Bozeman has a (problem? issue? concern?) with RVs and campers parking on the streets long term. As I was driving to my dinner restaurant, I saw a couple of streets that had a long line of some nice and some beat up campers and trailers. According to a local resource, there isn't an ordinance that limits them on the street as long as they move (as little as ten feet) every few days.
I assume that's why this rest area is closed and will remain so until the campers move along when Bozeman passes some sort of ordinance and the locals start enforcing it.
It's a shame that these people have nowhere else to go and it's a shame that in order to prevent it from becoming a problem, this rest area is not available to travelers.
(That said, I parked my Sprinter van on a side street because the Walmart has a sign prohibiting overnight parking and the nearest "legal" rest area was too far away to drive last night. Other than train horns, I was not disturbed.)
[Review 20494 overall - 53 in Montana - 1475 of 2023.] read more