What Ever Happened to Maine DOT’s Roadside Rest Areas?

When you think of a rest area in Maine today, you mostly think of the Maine Turnpike plazas in Kennebunk, Gray, Cumberland, and West Gardiner.  But there was a time when the Maine Department of Transportation had over 150 rest areas that they maintained on roads all across the state.

Each rest area was marked with a large brown sign with big yellow letters that read 'REST AREA'. They all had picnic tables with shelters over them to keep the rain out. They had charcoal grills available, and most of them had bathrooms (though most of them were outhouses).

In the '70s and '80s, these rest stops were just about everywhere you traveled. Some are still in operation today. But what happened?

In 1977, the Maine DOT operated over 150 roadside rest areas. According to the Bangor Daily News, in 2010, the Maine DOT was operating more than 50 rest areas throughout the state at a cost of approximately $2 million annually. Budget cuts have closed down many rest areas over the years. While I wasn't able to find the current number of rest areas that MDOT is operating, it may be even less than 50 today.

Even though 100 or more of the rest areas were closed by the MDOT, you can still see where they used to be.

This one is on Route 302 in Windham, just before the traffic circles as you head west. It's been closed for many years now, with a gate and a sign that says 'No Trespassing'.

This rest area was on the Harrison/Otisfield line. Parking is still there, as are several picnic tables.

The rest area was in Grand Isle in Aroostook County. You can see the empty post where the rest area sign would hang.

The town of Raymond took over the closed rest area there, and turned it into the Raymond Veterans Memorial Park. It sits on the shore of Jordan Bay.

Snow Falls in West Paris, Maine, is one of the rest areas still maintained by MDOT. They even have a new sign. Snow Falls is a beautiful place to stop when you're on the road.

Budget cuts have closed nearly two-thirds of the rest areas across Maine, and it's sad to see us lose this unique piece of the state.