Montana rest areas allow 12 hours of overnight parking. Seven of them close for the winter on November 15.

You can park overnight at a Montana rest area for up to 12 hours, in one space, as long as you don’t camp. That is the Montana Department of Transportation’s own published policy. If you’re crossing the state on a snowbird run, know that seven rest areas list November 15 as their last day of the season. We read MDT’s page and the state code on November 8, 2026.

What MDT says

The MDT rest area page puts it in two sentences: “Overnight parking is allowed but limited to one parking space per vehicle and for a maximum of 12 hours. Camping at Montana rest areas is prohibited.”

Behind that sits a 2025 law. MCA 60-6-202 prohibits overnight camping on state highway right-of-way. It exempts “a designated rest area, parking area, or pullout specifically authorized for temporary parking and rest in compliance with department rule, not to exceed 24 hours.” So the law sets 24 hours as the ceiling, and MDT’s posted policy is 12. Plan on 12.

The law defines camping broadly: “the use of outdoor property for the purpose of habitation, including sleeping, sitting, or lying.” Overnight camping is doing that “between dusk and dawn.” The enforcement section starts with a written notice to vacate within 72 hours, and a civil fine of up to $50 if you ignore it.

Seven close on November 15

MDT’s table lists an April 15 to November 15 season for:

• Jefferson City northbound and southbound, I-15 near mile 178. The southbound side lists an RV dump station.
• Custer eastbound and westbound, I-94 at miles 38.2 and 41.3.
• Vandalia, US-2 at mile 527.
• Roberts, US-212 at mile 84.4.
• Bridger, US-310 at mile 29.1.

Locate, on US-12, runs to November 30. Several more list closures: Dena Mora eastbound on I-90 for construction, both Homestake Pass sites on I-90 for maintenance and construction, and Bad Route on I-94 “until fall of 2026 for renovations.” Fall 2026 is now, and the page doesn’t say whether Bad Route reopened.

If you need a dump on the way south, the table lists dump stations at Quartz Flats eastbound and both Alberton sites on I-90, all at year-round rest areas. It doesn’t say whether the dumps themselves stay usable in a freeze. Clearwater Junction’s dump station is listed as closed.

The catch

MDT says the dates “may vary each year and are subject to change,” and points to its 511 map for current status. A rest area that is open can still close for repairs.

The 12 hours covers your vehicle in one space. Camping is still prohibited, and the statute’s definition of camping includes sitting or lying outdoors for habitation, so keep the chairs and the tent packed. The law lets MDT adopt its own rules on this; we didn’t check whether it has.

The posted sign at each rest area beats any website, ours included.

One correction to our own record

When we built our Montana rest area page in July, MDT’s site turned away our tools and we found no rule in the code, so we listed Montana as not verified and called the 12-hour figure unsourced. MDT’s site still blocks direct requests from us. On November 8 we read the page’s text through a web reader and the statute directly from the Legislature’s site, and both say what is quoted above. We’ve flagged that page for an update. Until it changes, go by this post.

What to do

Check MDT 511 before a night drive on I-15, I-94 or US-2 after November 15, and have a second stop picked. If you’re heading on into Idaho or Wyoming, our Idaho and Wyoming rest area pages show what each state publishes.