and editor of RV and Playa. My passion is traveling (with my RV) and enjoying the day at the beach (Playa)! Well, I originally created this blog as a way to share what I've learned by experimenting with the RV lifestyle, and I want to help others develop in life through new skills and opportunities.

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