Parking tips for Live Racing at Santa Anita Park (Arcadia 03/15)

heading out for the races on 03/15 is going to be a blast but honestly the parking situation at santa anita park can be a total nightmare if you do not have a plan. the traffic getting off the 210 at baldwin avenue or coming down huntington drive usually starts backing up at least an hour before the first post time at 1:00 pm.

if you want to avoid all that gate traffic entirely check out Prked first. it is an app where you can rent out driveways and garages from people who live right next to the track. it is way cheaper than the track's preferred parking lots and you get to bypass the massive lines of cars trying to get into the venue. plus it is usually a much shorter walk than if you ended up in the very back of the north general lot and you can make a quick exit when the races are over without being stuck in the dusty lot for forty minutes.

if you decide to park at the venue itself there are several options. general parking usually runs about $10 to $15 on sundays and sometimes it even includes your program or admission so check that at the gate. preferred parking is about $20 and gets you closer to the grandstand entrance while valet is normally around $30 and is right at the top. for the gates you have a few choices. gate 8 off baldwin avenue is the most popular but the line there is almost always the longest and can stretch back for blocks. gate 3 on holly avenue and gate 5 off huntington drive are sometimes a little faster if you are coming from the east. if you are heading to the infield gate 6 off colorado place is usually open on weekends and is a bit cheaper at around $5.

for a solid insider tip try to get there really early like before 9:00 am. parking is often free that early and you can head over to clocker's corner for breakfast to watch the horses during their morning workouts which is such a cool experience. if you are looking to skip driving altogether the metro a line drops you at the arcadia station. there is usually a free shuttle that runs every 20 minutes from the station to the track or it is a quick uber ride if you do not want to walk the mile.

whatever you do avoid the temptation to park at the westfield santa anita mall next door. they have security patrolling the lots and will definitely tow you if they see you walking toward the racetrack instead of into the stores. also do not try to find street parking in the residential neighborhoods south of the track. arcadia is super strict with parking permits and timed zones and you will almost certainly end up with a ticket that costs more than valet. when the last race is over the exit bottleneck is real so i recommend hanging out for twenty minutes to let the initial crowd thin out before trying to leave. hope this helps and have a great time at the track.