This is a very well-maintained rest stop. The restrooms were clean and fully stocked, and there are plenty of shaded areas to sit, especially important in such a hot location. The grassy areas are also a great touch, making it perfect for travelers with dogs. They also have vending machines with drinks and snacks. There was a slightly odd smell during our visit, but overall, everything else more than made up for it. Definitely recommend stopping here if you need a break. read more

This is literally the cleanest rest stop I have ever encountered. Stopped by on my way from LA to the Central Valley to use the restroom and stretch. Bathrooms literally smelled of cleaning product and was being maintained while we were there. The only con I have is that there was no water bottles in the vending machines, only soda. I would definitely plan to stop her again if I am traveling this route. read more

See all

Always well kept and clean space. Restrooms are clean. Nice place to stretch and walk around. All road warriors welcome.

Men bathroom was dirty. I would never come back unless I'm stranded in the Chevron on 8632 Maricopa Highway.

This is a rest area. There has to be thousands and thousands of people that stop here daily. The rest rooms were very clean. Very clean. The grounds were clean and neat, the trash cans were not overflowing. They were in the process of stocking the vending machines at the time. Thank you to Caltrans for building and MAINTAINING these facilities. I travel the 5 often between southern and Northern California, and truly appreciate being able to stop and take a break from driving. read more

One of the few, nice rest areas in California. There is an equally nice rest area on the northbound side just across the freeway. Like I said, it's one of the few nice rest areas in California, so if you're looking for a place to stop and have lunch, maybe take a quick nap, walk your dog, etc., this would be a good stop. They also have vending machines for snacks and soft drinks. Hey, they even have pay phones. I wonder if anyone ever uses them? It's pretty clean and there's actual grass on the grounds which cuts down on the dust. If you're used to the really nice rest areas in the midwest, this is nothing like them, but by California standards it's about as good as it gets. They do a nice job of keeping it clean and well maintained. read more

See all

11/3/21 This is our LA goto rest stop. Quality/Quantity - In my youth, we would NEVER stop at these rest areas; it was always Starbucks or fast food. These rest areas are much easier to go in and out! I save $$$ and I don't end up over-caffeinating or eating excessive amounts of fast food. Coalinga - Avenal Rest Area Facility Summary Restrooms: YES Water: YES Picnic Tables: YES Litter: YES Phone: YES Handicap Access:: YES RV Dump Station:: NO Food Vending:: YES Pet Area:: YES Cigarette Ash Dump:: NO Atmosphere - In the last 11 years, it has been great. Clean and safe. It could use a little more updating...? Touchless sinks and soap dispensers? And paper towels vs. air dryers? Service - N/A, self service. Price - FREE!!!!!! Owner Suggestion - Our tax dollars at work, thank you. read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - 11/3/21 - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

See all

I normally don't make this stop on my NorCal - SoCal trek but my carmates needed to a quick break. And I'm glad we made this discovery! This is a pretty well-maintained rest stop. Either people are really mindful of their waste or maintenance is high priority up in here... OR BOTH! There was enough greenery for my pup to walk around and do his business. There are cigarette butt boxes available for smokers. There are vending machines which had great variety. Water fountains also available for both humans and pets alike. During my brisk walk with the pup, I saw maintenance workers emptying out trash bins and placed in storage (presumably scheduled for pick up sometime.) Great stop overall. Keeping in mind for my next long treks along the 5. read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

The number one thing you're looking for at a rest stop is a clean bathroom. Not only are the bathrooms clean here, but they've got fully stocked vending machines for snacks, benches to stretch your legs, and plenty of grass for the dogs to roam. This is a fantastic place to stop on a long trip and recharge your batteries. read more

Snacks, water and bathrooms. What else could you ask for on the 5? Seems to be kept up with cleaning and snacks.

Great rest stop! Very clean and ample bathrooms, not running out of soap/toilet paper like other stops and it doesn't smell. I've never had to wait for a bathroom at this one. Lots of grass so there's a bunch of people walking their dogs. Plenty of trash cans if you need to dump anything. Plenty of parking and easy to get in and out of the stop. If you're still playing pokemon go like me, there's a pokestop and there were a ton of pokemon lol read more

This is you typical California rest stop. It is easy on and easy off, has picnic benches and fairly clean restrooms, and the like. While it is not particularly scenic, it recently seems to have been renovated so it has a newer feel to it. Plenty of benches to have a lunch and ample room for for kids and pets to stretch out. Aside from that people should slow down a bit as they come on and off as the parking lots can be pretty crowded read more

Rest stops are always convenient since it's located right next to the freeway. I usually try to plan my stops at the rest stops. There is plenty of parking. There are vending machines for drinks and snacks. Only complaint, the urinals are really high. It was made for people who are over 6ft tall. read more

When it comes to traveling the length of California, either north to south or vice versa, Interstate 5 (I-5) is the most commonly taken route to travel. Driving this long, monotonous, and boring freeway can really take a toll on any driver or passenger. Rest stops are few and far between, so when this rest station eventually appeared, my boyfriend and I couldn't wait to stop and stretch our legs and use the facilities. This place is pretty impressive with it's huge covered rest area where the bathrooms are located and you can relax on benches protected from the direct sun or rain. There are also nice park like areas with picnic tables, green grass and shade trees. Vending machines are on the premises with a large selection of drinks and snacks. The restrooms are clean, stocked and maintained. Everything is automatic from the self flushing toilets, sinks, hand soap, to the hand dryers. FYI: the hand blowers are extremely loud, so if you have a pace maker or faint of heart, be prepared! read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Covered rest area - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

See all

As thrilling as it can be to make the drive between NorCal and SoCal without stopping, sometimes it's just too much! Screaming kids, having too much (water) to drink, and not getting enough sleep are just some of the many things that can make five hours of continuous driving a headache. Isn't it nice to take a break every now and then? Fortunately, the Coalinga rest area along I-5 is right at the halfway point between NorCal and SoCal. This review is for the rest area on the northbound side of I-5; the one on the southbound side is probably identical. Yes, there are two separate rest areas - it was probably cheaper than building an overpass! The old cement building that used to be here (still visible on Google Street View) has been remodeled into a set of structures with aluminum siding. I liked the old look better - the new design looks kind of tacky, but at least it's more spacious. Here you'll find double restrooms (two for men and two for women), each of them reasonably clean and having lots of stalls. There's also plenty of lighting, a good amount of parking (for both cars and bigrigs), a pet area, drinking fountains, payphones (remember those?), and beverage and snack vending machines, including a gourmet coffee vending machine that was unfortunately broken when we stopped by here. I must say, this place seems to be better maintained than the actual highway! Main buildings: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/WVE45AD1G5HZBLHeHtvtqA?select=od02ZmYPPsG0lXfOQyQrZg#iXLGks87pEOaPqeN5OFCAA Double restrooms: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/WVE45AD1G5HZBLHeHtvtqA?select=od02ZmYPPsG0lXfOQyQrZg#1FMjPRzdkb9XFf1vITJELw Vending machines: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/WVE45AD1G5HZBLHeHtvtqA?select=od02ZmYPPsG0lXfOQyQrZg#X3_Di_S771gD1OGoAz3zYg Covered picnic tables: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/WVE45AD1G5HZBLHeHtvtqA?select=od02ZmYPPsG0lXfOQyQrZg#E-kbNIpUGEwl4f-QvFD6CQ Actual payphones: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/WVE45AD1G5HZBLHeHtvtqA?select=od02ZmYPPsG0lXfOQyQrZg#AXEgII_66llLjdRNLBp7kg read more

See all

Nice rest stop, the bathrooms were clean, vending machines with lots of snacks and drinks. The rest rooms had men and women very big bathroom. I was even looking at a map with the truck routes that was pretty cool. The entire property had room for trucks and cars and 2 picnic area. The only thing at night coming from the south it looks dark but the property was bright and had lights under the roof and lighting up the area. read more

A very good stopping place. By far on of the best designed and cleanest areas along the 5. Lots of space and a good pet area. read more

Do not attempt to use a debit card here. We just stopped and for $1.60 water, it charged us $10. The idiot employee told me to call the bank and complain. Turtle Cafe Fresno owns it. Big ripoff read more

Exceptionally Clean Rest Stop With Lots Of Potties! SITREP I love to potty! I could potty all night long! Or in the words (almost) of Eddie Murphy, "I wanna potty all the time, potty all the time, potty all the time, unh unh unh" ;) THE SETUP You know it's an awesome rest stop when it has tons of potties. And not only that, it has TWO men's rooms and TWO women's rooms, one on each side of the divide (the "divide" being something akin to an interior courtyard, under a roof, with tables to sit and relax at. Now THAT's state bureaucrats using their noggin....(and not even the one they are sitting on!) :D OTHER AMENITIES * Vending Machines * Picnic Tables scattered throughout the park like recreational area * Water Fountain * Bank of Pay Phones (hell, when's the last time you saw a pay phone ANYWHERE?) So when you need to make a stop along I-5, it might as well be here where you can get "yer buzinez" taken care of. THE LOWDOWN A great rest stop near the community of Huron along the I-5. read more

This is a newly renovated rest stop along boring I-5. A great place for my family, Scooby, and I to take a break from the boring long drive from southern to northern Cali and vice versa. If you make a pit stop here you will find duel restrooms for men and women, plenty of space to walk around and do jumping jacks, a doggy area, vending machines, and plenty of parking for cars and semi-trailers. If you need a break from the long drive, the Coalinga rest area provides the perfect place for a pit stop. read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Pet area. - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

Sure, it's just a rest stop. But how many times do you always tell yourself, eww...I rather go to a Starbucks or McDonalds? Well, wonder no more because this rest stop puts all other rest stops to shame (At least at the moment) along the 5 freeway. I've been to many rest stops between here LA and SF as I've probably stopped at every one of them. (NO, not kidding!) It does not smell, It has soap, and floors are not yucky. This one totally takes the cake. I just do my business and leave but yes there is a grass areas, there are benches, there are vending machines too! All they really need to do is to have someone serve up some Tacos and Beers and I wouldn't leave at all! But really, make note to stop here for a clean getaway! read more

I stopped at this rest stop off of I-5 on my way to LA. I was very hesitant because nothing is grosser than a groudy disgusting public toilet. But hey when nature calls, a gal has to do what she has to do. First, safety is always the primary concern. This time i was traveling with a large group. Normally if I was alone, I would avoid stops like this regardless if it's staffed or not. But anyway, there were a lot of other cars stopped here. We dropped in around high noon on a Saturday. The stop is manned by both a male and female attendant. They were cleaning the facilities. There are 2 sets of restrooms each for the men and women. The toilets were actual flush,not Porto potties. Yah!They had toilet paper guards, yah! The bathroom was clean, triple yahoo! The bathroom entrance was in the covered breezeway. Also in the breezeway were the vending machines, sodas, coffee, and snacks. Overall it's a surprisingly decent rest stop. But I stopped here on busy Saturday afternoon. I don't know how it is during off peak times. Just please be cautious and alert. read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

I know I'll sound crazy but I stopped here at and rested for about 20 mins. I pulled back onto the freeway and immediately my phone starts yelling at me to turn around. Somehow I ended up on the other side of the freeway going down south when I was on the north side. There are no overpassed or roads that could have taken me South instead of north. This really happened on Nov 10, 2020 at 9:20ish PM. Also when it happened I had a cyst behind my ear I've had for awhile suddenly rupture. I don't know what happened but it was weird! read more

Men and women's bathrooms clean and well stocked . Grounds clean and tidy. What more can you ask for? There was even a little green grass! read more

Coalinga Avenal Safety Roadside Rest Area - Here it is! - Rest Stops Near Me - Huron, California

Honestly, if you're on a road trip to anywhere, you need to stop here. This particular rest area is probably the cleanest rest area's you'll come across. Though, I'll knock a star off though because none of their hand dryers work for some odd reason. read more

Is it possible to hype up a rest area? I think so. Granted Hawaii doesn't have a lot of rest areas to compare to (if any) but I didn't think this one was all that amazing. We stopped here as our second rest stop on our way to Disneyland. First off this place looked promising with all the truckers pulled over, sleeping it out. Also it must have been bring your old ford car to the rest stop day since there were a few old fords (like antique, excellent condition kind not the kind you give your teenage son so you don't care when he wrecks it). There were a lot of older men (not creepy but old grandpa types) hanging out too. So all these signs were promising. However the restrooms had lots of flies buzzing around. If you don't mind a handful of flies sharing the restroom then you're good. The soaps and toilet paper were fully stocked. The person who said the hand dryers were good, was correct. They were fast and strong. Overall I would think it's 3.5 but I'll round up for the sake that I believe other Yelpers know what they're talking about. I guess I can update once I've been to more than 3. read more

One of the best rest stops in CA. Lots of room for the pets to roam, a TON of bathrooms and those trusty vending machines. If you've been through the plethora of rest stops in CA, you know this is worthy of 5 stars. And you also know it's just a rest stop. Happy travels! read more

Nice stop! Clean bathrooms, running around space, and lots of vending machines. It feels safe, is well lit, and is a really nice stop on long, boring I-5. read more

The literal most disgusting restroom I've ever been to in my 21 years of life. If I could give it zero stars I would. All of the toilet paper dispensers were empty and there were piles and piles of toilet seat covers throughout the restroom and families of flies in each stall. And only one soap dispenser was somewhat dispensing soap. Never want to stop at this rest stop again. read more

Now I understand why this rest stop has 4.5 stars... It's awesome!! This was one of the cleanest rest areas I have ever seen. The women's restroom was spotless, the toilets were clean, there were no flies or bugs to be seen, the sinks were all automatic, the soap dispensers were filled and the hand driers actually dried your hands in a short amount of time! The way the area is constructed puts the restrooms in the shade so you aren't sweltering as you do your business. I will definitely stop here again while traveling on the 5! read more

Yes, I drive a lot. So I spend a lot of time passing through rest stops -- as opposed to spending a lot of time AT rest stops, which suggests a different purpose. I was thrilled when this rest area was refurbished; the buildings are bigger, more spaciously setup and no longer the small concrete stand-up with a curious guy lurking with a trash bag as the cleaning crew. (Okay, such characters are still around, but now have an office/storage room to hang out in when not poking at leftover Snickers wrappers left in the lawn.) But if a stop is warranted, and one isn't keen on wasting more time on seeking out a line for a restroom at the fast food place a few miles away, it's a solid stop point. read more

As a disabled person, this rest area is the absolute worst. There's no signage, nothing to indicate where the restrooms are, only a huge building that you have to walk around the back to see IF the restrooms are even there. I walked to the side closest to where I parked only to find the restrooms at the other end. There was a woman in a walker who asked me if I felt discriminated against, too and was this not the most inconvenient, labor intensive search for a restroom. I agreed but also believe whoever designed this rest area either wanted to force disabled people to endure an unnecessary hardship, had an issue or hatred of the disabled or is an idiot. In addition to how far & uncertain this is, when you finally get to the restroom, the handicapped stall is far past the row of stalls all the way in the back, a good distance away. It was too far to walk after having to walk 1000 yards to find it in the first place, so I chose a more user unfriendly stall. All in all, a perfectly rotten reminder of how difficult things can be when you live with a disability. It's especially hard to accept when it appears there was an effort and an oversight adding another unpleasant complication to our existence . A simple sign outside the facilities stating which entrance the restrooms are and that they're somewhere we wont have to guess would be a great help & seems the logical way to do this. Never had to make this kind f effort or walk so far to use a bathroom anywhere before. Mobility challenged folks be warned & advised. The facilities are in the southern end of building. read more

This has got to be the cleanest rest stop ive ever seen! Plenty of shade, vending machines etc.

Nice stop over on the way to San Francisco. This place is always clean.

Really clean rest area! Everytime we stop here there is a cleaning crew hard at work. Many highlights of this lovely place include plenty of toilets, vending machines, park benches, picnic areas (in shade or sun), and grassy areas for dogs or children to run around on! read more

On my first ever solo road trip without my husband. It was just my 8 year old son and mother driving down to So-Cal. We stopped to here to use the restrooms. Being that my son usually does the buddy system with my husband or older brothers, this time we were on our own. I seen 2 women workers by the name of Veronica and Rita that happen to be cleaning a half of the men's restrooms that were closed. I explained my circumstances (to say the least) they were very sweet, kind, understanding and let my son use the restroom. These were the cleanest restrooms on roadside I have ever seen. Thank you Veronica and Rita for making my 1st road trip that much easier. God bless you and your family's. read more

The vending machines are broken. Otherwise it is a clean, big, awesome facility. Beware of the vending machines next to men's restroom. I lost at least a few bucks there because the machine didn't give correct change and just took my money. read more

Easy access, right off highway 5. Very clean. 2 sections for women and 2 sections for men. Sooo basically there's no waiting. Small picnic area with table. Puppy watering areas. You can even do a small circuit walk. Well kept up. read more

Stopped here on our way home to LA from Oregon. Had a picnic lunch, took a walk, used the restrooms. Incredibly clean and well staffed. Although it was 90 degrees, there are lots of shaded tables. The bathrooms were very clean and all the trash cans were tended to. read more

nice rest are BUT DONT ever EVER get coffee from the vending machine it tasted like mud stirred in hot water and get this it had ANTS floating in it really ??? read more