Colorado Welcome Center at Fruita Dump Station

This is a Great place to stop and dump your tanks, refill with fresh water. There are 2 lanes to use for the ease of RV'ers. After we are done we pull away and park, then go into the welcome center and drop a donation. It is a free dump station however it is best to make a donation. 2 bits and a fresh cup of coffee. The people are always friendly and full of knowledge of the area for info. There is also a Great golf course just down the road.

This time of year, many Colorado campgrounds have shut things off. This free dump and fresh water fill was very welcome. However, the potable water faucets are too close to the dump drains. I watched the person in front of me use their dirty rubber gloves to connect their black tank flush water hose to the potable / drinking water faucet, not the non potable faucet that they should have used. I am glad that we buy the or refill gallon jugs of filtered water for drinking in the WanderVan. You can't trust what goes into your fresh water tank.

I slept here in my Prius on 2021-07-01. First of all, it's true that there is a lot of (purposefully?) ambiguous and even contradictory signage vis-a-vis whether it is permissible to stay overnight at this rest area. However, there is indeed a sign inside the building with the restrooms clearly stating that you can stay to "rest / sleep" for up to 10 hours. I went ahead and slept in the car. There were at least three others sleeping in passenger vehicles of various types and sizes that night, along with an RV or two, and none of us were bothered. That said, the signs are clear that if your vehicle is left unattended for more than 4 hours it may be towed. Also, as with most rest areas, they do state that you are not allowed to keep returning and spending multiple nights, so this should be just a one-night option.

The restrooms are clean, and there is a water fountain with bottle filling station. There are also two water taps for filling large containers next to the RV dump station. There is a large green space with lots of picnic shelters and room to stretch your legs. There are several gas stations and restaurants (mostly fast food) within a short distance, as well as a City Market grocery store just across I-70. It's also very close to the Fruita Riverfront Trail if you feel like getting out and going for a longer walk along the gorgeous Colorado River; just be mindful of the restriction on leaving vehicles unattended for more than 4 hours.

I much preferred staying in the Rabbit Valley area just west of here, but as I was late getting in this was a fine place to get some rest for a night.