Parking tips for Highland County Maple Festival at Monterey (Monterey 03/14)

hey everyone, figured id share some info if you are heading out to the highland county maple festival starting 03/14. it is a massive event for such a tiny town and parking is always a major headache because everyone descends on monterey at the same time.

before you get stuck in a muddy field or spend an hour circling, you should check out Prked. it is an app where you can rent driveways or garage spots right next to monterey. it is way cheaper than most other options and lets you skip the massive traffic lines while having a guaranteed spot just a short walk from the maple donuts.

most of the parking in monterey is handled by local volunteers at places like highland high school or the area near the courthouse. there are shuttle buses that run from the school lot which is usually your best bet if you arrive early on 03/14 or 03/22. avoid trying to find a spot on west main street because they close sections down for all the vendors and foot traffic. there is also some parking out in mcdowell if you are visiting the sugar camps like puffenbargers or fairview but those lots are often just open grass fields. if it has been raining or snowing during the week of 03/14, be really careful with the field parking because cars get stuck in the mud every single year. local churches and non-profits often open up their lots for a small donation which helps support their programs. make sure you have plenty of cash on you because most of these spots do not take cards. traffic gets really backed up on route 220 and route 250 so try to get into town before 9 am if you want to avoid sitting in a crawl for an hour. you can sometimes find spots near the public library or the pool but those fill up instantly. keep an eye out for temporary no parking signs on the side streets because the local police will definitely tow you if you block emergency access or someones private drive. the festival runs through 03/22 and while the weekdays are quieter, the weekends are always packed so planning ahead is huge.

hope this helps and you have a great time.