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Arizona Rest Areas

When You Have to Go, It Pays to Know Where to Find Rest Stops in Arizona

When it's time to take a break while driving the state's highways, Arizona rest areas are a welcome sight.

Although many of the eighteen Arizona rest stops had been closed due to the state's budget woes, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) re-opened most of them as of October 6, 2010.

Four rest stops - Mazatzal (SR 87), Mohawk (I-8), Parks (I-40) and Salt River Canyon (US 60) - will remain closed due to serious repair issues.

The Sunset Point rest stop is about half way between Phoenix and Sedona

Closed Arizona rest stops are inaccessible to all motor traffic, with all bathroom and other services turned off.

When using rest stops, please help keep them clean and in working order for your fellow travelers. ADOT estimates that it costs about $320,000 per rest area per year to pay for electricity, water and routine maintenance.

Federal highway money is not allowed to be used on rest areas. Operation and maintenance of Arizona rest areas are paid for by the state.

Allowing private companies to lease Arizona rest areas is under consideration by the state. Another option being explored is for the state to completely privatize all Arizona rest stops.

In order for this to happen though, Congress has to repeal a 1956 federal law that prohibits new commercial operations in rest areas along roads built with federal money.

Below is a list of all state-run Arizona rest stops and their current status, organized numerically by highway number, plus a map of rest stops in the state.

The list of closed Arizona rest stops includes the nearest town where you may find bathrooms at private business facilities.

Please note: although the Arizona Department of Transportation currently lists these rest stops as open, they may close any of them at any time due to maintenance or safety issues. If you're planning to use a specific rest stop, check with the ADOT at 602-712-7355 or at www.azdot.gov before you travel.

Open Arizona Rest Areas

Highway	Rest Area	Location
Interstate 8	Sentinel	I-8 between Gila Bend and Dateland
Interstate 10	Bouse Wash	Near New Hope (Rest stop on eastbound side open; currently closed in westbound direction)
Interstate 10	Burnt Well	I-10 between Buckeye and Tonopah
Interstate 10	Ehrenberg	Near the Colorado River
Interstate 10	Sacaton	On the Gila River Indian Reservation
Interstate 10	San Simon	Just east of the Arizona-New Mexico border
Interstate 10	Texas Canyon	I-10 between Benson and Willcox
Interstate 17	McGuireville	About 3 miles south of Highway 179
Interstate 17	Sunset Point	I-17 between Phoenix and Camp Verde
Interstate 19	Canoa Ranch	A few miles north of Amado
Interstate 40	Haviland	A few miles south of Yucca
Interstate 40	Meteor Crater	A few miles east of Meteor City
Interstate 40	Painted Cliffs	I-40 near the border with New Mexico
U.S. Highway 60	Wickenburg/ Hassayampa	6 miles northwest to Wickenburg

Closed Arizona Rest Areas

Highway	Rest Area	Location	Closest Facilities to Closed Rest Stop
Interstate 8	Mohawk	Between Yuma and Gila Bend	12 miles to Dateland; 26 miles to Wellton Page
Interstate 40	Parks	About half way between Williams and Flagstaff	3 miles to Bellemont Truck Stop
State Route 87	Mazatzal	Near the S.R. 87 & Highway 188 interchange	17 miles north to Payson
U.S. Highway 60	Salt River Canyon	At the Salt River	35 miles south to Globe

Here is a link to a PDF Map of Arizona Rest Areas from the Arizona Department of Transportation. This map shows both ADOT-owned and nonADOT-owned rest areas.

Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation

This information was accurate at the time of publication. Availability, access and directions should be confirmed directly with the agency before making reservations and/or travel plans.

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Legal Disclaimer: Arizona-Vacation-Planner.com accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.

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