Two rest areas on Interstate 5 in south Thurston County are closed to overnight parking every weeknight through October 2026. Scatter Creek and Maytown, both between Maytown Road and Old Highway 99, sit inside a WSDOT paving project that began July 6. Daytime use continues; overnight does not.
The schedule, in one place
Per the WSDOT paving release, the rest areas and their on and off ramps close on this schedule:
- Monday through Wednesday: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Thursday and Friday: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Friday night through Saturday morning: 10 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday
Both facilities reopen for daytime use during the work period. A mid-morning bathroom stop is fine. Rolling in at 11 p.m. to catch six hours of sleep before the drive resumes is not.
Why it matters if you are on this route
The project replaces nearly seven miles of worn asphalt and is scheduled to run through October 2026. WSDOT has not published a firm end date beyond that, so plan on the closures continuing all summer and into fall.
Southbound truck and RV traffic through the I-5 corridor has been leaning on Scatter Creek as a common overnight break for years. If that was your habit, it does not work Sunday through Friday nights this summer. There is no equivalent WSDOT facility within a short drive on the same stretch, so build the longer haul to the next open stop into your plan before you leave.
Truck stops along the corridor are the more reliable private backup for both rigs and cars, but a non-trucker sleeping in a car space is at the manager’s discretion. Walmart overnight tolerance is store by store and often overridden by local ordinance, so do not treat any Walmart on this corridor as guaranteed without confirming at the specific store.
What to do this week
Time your I-5 driving to hit Scatter Creek or Maytown before 9 p.m. or after 6 a.m. That is the simple version, and if your route is flexible, that is the answer.
If your route is fixed, call WSDOT Olympic Region Communications at 360-357-2600 before you leave, because the schedule can shift with weather. Confirm the closures are still on the same nights and hours. WSDOT publishes contact info and updates at [email protected].
Expect extra travel time overall. WSDOT is running lane closures on the mainline too, ranging from single-lane restrictions in the evening to two-lane restrictions overnight, so even if you are not stopping, allow more time through the corridor.
For an overview of what Washington’s DOT allows at its rest areas generally, see our Washington rest area page. During the project, the posted sign at each rest area is the final word, above any website, including ours.