Oh the glamorous world of RV camping and roadtripping.
Many people know that travelers in RVs sometimes stay at Walmart and Cracker Barrel parking lots on overnight trips when they just need to rest their weary heads from a long day of travel.
RVs at Rest Areas
Sometimes RV travelers will also stay in highway rest areas overnight in states that permit overnight stays in these road traveler rest stops.
(See state laws about RVs parking overnight at rest areas.)
On one such overnight trip recently in Idaho (a state that allows overnight camping in RVs at rest areas), we had a very pleasant surprise.
We had originally intended to boondock on the Snake River, but we got sidetracked and ended up driving on the road later than intended.
When we got to the area near our original dispersed camping location, it was pitch black outside in the Idaho countryside. This did not make for a good idea for traveling down a dirt road with unknown obstacles in a 27-foot Airstream and full-length pickup truck. If we had to turn around on the dirt road, we’d potentially be stuck if there were no available turnaround spots.
To play it safe, we decided to spend the short overnight at a rest area along the way.
This turned out to be a great idea!
Clark Hill Rest Area
We stopped at the Clark Hill Rest Area along US Highway 26 near Ririe, Idaho on the way to the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming coming from Idaho. It was completely dark when we pulled in, so we didn’t know much except that this rest stop had long parking spaces available for trucks and RVs.
(This area is about 2 1/2 hours from the area of Twin Falls, Idaho, where Evel Knievel made his infamous Snake River jump attempt. The Evel Knievel Museum is a fabulous place to visit!
We pulled in and there was one 18-wheeler truck parked for the night as well. It was quiet, thankfully, as it did not have its engine running all night. By the time we woke up, there were several other trucks parked in the parking lot, but all were quiet and respectful of one another.
When we woke up, this was our view out our Airstream’s window!
You can see the Snake River in the background. It turns out this spot is a designated “scenic overlook” area in which passersby stop for a gander at the beautiful Idaho scenery of the Snake River. The rest area even has a “scenic overlook” for people to walk out to see the gorgeous view up close.
Here’s the pretty view that everyone stops to see:
Amenities at the Clark Hill Rest Area
This rest area serves drivers in Idaho with not only a view, but restrooms, vending machines, a picnic table, and trash receptacles. The restrooms are located in a building with running water, water drinking fountains, and real toilets and sinks, not the more common “vault” or “pit” toilet variety commonly found in this area.
There’s also an area with several vending machines.
There’s a covered picnic table up by the main car parking area.
There is also a picnic area closer to the Snake River. If you drive around the visitor center building where the restrooms are located, you’ll see a drive that goes down to another area with additional picnic areas in an area further from the main road.
This rest area also has small trash can receptacles located in the parking lot. There’s also a larger dumpster, but it was behind locked gates when we visited.
Getting There
The Clark Hill Rest Area is conveniently located along US Highway 26. It is well-marked and easy to find, even when traveling in the dark of night.
There are two entrances and parking lots, one for cars and one for trucks or RVs. You can enter in either direction as the two parking lots are connected. We parked our Airstream and truck in the truck parking section with extra long parking spaces.
Be sure to park near the scenic side of the parking lot for the best view.
The car parking area is closer to the bathrooms and scenic overlook, but both parking areas have fabulous views of the Snake River.
Summary
Sometimes the best finds are least expected. We were running late the evening we found this location and just expected to park our Airstream and head somewhere for the night in a flat parking lot location. We didn’t expect to have such a great view when we woke up.
This appears to be a relatively safe area. We woke up and additional 18-wheeler trucks had parked overnight as well. There was a little bit of road noise, but nothing too terrible that kept us awake. We’d stay here again if in the area and needed a place to stop for the night in our RV while on the way to somewhere else.
