I stopped here after driving back north from the Oregon Coast with a brief stop in Portland…read more(9/3/24). Clean, safe facilities and well maintained grounds located at the Toutle River Safety Rest Area in Castle Rock.

Very clean facilities. Nice green space and dog area…read more Stretch your legs , back and make sure you are wide awake to venture on!

The best fried chicken around. And the jojo are excellent. I like to sit at the counter and watch…read moreall the comings and goings at the fuel pumps. And they just added a taco bar. And if you want a burger you have a Wendy's. Staff is super nice. Bathroom is always clean. And best fuel prices too.

Prices - gas prices here are exceptional. Very good. Access…read more- the entry/exit for autos is cramped and too close to the pumps - on an average semi-busy day cars and RVs clog up here. Too many fools who cant recognize the huge one-way arrows plastered all over the pavement and enter the pumps the wrong way. Inside, lines at the cashier are long and uncontrolled, snaking around the store randomly. Prices for drinks/snacks are VERY high. Bathrooms were big, clean, accomodating.

Pumps were available. No traffic control issues. Pumps were simple with no TVs cross selling…read moreproducts. The buttons didn't make obnoxious noise. No one was yelling over the intercom. Price was competitively low.

Our waitress was super nice! They were helpful getting booster seats for the babies. They were…read moreattentive and the food was great! I definitely recommend the homemade bread!

Now that they blocked off the area in the back, I feel that it is much safer. In the past I saw…read morewhat appeared to be a village of campers living on the grounds. One even hooked up to the potable water. Since then it has put a barrier so no one can park there. Now it is available for those of us who need to dumb or fill the potable water. Because of the significant change and keeping the back area clean, they get 4 stars. Why deduct a star? The side and front of the location are not as well kept. We only camp in the summer and have been using this spot a few times each summer. I hope that it keeps improving. Last visit was summer 2025.

For all its faults, one thing our state government consistently does right is provide nice rest…read moreareas along the freeways. Gee Creek, located a bit to the north of Vancouver, WA, is a great stopping point on a trip to Oregon (or points farther south). It's got plenty of parking (yes, even enough for our large travel trailer), extra restrooms so long lines are avoided, and everything is clean and well laid out. They even have shaded picnic tables if you need a longer break, and a pet area. Rest areas aren't exactly the most glamorous place. But when you find a good one, it's worth making a mental note for your next trip. Because once you cross that border into Oregon...the restroom pickings are quite slim.

I stopped here for some peace and quiet so that I could rest from a long drive. But at about 5:15…read morein the morning, there were two different law-enforcement cars in the parking lot with their lights going. It was rather disturbing because you wonder what in the world is going on in the rest area when everything was so quiet? Not only do they need to change the eight hour rule in Washington state in general, but they certainly don't need to endanger the rest of us to arrest some creep.

Detoured here from I-5 South Olympia heading to Oregon: dropped off car litter, used the bathroom,…read moreand ate half a pastry (8/27/24). Key thing is that as a solo traveller, I felt safe at this busy rest stop. Gone are the days though for volunteer coffee & doughnuts and travel brochures...all pre-pandemic era. Good place to take a break, stretch your legs, use the onsite facilities.

This rest area was a bonus to find a forested scenic 1.0-mile loop trail. Trailhead starts at the…read morebridge across the parking lot from the restrooms. An easy well flattened path, it takes an average of 25 min to complete. The South Fork Rock Creek is shallow in the spring and summer, perfect for the pups to cool off and sniff around. The trail itself is a figure eight, with a shorter loop (Springboard Loop) that can be done without adding the larger loop (Dooley Spur Loop). Part of the Dooley Spur Loop follow an old railroad grade.

Sweet, welcome little rest stop between the summit and Seaside, OR…read more Very interesting historical info signs, give yourself a break, walk around and learn! In the fall the colors are splendid and theres a little creek running behind the parking lot. Ample parking. Restrooms were clean and well maintained last time I rolled thru.

Nicely located on the way to Mt. Rainier. Sensor based lights and hand sanitizer dispenser instead…read moreof a sink, which has it's positives. There's a grocery store, "pizza Express" and a bar next to it. It was also relatively clean.

Elbe, WA population: 29…read more En route to Mt Rainier from Seattle, you may pass through Elbe and see the brightly colored re-purposed trains of the Hobo Inn, Pizza Express and the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company. On the opposite side of the street you'll find a supply shop, gas station and this charming little rest area. You won't be able to use the restroom at the gas station, even if you fill your tank there. The friendly gentleman inside seems familiar with the plight of travelers passing through. He will quickly and politely direct you to a short, well-worn dirt pathway through the grass leading to this rest stop. He's done this before. Glance across the street to the red and green train cars and you'll see a sign warning that the restrooms are for paying customers only. Meanwhile, nature is still calling. Good for you if you have offline restroom maps of the area. However, forget an online restroom search since you probably won't have access to a signal for several miles in the opposite direction. Not only are cell phone signals limited and/or non-existent, but, so is running water and a septic system. Remember, the population here was 29 as of the 2010 census and that tiny number doesn't do much for building a local infrastructure. Minimal infrastructure here means that this state rest stop is more like a luxury porta-potty. No flushing toilets but you'll find seat doilies and stalls so spacious that you couldn't bump your head on the door while squatting if you tried. There's also toilet paper which is arguably superior to looking for a mullein leaf in the woods. No running water means no sink. You will find a pair of decent sized mirrors in this restroom but a single Purell hand sanitizer attached to the stark white walls. Two mirrors, one hand sanitizer? Personally, I would prefer to see multiple hand sanitizers or at least a backup rather than multiple mirrors. Thankfully, the hand sanitizer was full. There is also a baby changing station and when was the last time you saw one of those in a porta-potty? This little rest stop is one of the few options before the last small base camp town just outside the Mt Rainier park entrance. It's probably just as creepy as any other remote rest area at night so be sure to use the buddy system. Overall, it is clean, includes an information kiosk, and a picnic area out front. This rest stop is super clean compared to some rest stops with flush toilets and running water. If nature calls when you're passing through the little town of Elbe, you'll be relieved to find the Elbe Rest Stop and some upscale cowgirl toilet paper.

Very beautiful visitor center. It reopened in 2025 after being closed for renovations and I have to…read moresay, the architecture is GORGEOUS with vaulted ceilings and large windows to let in the surroundings. There's wood paneling which helps you feel immersed into nature. There's an informational desk about the area, helpful for visitors newish to the area or those with questions. The gift shop is also accessible with the usual offerings of post cards, tchotchkes, and such. Do note that the restrooms are accessible outdoors at the side of the building. There's a pay area part of the center which is $5/18+, $2.50/7-17, free for 6 years old or younger, and family $15 for 2 adults and children 7-17 years old. They also honor veteran's disabled pass, WA state disabled pass, and senior limited income pass. It's definitely worth the admission, since there's a lot of exhibits explaining the geology of the area, the flora and fauna, the native peoples, and the later commercial and recreational uses of the area. There's even a place where you can walk into a huge mock up of Mt St Helens! Very fun. They have a short film playing about the eruption too. I didn't get to explore much outside as it was super rainy, but I saw a boardwalk trail out in the back. I did not see Mt St Helens due to the weather, but I'll be back when the weather is nicer!

Surprisingly complex and very informative. The variety of exhibits is great. And the native…read morenarratives put the mountain's significance into perspective. Easy access from I-5. Take the time to stop

Watching the teamwork and obvious happiness of the employees and management was really impressive…read more The store is well organized and very clean.

Very happy to have a place to stop that welcomes dogs in a dedicated area. I passed your rest area…read morestops on my Journey to reach here. Poop bags were well stocked and there was seats and a table nearby for people that want to take a break with their dog out of the car. The gate needs attention before any dogs can be completely off leash.

Neat roadside attraction with a connection to Lewis & Clark. Worth a brief stop to see it for all…read morethose history buffs.

I was passing through and thought I might like to have a road break before crossing the bridge to…read moreOregon. When checking on Yelp, I was surprised to see this location as listed *in Oregon*! A quick check on my map confirmed that I was still indeed in Washington. That aside, this is a nice park that is clean and well maintained. Dismal Nitch is nestled along the harbor of Columbia River, across the river from Astoria, OR. When traveling along State Road 401, the park can be access from either direction I can imagine centuries ago, wintering in this nitch of the harbor because of inclement weather. It would most likely be dismal, indeed. Thank you to the Washington State Department of Transportation for providing this scenic and handy rest area.