Gold Run Rest Area

Nice spot to stretch out, use the restrooms, walk the dog and have a picnic lunch!

T J ‘s Café, Colfax, Ca what a great roadhouse to enjoy their selection of homestyle cooking, large portions, friendly atmosphere.
Save room for dessert. Yummy place to eat and just relax. oh yes beer on tap and in bottles.

One of the better rest areas if you are going on I-​80 over Donner Summit. The actual restrooms a rest area in the middle of the are decent considering you are in the middle of a forest, but they are usually clean although can be very cold in the winter! They also have vending machines with food and drinks if you are needing something. There are little walkways around to stretch your legs or take the dogs out if you are traveling with animals. All in all, for a rest stop, it’s a pretty nice.

You may think «You’ve seen one rest area, you’ve seen them all!» You would be wrong. I did not realize there was a gold standard to be set among rest stops (or as I unglamorously refer to them, The Park & Piss). Then I traveled to Reno, and found Rest Stop Heaven!
Seriously, this place is amazing. Not some dingy shed that smells a bit off and make you frantically reach for your hand sanitizer. This is a BEAUTIFUL log cabin structure with ample bathrooms for both sexes. That are CLEAN! Yes, you read that right! There are also picnic tables, plenty of room to park, displays with local facts, and DOZENS of vending machines, with the usual snacks and drinks, but also options for hot coffee and pre-​made sandwiches. Amazing!
A safe and beautiful place to stop — like a road trip miracle!

If you happen to be road tripping with dogs, I daresay you could not find a rest stop with a nicer dog walking area. No grim gravel lot or weed-​infested field, but rather a short trail into the pines. There is a bag dispenser, though it was empty the last time I passed through. The interpretive signs are a bit dilapidated, not that my dogs minded but it would have given me something to do as they got their fill of sniffing around.
As for comforts for the humans? Well, clean bathrooms, with actual porcelain toilets, not the stainless steel ones that can be painfully cold. A row of vending machines. Architecture to shield you from the highway by sight if not by sound. I think I even saw a pay phone, though I didn’t bother to check if it was operational.
I’ve been wavering between a 4 and a 5 star review, but when it comes right down to it, this is a rest stop that was nice enough that I thought «I’ve got to review this» … that alone is worth 5 stars.

Great place to change drivers when driving from Sac to Tahoe. Right about here is when the snow becomes too much for me to handle.

Love the remodel — the interior is modern, bright and clean, the exterior has a dangerously, almost adorable log cabin look, and of course, it’s a nice break from the last big metro area (Sacramento/​Auburn) until Reno.

I feel sorta weird getting so excited about a rest stop, but this place was super cool. The outside was clean with a unique building design. Very pretty. The landscaping was nice and we could hear lots of wildlife around us. The bathrooms (womens) were clean and spacious! Husband said mens were clean too! Perfect :)

This is what the ideal rest stop is: ultra clean bathrooms, an endless array of junk food and drinks in the well-​stocked vending machines, and an opportunity to do some exploring in the beautiful surrounding area.
But beware of GIANT bees during the summer that won’t leave you alone, and in general, be aware of your surroundings. You’re in the middle of nowhere after all and wild animals can show up — I spotted the biggest damn beehives I’ve ever seen in one of the nearby trees and backed away slowly. Ah, nature!

If you’re looking for this place based on the location on Unilocal,beware. I’ve tried to update it, but it doesn’t seem to have taken effect yet. Just follow the signs on I-​80 and you’ll be fine. As for the rest stop itself, it’s just fine. Cleaner than some I’ve been to, but nothing special really. There are some little trails leading off behind the buildings if you want to stretch your legs a little bit.

Being on the road makes rest stops vitally important. After hours of sitting in a truck and eating junk food, the last thing I want is a nasty washroom. God bless the folks that make this one clean, safe and lovely. There was even a man playing his guitar and singing outside. He was fabulous! Clean potties and free entertainment? Five stars!