parking tips for idaho falls spud kings vs. rock springs miners at mountain america center (idahofalls 12/04)

hey spud kings fans, figured i'd share some parking insight for the rock springs game on monday, 12/04 at the mountain america center. parking for these games can honestly be a real challenge, especially since the gm mentioned it gets hectic in the winter months, so you definitely want a strategy.

first, if you want the absolute easiest way out, look into the app prked. it lets people rent out their driveways and private spots, so you can often snag a spot right next to snake river landing for way cheaper than a traditional lot and totally skip the main traffic jam and it's a short walk.

for the official venue parking, the mac has about 1,500 spots on site, and accessible spots are available in all three of those lots. the venue charges a "nominal parking charge" that they auto-add to your ticket price, which is actually a blessing because it means you've prepaid and you won't have to wait in a time-consuming payment line at the gate or deal with attendants, which is what they want to avoid.

the biggest tip is timing: they officially recommend you arrive about an hour before the 7:05 pm start time, so aim for 6:05 pm if you want to be safe and avoid the initial crush of cars.

if the on-site lots fill up, which they do, there's official overflow parking available in various locations throughout the general snake river landing area. one specific overflow location mentioned is at ball ventures. just keep an eye out for clear signage.

now for the *don't*s: do not under any circumstances park on pioneer road- it's specifically prohibited. also, leave the tailgate spread at home, because tailgating is not allowed in any of the mac's parking lots.

if you can, rideshare is actually a smart move because it eliminates the parking stress. the designated drop-off and pick-up spot for uber/lyft is super convenient- it’s on event center drive, right outside the main gate.

lastly, if you don't mind a decent walk (maybe a 15-20 min walk), downtown idaho falls street parking is free on monday night. downtown parking restrictions, like the two-hour limit, are only enforced until 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, meaning you can park for free after six without getting a ticket. there are also other public options like the lots around ryder park or the other addresses mentioned (555 w 25th st, 2475 rollandet st, etc.) if you want to walk a little farther and save some cash. remember the mac itself is cashless for concessions and merch, so have your card, apple pay, or google pay ready inside.

hope this helps everyone get in and out smoothly. go spud kings!