Imagine this: You’ve been driving for hours when nature calls. You stop at the nearest rest area, only to find it closed. That’s been an ongoing issue at the Headwaters Rest Area in Three Forks. So, let’s find out why.
The Headwaters Rest Area is a heavily trafficked stop, considering it’s the only rest area on I‑90 between Homestake Pass and Livingston.
“Where are you coming from, and where are you going?” I asked another traveler.
“I’m from Minnesota. I’m going back to Washington to see my parents,” they said.
This rest stop was formerly located in Bozeman off 19th Avenue. A land trade was made for a plot out in Three Forks, resulting in the 19th Avenue rest area closing. After many delays, the Headwaters Rest Area opened on April 5, 2024. But it wasn’t open for long.
I asked a traveler, “If you were on your drive and got all the way here to the rest stop and it was closed, what would your thoughts be?”
They told me, “I’d be pretty annoyed.”
After hearing from several people and seeing a post on Reddit, I learned that the Headwaters Rest Area frequently closes. For some, this poses a serious inconvenience. For others?
“I would just go up to the gas station,” said one driver.
Wanting to understand why the rest stop kept closing, I headed over to the Montana Department of Transportation to find out.
“As soon as it opened, we had some issues with the water treatment,” said Josh Ritchie, the new Bozeman maintenance chief for MDT.
Ritchie explained that when the rest area was built, a well was installed for the water fountains and sinks. For the toilets and sprinklers, they hoped to operate on a reclaimed water system.
“It’s for environmental impact—reduce, reuse, recycle,” said Ritchie.
However, water shortage issues caused multiple closures of the rest stop. Ritchie said they were eventually forced to operate entirely from the well. He doesn’t know the exact date they made the switch, but it’s been at least a few months.
“As soon as we switched over to the well, the reliability of the rest area went to 100%. We haven’t closed since,” said Ritchie.
WATCH: Update on Three Forks rest area closures
For now, travelers can rest assured that their rest area will remain fully operational. Going forward?
“We’re hoping to return to the reclaimed water system someday,” Ritchie added. “We’re just waiting for it to become more reliable.”
