Michigan DOT to close five rest areas until April due to winter safety concerns

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will shutter five rest areas for the winter due to safety issues.

Starting December 1, 2025, MDOT will close the following rest areas for the winter:

• St. Ignace Rest Area on southbound I-75 in Mackinac County
• Ludington Rest Area on northbound US-31 in Mason County
• Topinabee Rest Area on northbound I-75 in Cheboygan County
• Hebron Rest Area on southbound I-75 in Cheboygan County
• Hart Rest Area on southbound US-31 in Oceana County

The rest areas are set to reopen on April 20, 2026.

MDOT closes the rest areas each winter due to safety concerns including steep entrance and exit drives and potentially slippery conditions on stairways between parking lots and buildings.

The rest areas will be completely closed after December 1, with entrances and exits blocked, the facilities locked, and “Closed Until Spring” signage.

MDOT points out that “nearly all” of the state’s 61 rest areas will remain open this winter.

“Many travelers look to our network of rest areas for a safe stopping point on their travels, which is why we keep as many open as possible year-round,” said MDOT Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Division Administrator Kim Zimmer.