Oregon State Parks intends to turn its popular rest area at Valley of the Rogue State Park in Southern Oregon day-use only as of this week.

That means that bathrooms at the park on Interstate 5 between Medford and Grants Pass will close at night, with initial operating hours scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The relief-providing rest area helped attract so many people that the park became one of the busiest in the state, at about 2 million visitors a year.

“That volume of visitation put a strain on park resources, staff and facilities,” Dani Padilla, district manager for the parks department, said in an Aug. 17 news release.

“The transition from rest area to day use will provide staff additional time and resources to focus on expanding recreation opportunities at the park.”

Plans call for the day-use area to eventually be gated off at night, according to Nathan Seable, manager of the park.

“The good news is the facility will be open during the prime travel hours,” Seable said Aug. 30. “There are ample rest opportunities along the way.”

For travelers heading north on I-5, the next rest area is 17 miles north at the Manzanita Rest Area near Merlin. For those traveling south, the next rest area is 24 miles south at the Suncrest Rest Area near Talent.

With the transition to day use, the blue “rest area” signs along the freeway will be

replaced with “day use”

signs.

Seable, who has worked at the park for eight years, said the conversion to day use has been a long time coming.

“We’ve been talking about this since before I got here,” he said.

Rest areas date back about 100 years in Oregon, to the time when state parks were a part of the state’s highway department and parks were authorized along roads.

“It’s a legacy operation,” Seable said. “We’re a separate agency now. Our main goal and function is to provide recreational facilities.”

Future projects at the park could include upgraded facilities, new landscaping, more trails and additional panels describing the area, according to Padilla.

“We are excited to welcome visitors to this area as a destination to recreate and enjoy the park,” he said.

Possible improvements include a playground that uses materials found in nature, including rocks, logs and dirt mounds, according to Seable.

Asked whether security concerns helped prompt the decision, Seable said he expects to see a reduction in crime at the park.

“Rest areas attract some illegal activity,” he said. “I think it will clean that up as a side benefit.”

The park provides 175 campsites, trails along the Rogue River, a boat ramp and an event amphitheater. The Rogue River Greenway biking-hiking trail runs through the park, too, connecting the city of Rogue River with Gold Hill.