The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will open the Virginia Dale Rest Area for the summer on Monday, May 21. The rest area is located on US 287 at mile marker 383, approximately two miles south of the Colorado/Wyoming border.
Closed since September of last year, the rest area generally opens by Memorial Day. Thanks to favorable weather conditions and the hard work of CDOT crews to prepare the area for use, travelers can begin using the area as early as Monday. Virginia Dale is a popular spot in the summer for those heading into and out of Wyoming, and features restrooms and a picnic area for use by travelers.
The rest area is expected to remain open until September 2012, unless unfavorable weather forces CDOT to close the area early. Each year, CDOT crews must close the rest area to prevent the water pipes from freezing, and due to Colorado’s unpredictable weather, temperatures can get below freezing in the fall.