Truck stops with hiking trails! For dogs and their truckers.

Great thread! Love the info here. I might make a spreadsheet and load these all up for future reference.

 

Shh that use to be my spot to stop when I went out east

 

i80 in Wyoming right at the Nebraska boarder, the Wyoming Welcome Center has a few miles of trails behind it that take you up onto the plateaus which offer panoramic views of the surround flat land. You can see for miles.

i8 in California, exit 51 rest area. There is a 4x4 trail that goes up the mountain right at the off ramp. If you're ok with walking uphill for 3 miles you get a great view. Trail is over 10 miles long if I recall correctly. There are signs saying no overnight parking, but I had no issue with taking a 34 there (idling the whole time) and it was more then half empty the entire time



i40, exit 9 in Arizona. The Pilot truck stop has a dirt road into the desert behind it. Go exploring but take your phone so you don't get lost.

i80 through Utah has a rest area in the middle of the salt flats. Park and take a walk. Couple dozen square miles of flat wide open bright white land. No fences, hardly any roads, no shade. Walk a mile out and there is nothing but silence. It's where they filmed Jack Sparrow in Davey Jones Locker in Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End.

Many rest areas on i80 through Iowa and some in Nebraska have small trails behind them.

Was a rest area on i70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado that I stopped at two years ago, there is a trail through the canyon. Went through again last summer but couldn't find it. Was either one that is now closed for construction or no longer allows trucks.

 

@zaroba Great report.

 

Bunch more I remembered.
Also have some more to list once I find/remember their exact locations.

Rest areas in the southern half of Florida. Many of them have a loop with old picnic areas that used to be open to vehicle traffic. Most of them have the loop starting and ending in the truck parking area. Might have to climb over or squeeze though a small fence to get in and out. Peaceful though, saw wild otters at one of them that had a small stream.

Rest area on i10 at mm318 in Florida.
Westbound side has a short trail leading to a short boardwalk through swampland.
Both sides have easy access to a gravel access road running behind the rest areas.

Rest Area on i275 exit 275 in St Petersburg FL. It's a toll road and bridge over the Tampa Bay, you are maybe 100ft from the water when parked at the rest area. Somewhat of a park as well with dirt roads providing easy access to and along both sides of the highway so will have residents and tourists fishing, camping, and possibly swimming.

i73/97 Florida (Alligator Ally), mile marker 64.
Rest area accessible from both directions and there is a trail that runs through the everglades and crosses the highway here. Easy access to both side of the highway for the trail which connects to the ramps on the eastern end of the rest area. Watch for gators if you decide to go for a walk, there's a reason it's called Alligator Ally. Side note, the eastbound portion of this rest area has the truck parking before the car parking and guess what people often do? Yep, park their cars in the truck spots. But you can access both east and westbound sides from either direction and the westbound side has the car parking before the truck parking so may not have this problem.

i13 Virginia, Maybe 150 yards before the southbound Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel toll. Huge rest area on the east side of the highway accessible from both north and south bound, street exit, not ramps. Welcome center combined with the Eastern Shore Of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge Center. Plenty of trails including part of a very old military base.

 

Found another one.

I24, Jasper TN

Exit with loves and speedway truck stops.

“little cedar mountain trail” visible on google maps. It’s closer to the speedway, but I walked over from the Loves.

4 mile mountain hiking trail that goes over a mountain and down to lake Nickajack. Look like a great spot to go for a swim in the summer, but it has been a cold springtime and was too cold for swimming when I hiked the trail 2 weeks ago.

 

-Austintown Ohio I-80 exit 223 behind the Pilot is a paved hike and bike trail.

-Carlisle PA, I-81 exit 52, park at Flyin' J and walk north on US 11, 1st overpass is Appalachian Trail.

-Cape Charles VA US 13 at the end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel there is a gate at the back of the rest area that, if opened, leads to paradise.

-Keene NH hiking trail at the Kerne State U. Athletic complex.. There are some big streets back there to park a truck and take a walk.

Here's a good 3 hour Houston mini vacation. Park at the Flying J I-45 exit 64. Walk south down the service road and have a fine meal at Lupe Tortilla Mexican restaurant. Then walk down the side street and check out the National Museum of Funeral History. It's actually more of a car museum than anything else. Has Reagan's hearse, Roy Roger's car, a Pope Mobile and lot's of cool stuff.

 

Effingham IL exit 159 right next to the Blue Beacon is this nice trail.



Two paths diverged in the Illinois wood
Gently beckoning as I stood
On the right a view of city life
On left the trees with much less strife

"I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

 

Calvert City Kentucky
New trail across the street from the Loves I-24 exit 27. It looks like it goes all the way to Kentucky Lake/Dam.