Two Arizona rest areas near Flagstaff, Parks on I-40 and Christensen on I-17, are for truck parking only

If you’re driving a car or an RV, don’t plan your night around the Parks rest area on I-40 or the Christensen rest area on I-17. Both are near Flagstaff, and both are truck lots. ADOT’s Rest Area Locations page, read November 5, 2026, says each site “is primarily designated only for truck parking.”

What ADOT says about the two sites

Christensen sits at I-17 milepost 324, just north of Munds Park. Parks sits on I-40 west of Flagstaff, just west of Bellemont. Each has a northbound and southbound (or eastbound and westbound) side. The locations page describes them as stripped down: “only formalized truck stalls are marked on the pavement,” porta-johns and hand wash stations, and a caretaker present 8 hours a day.

That matches ADOT’s January 29, 2026 release. It said both “formerly closed” sites would reopen in spring 2026 “for truck parking only.” Parks gets 21 new spaces on top of 18 existing, and Christensen reopens its existing 21. The release also lists two more truck expansions: 125 spaces at Burnt Well on I-10 and 133 at Meteor Crater on I-40.

One small inconsistency: ADOT’s project page puts Parks at milepost 182, and the locations page says 185. Look for the sign, not the number.

What it means if you’re not in a truck

ADOT says “primarily,” and we found no ADOT text that says what happens to a car or RV parked in a truck stall. We’re not going to guess. Treat both as truck lots, read the sign when you pull in, and don’t take a stall a trucker needs.

The useful fact is the gap it leaves. On ADOT’s own list, the I-17 rest areas south of Christensen are McGuireville (mileposts 296 to 297) and Sunset Point (251 to 252). On I-40, the list shows no other state rest area between Parks and Haviland (mileposts 22 to 23) near Kingman. Heading west out of Flagstaff, that’s more than 150 miles. Sleep before you leave town.

Burnt Well on I-10 gets a work zone in December

For snowbirds running I-10 between Phoenix and Quartzsite: ADOT’s Burnt Wells project flyer says construction on new overflow truck lots at milepost 86 “is scheduled to begin December 2026,” and the rest area “will remain open during construction.” The project page still says “tentatively scheduled to begin late winter 2026.” Either way it stays open, but expect a work zone. Check az511.gov before you count on it.

What the rules page still says

ADOT’s Rest Area Rules page prohibits “Camping/campfires” and “Dumping of sewage and household trash.” It posts no hour cap and no overnight parking ban. Sleeping in your vehicle to get safe to drive fits the page. Chairs out and an awning up does not. The posted sign at the site beats ADOT’s general page and ours. Our Arizona rest area page has the full rule, and why truck and car limits split explains the pattern in other states.