We went looking for a big summer 2026 closure roundup and found a short one. Most state DOTs do not publish a running closure list, so this is what we could verify on official pages as of July 17, 2026. If your route is not covered here, the how-to-check section at the bottom matters more than the list.
California: the I-5 gap is the one to plan around
I-5 Tejon Pass, both directions: closed until roughly August 2027. Caltrans closed the northbound and southbound Tejon Pass rest areas in May 2026 to rebuild the water and wastewater systems, and Caltrans District 7 confirms the closure. These are the only rest areas on the Grapevine stretch between the LA basin and the San Joaquin Valley, and they carried heavy overnight truck traffic. If you counted on them for a sleep stop between LA and Sacramento, you now need a different plan for over a year.
US 101 Gaviota, both directions: closed July 1 through about October 1. Caltrans closed both Gaviota rest areas in Santa Barbara County because there is not enough water to run the facilities, per the district’s June 25 announcement. That removes the only public rest stop on a long, popular stretch of coastal 101.
Pennsylvania: one back open
I-79 northbound near mile 162, Crawford County: reopened May 8 after a winter closure to rebuild the drinking water system, per PennDOT. PennDOT points travelers to 511PA for current conditions, which is good advice in any state that runs a 511 system.
Ohio: closures in waves, but check ODOT directly
Ohio is several years into rebuilding 36 of its 85 rest areas, and pairs of facilities close for a year or so at a time while they are replaced. News reports put current closures on I-75 and I-77, with reopenings expected through 2026. We could not verify a current closure list on an ODOT page, so we are not going to recite specific sites and dates from secondhand reporting. Check the ODOT newsroom or OHGO before relying on a specific Ohio rest area, especially on I-75.
Washington: check the per-location pages
WSDOT publishes a status page for every rest area, which is the model other states should copy. Some locations, like Iron Goat on US 2, are seasonal and marked closed for parts of the year. WSDOT also warns that rest areas and dump stations can close without notice, so check the page for your specific stop.
How to check your own route
The honest version of this post is a method, not a list:
- Call 511 or open the state’s 511 site for the states you are crossing. Construction closures show up there first.
- Check the DOT’s rest area page. Our state-by-state rest area table links to the official page for each state that publishes one, along with what we have verified about overnight rules.
- Have a fallback stop. A closed rest area pushes everyone to the next one, and the next one fills early. Truck stops and businesses that allow overnight parking are the usual plan B; our overnight parking guide covers the etiquette and the legal side.
For the two states with the biggest closures this summer, our California and Pennsylvania pages have the statewide rules and sources. And as always: whatever this post says, the barricade in front of the entrance ramp wins.