Parking on a Interstate/Hwy, WY specific

AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
Logically I assume it is illegal to park on the Interstate to access public land, although I have been searching the WY laws and their "rules of the road" booklet with no luck finding a definite answer. One law enforcement person said they do not enforce such things and I have not contacted the State police yet...which is who I would think would enforce these things if a law did exist.

Aside from the safety concerns of parking on the interstate, does anyone have any experience or "official" wording on this?

Personally I have parked on the side of a Hwy that was not busy at the time but when I got back to my truck it was busier than Atlanta traffic...made me a bit nervous and later I avoided that area. So is it legal to park on Highways too or not?
 
T

Topgun 30-06

Banned
Jun 12, 2013
1,353
1
Allegan, MI
AT Hiker said:
Logically I assume it is illegal to park on the Interstate to access public land, although I have been searching the WY laws and their "rules of the road" booklet with no luck finding a definite answer. One law enforcement person said they do not enforce such things and I have not contacted the State police yet...which is who I would think would enforce these things if a law did exist.

Aside from the safety concerns of parking on the interstate, does anyone have any experience or "official" wording on this?

Personally I have parked on the side of a Hwy that was not busy at the time but when I got back to my truck it was busier than Atlanta traffic...made me a bit nervous and later I avoided that area. So is it legal to park on Highways too or not?
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It is illegal to park between the fences of any Interstate Highway anywhere in the United States. That is a Federal law that is to be inforced by the individual states and if they don't they risk having Federal road funds being pulled. The only parking anywhere between the fences is for an emergency of some sort where it's a last resort. Normally if you can get far enough off a 2 lane state highway so that you don't interfer with traffic or create a safety hazard they won't bother you there though. There is a ton of public land along the freeways in Wyoming that would be great to hunt if accessing it like you are asking was legal, but you can imagine the number of vehicles that would do it and create a real hazard to the motoring public if it was allowed.
 
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AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
I know in a lot of states there are "Emergency Parking Only" signs or something similar but I dont remember seeing any in WY.

I figured it was a federal law but just could not find anything definitive.

I completely understand from a safety standpoint, too many people here in the SE get killed on the interstate; changing a flat, police pulling someone over, etc. I guess the same logic applies to Highways but in theory less traffic I suppose, though you could argue that on some highways!
 
BKC

BKC

Very Active Member
Feb 15, 2012
835
163
The high plains of Colorado
I always get the feeling that out of staters, whether it is hunters or just anyone, get less of a break than residence. I am always getting speeding tickets in Wyoming, when I am going the same as everyone else, I think it is the Colorado license plate ( we get to smoke dope here now and other states are jealous :p ). I think if you are a resident, I think the law would get bent a little. In Colorado, especially Vail Pass, I see alot of vehicles and small trailers on the side of the road, but they are well off the road. Sometimes just after you cross a bridge, back up behind the guard rail, you see the most vehicles.
 
Hilltop

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,839
2,225
Eastern Nebraska
I park on the side of a 2 lane to access one of my favorite hunting spots in Wyoming. I have been checked by wardens and waved at by local and state law enforcement- no issues at all. Years ago when I was still a kid, I dropped hunters off to access lands along the interstate on a couple of occasions- never harvested anything. I don't believe that would be illegal but probably is a safety issue and a little weird if you did harvest an animal....not sure I want to be dragging anything up to the interstate to load it now that I'm an adult.
 
W

WapitiBob

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,385
58
Bend, Orygun
Look at the SAT imagery of your area and see how close the nearest pull off area is. When I hunted a unit a few years ago there was one right there. Also, you may be able to park on the off ramps, look for trucks parked to see if you can in WY.
 
AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
I once got pulled over in WY by a trooper, after he discovered I was hunting he let me off with a warning and told me good luck...right as he handed my license back a herd of antelope ran right by us on the other side of the fence. 2 really nice bucks in the group as well, glad I didnt have a tag for that unit!

It seems in areas with a lot of private and left over tags there are public lands right off the interstate that hold game, go figure right?
 
A

Againstthewind

Very Active Member
Mar 25, 2014
973
2
Upton, WY
Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, no person shall:

(i) Stop, stand or park a vehicle:

(A) On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street;

(B) On a sidewalk;

(C) Within an intersection;

(D) On a crosswalk;

(E) Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within thirty (30) feet of points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone, unless a different length is indicated by signs or markings;

(F) Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when stopping, standing or parking would obstruct traffic;

(G) Upon any bridge or other elevated structure upon a highway or within a highway tunnel;

(H) On any railroad tracks;

(J) On any controlled-access highway;

(K) In the area between roadways of a divided highway, including crossovers;

(M) At any place where official traffic-control devices prohibit stopping.

(vii) "Controlled-access highway" means every highway, street or roadway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over the highway, street or roadway;

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/statutes/statutes.aspx?file=titles/Title31/T31CH5.htm

I am sure this cleared it up, lol. To me it depends on where you are, how safe the parking is, and who the officer is. So yeah, the greenies get targeted quite a bit, lol. I have an orange flashy thing on my truck so I park where ever I want, sidewalks, curbs, lawns, roadway shoulders, etc. They must think I am doing something important because I haven't gotten in trouble yet. It is frowned upon to leave it parked overnight and you might get a ticket for that, but otherwise if it you are out of the way and don't have green license plates I haven't seen it be much of an issue on the state and US highways.
 
AT Hiker

AT Hiker

Very Active Member
Aug 2, 2012
638
0
Tennessee
So a controlled access is any road! Haha...clear as mud!!!!!!!!

I wonder what the ticket is? I hate to think that way, but according to the statutes you posted most of us are breaking the law any given hunt.
 
Musket Man

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
A truck got hit by a train here last year. There are some small RR crossings with no lights around here and we dont have alot of trains so alot of people dont look as well as they should. It was just an engine and 1 car or something and was going slow and didnt hurt anyone or really hurt the truck all that bad. Was kinds funny, I mean how many people have been driving along and got hit by a train. I do look alot more at those crossings now! lol
 
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