THREE FORKS — The Headwaters rest area in Three Forks is closed again, just weeks after reopening from previous water system issues.
Travelers Dave and Beverly Clawson, driving from Klamath Falls, Oregon, said they were surprised to find the facility shut down. The couple was redirected to Wheat Montana after making the detour, where they discovered locked doors.
“They should put a sign up that says ‘rest area closed.’ Then you can just go somewhere else,” Dave Clawson said. “We saw the sign for the rest area, and I drove down there—this is ridiculous.”
Check out how expansive soil is causing major headaches for travelers
In the past, closures stemmed from failed attempts to operate on a reclaimed water system. That problem was fixed, but this time the issue is different.
“We’ve had some problems with drainage. So, actually a different water issue,” said Josh Ritchie, Bozeman maintenance chief for the Montana Department of Transportation.
Ritchie explained that the sidewalks appear to have shifted in elevation, causing water to drain into the building. In some cases, the rising concrete now blocks the doors from opening.
WATCH: Update on Three Forks rest area closures (Sept. 29, 2025)
“The soil out here plays a significant role in the problems we’re having,” Ritchie said. “It has a clay-bentonite, extremely expansive soil type.”
When heavy rainstorms hit last week, sidewalks tilted toward the rest stop’s doorways and directed water inside. Flooding portions of the facility. Because the building is relatively new, it remains under warranty. MDT and contractors of the rest stop plan to meet on Tuesday to determine the reopening timeline.
In the meantime, Ritchie said plans are in place to add flip signs, similar to those at other rest areas, to indicate open or closed status. Those signs were not installed when the Headwaters rest area was built because it was expected to remain open year-round.
“It’s definitely been a difficult situation,” Ritchie said. “It seems like when we get one thing resolved, something else happens here.”
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