A New Chapter for Travel Plaza at Fort Independence

Since 2008, the Fort Independence Travel Plaza has been a favorite for travelers and truckers driving along northern Highway 395. 2026 should be a big year for the Travel Plaza with the opening of substantial new facilities and a rebrand to the Oak Creek Travel Center.

“It should be similar to Love’s or Pilot; we’ll be able to accommodate a lot more traffic,” said Craig Dahlberg, Chairman of the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians.

A whole new travel center is under construction — the foundation laid, underground fuel tanks installed, the electrical and plumbing taken care of. Steel frames are up, as are the walls and roof as of this writing. The new travel center will have a larger lot for diesel trucks to pull through and park, and 10 new pumps to keep commercial deliveries moving. A trucker lounge with showers and other amenities is planned as well, vital comforts for those who do demanding work far from home.

There will also be a restaurant with a drive-through, offering fresher foods for guests. The restaurant will be an independently owned small business, likely under their Oak Creek brand, rather than a larger franchise chain where familiarity comes at the cost of money leaving the community for the coffers of distant corporations.

“It’ll be our own restaurant, our own brand, and we’ll hire the right people to come and run it,” Dahlberg said.

The new Oak Creek Travel Plaza is rapidly progressing toward its targeted 2026 opening date. PHOTO BY ANDREW L. BERGMAN, THE DAILY INDEPENDENT

A rendering shows what the new Oak Creek Travel Plaza will look like once completed. COURTESY PHOTO

In addition to serving the truckers and motorists passing through, there is a new community park, which opened in late summer 2025. This park features a community building, pavilion, and amphitheater. It also features sports facilities for pickleball and basketball, with softball and baseball fields planned for the future. They have the lot acquired but need to install the irrigation and build the bleachers.

The park also features a concession stand, playground, and water activities for the summer. Currently, times are limited and the park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but operating hours should expand in the future.

The existing Travel Center has strived to have the lowest fuel prices possible for their eight gasoline and four diesel pumps to facilitate travel along these long stretches of highway running up and down California. They’re open 24/7 for whoever comes along.

Currently, the plaza has a convenience store and a diner that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nearby, Kumazaa Nobi Indian Tacos sells tribal dishes to guests seeking something different. A small casino offers entertainment and excitement, and the Owl Creek Dispensary sells pharmaceuticals.

The Travel Plaza is located at 135 S. US-395, Independence, CA 93526. The new facilities will be located just north of the dispensary.

A new website is under construction, and oakcreektravelcenter.com should be operational this year.