How Much Is Parking at Gorge Amphitheatre?
General admission parking at Gorge Amphitheatre is included free with every concert ticket, you pay nothing extra to park in the standard Day Parking lot.
If you want to reduce time spent waiting in traffic before and after the show, the venue offers paid upgrade tiers. Star Parking is the entry-level premium option at $30 per vehicle and places you in a reserved lot with better accessibility and proximity to the venue gates. For fans who want even closer positioning, Star Plus Parking and Reserved Parking are also available, with premium upgrade pricing starting from $65 according to the venue’s own ticketing page. Plaza Parking is reserved exclusively for Box and Season seat holders accessing the Plaza Gate.
Parking prices at the Gorge can vary by event and demand, particularly for high-profile multi-night festival weekends like Watershed, Dave Matthews Band Labor Day runs, Bass Canyon, and Beyond Wonderland. Check the specific event page on gorgeamphitheatre.com for current pricing before you buy. Upgrades can be purchased in advance through Live Nation and are worth securing early, as Star lots sell out for major shows.
Gorge Amphitheatre Parking Lots and Maps
The Gorge Amphitheatre property is accessed via 754 Silica Rd NW, George, WA, off I-90 exits 143 or 149, and the parking complex is divided into several distinct lots served by four main gates along Silica Road and Road 1 NW.
Gate A on Silica Road serves Oasis and Gold Campers. Gate B on Silica Road is the primary entry for Day Parking (GA), Star Parking, Star Plus Parking, and ADA Parkers, this is the closest general cluster of lots to the venue gates. Gate C on Silica Road is reserved for Plaza Parkers, who must hold VIP Box or Season seat credentials. Gate D on Road 1 NW handles Standard, Terrace, and Premier Campers.
Parking lots generally open two hours before the scheduled gate time. Gate time is typically 90 minutes before showtime, meaning parking access can begin roughly three and a half hours before the performance. For festival weekends or high-demand shows, lots have been known to open even earlier, some reports place opening as early as four hours before the show. Confirm opening times on the event-specific page, as they vary. Do not attempt to arrive before posted parking lot opening times, as you will be turned away.
Parking on country roads or private property leading to the venue is strictly prohibited and enforced. The final 20 miles on I-90 approaching George can slow to a crawl during peak arrival windows, so plan accordingly.
Premier and VIP Parking at Gorge Amphitheatre
The Gorge Amphitheatre offers three paid parking upgrade tiers above general admission: Star Parking, Star Plus Parking, and Reserved/Plaza Parking.
Star Parking is the most accessible upgrade, priced at $30 per vehicle. It places you in a reserved lot closer to the venue gate than standard Day Parking and is the same area where ADA parking is located, near Gate B on Silica Road. Fan reviews consistently cite Star Parking as worth the cost specifically because it significantly reduces post-show exit time, with some attendees reporting they were moving while GA lots sat completely gridlocked.
Star Plus Parking and Reserved Parking provide even closer positioning. Premium parking upgrades on the venue’s ticketing site start from $65, with prices fluctuating based on the event. Plaza Parking, accessed through Gate C, is exclusive to Box seat holders and Season ticket VIP clients. For the full VIP experience, the Cliff House Club package includes premium parking, priority entry, a private bar, and reserved seating, with VIP access starting at $149 per person.
All parking upgrades are sold through gorgeamphitheatre.com and the Live Nation app. Availability for premium lots at sold-out shows, especially multi-night camping festivals, is limited. Purchase as soon as your event goes on sale if fast egress is a priority.
Can You Tailgate at Gorge Amphitheatre?
No, tailgating is not permitted in the parking lots or surrounding areas of the Gorge Amphitheatre. This is an explicit, venue-wide policy enforced on both concert days and festival weekends.
Consuming alcoholic beverages in the parking lot is strictly prohibited. Open-flame grilling, cooking equipment, and the kind of pre-show party setup common at other amphitheaters are not allowed anywhere on venue-controlled property. The venue’s FAQ and Know Before You Go page both state this directly with no exceptions listed.
For fans attending multi-night camping festivals like Watershed, Dave Matthews Band weekend runs, Bass Canyon, or Beyond Wonderland, pre-show socializing happens in the campground areas, not the day parking lots. The campground operates under its own set of rules and guidelines published per-festival on the event’s dedicated site. If you are camping, review your specific festival’s campground policy for what is and is not allowed in your campsite area. No overnight parking is permitted in the amphitheater day parking lots under any circumstances, any unauthorized vehicle left overnight will be towed at the owner’s expense.
ADA and Handicap Parking at Gorge Amphitheatre
Accessible parking at the Gorge Amphitheatre is located at Gate B off Silica Road, which is the closest parking entrance to the venue gates. ADA parking is free of charge and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To use the ADA lot, a valid state-issued accessible placard, permit, or license plate is required, and the person to whom the credential is issued must be present in the vehicle as either the driver or a passenger. There is a dedicated ADA entry lane at the main entrance for disabled guests to safely enter the venue. Upon entry, guests should visit the Accessibility Services kiosk, located just inside security and before ticket scanning, to receive an ADA wristband that enables continued use of accessible facilities throughout the event.
If a designated accessible parking space is not available upon arrival, a parking crew member will direct you to the nearest available option with accessible pathway access. Guests who require a space to lower a wheelchair ramp or lift should notify a parking crew member on arrival for direct assistance. The Gorge’s natural terrain is rough and hilly, and the venue recommends that guests with mobility disabilities bring personal mobility equipment such as wheelchairs or scooters. Motorized wheelchair charging is available at the Accessibility Services kiosk.
For camping attendees with accessibility needs, accessible camping is available in the Gorge RV and Gorge Tent Only campgrounds and includes a dedicated shuttle to and from the venue before and after the show for the disabled guest and one companion. Accessibility wristbands must be shown to access this shuttle service.
Uber and Lyft Drop-Off at Gorge Amphitheatre
Uber and Lyft are largely unavailable at the Gorge Amphitheatre due to its remote rural location in Central Washington. In most cases, standard rideshare service simply does not operate in this area, and fans should not plan on using Uber or Lyft as their primary transportation to or from a show.
The venue itself acknowledges this reality directly on its FAQ page, noting that very few rideshare drivers are able or willing to make the long trip out to the Gorge. This applies both to arrival and, critically, to post-show departure, the combination of late-night timing, extreme rural location, and a 27,500-person crowd means even a surge price surge will not reliably produce available drivers.
Fans flying in from Seattle or Spokane should arrange ground transportation through a pre-booked car service, charter bus, or third-party shuttle rather than counting on app-based rideshare. The closest cities with any meaningful transportation infrastructure are Ellensburg (roughly 45 minutes away) and Wenatchee (roughly an hour away). Cell service also becomes spotty as you approach the venue, which further limits app functionality. Download offline maps before you leave civilization and have a transportation plan confirmed before show day.
Shuttles and Public Transit to Gorge Amphitheatre
There is no official Live Nation shuttle from a satellite lot to the Gorge Amphitheatre, and no public transit service runs directly to the venue. The Gorge is located in a rural area of Central Washington approximately two to three hours from Seattle and three hours from Spokane, making conventional transit connections impractical.
The primary shuttle option available is the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle, a third-party service offering round-trip transportation from Wenatchee Train Station to the Gorge Amphitheatre for $65 per person. Fans traveling by Amtrak to Wenatchee can use this connection. Other small local towns within an hour of the venue may offer additional taxi or charter shuttle services for concert weekends, GW Secure Parking, a private lot located approximately 8.5 miles from the venue, notes that several local shuttle and taxi services use their lot as a pick-up and drop-off point and maintains a Transportation and Parking Guide with current listings.
For guests with accessibility needs who are camping on-site, a dedicated ADA shuttle runs between the accessible camping areas in the Gorge RV and Gorge Tent Only campgrounds and the venue, both before the show and after it concludes. This service requires an accessibility wristband obtained at the Accessibility Services kiosk. Guests camping at the Big Rig campground do not have access to this shuttle due to its proximity to the main gate. For most fans, driving and camping on-site remains the most practical and widely used transportation approach.
How Long Does It Take to Leave Gorge Amphitheatre After a Show?
Post-show exit at the Gorge Amphitheatre is one of the venue’s most significant logistical challenges, plan for 1 to 2 hours or more to clear the parking lot and reach I-90 after a sold-out show.
The venue feeds a crowd of up to 27,500 people onto a limited road network in a rural area with no parallel route options. Fan accounts on TripAdvisor and in concert forums describe scenarios where no cars moved for over an hour after a show ended, with vehicles queued in a steady stream all the way to I-90. Once on I-90, movement improves. The total travel time back to Seattle after the show, including the parking lot wait and the drive, is realistically 3 to 4 hours according to experienced attendees.
The single most effective way to cut exit time is to upgrade to Star or Star Plus Parking. These lots are positioned closest to the gate and are consistently reported by fans as the first to move after shows. Multiple reviewers note leaving in Star Parking while GA lots remained completely gridlocked. A second strategy is to leave the show a few minutes before the final song, the bottleneck builds fast once the full crowd begins moving. Fans who are camping on-site sidestep the exit problem entirely, which is the most stress-free option for multi-night events. The venue’s Know Before You Go page also warns of additional inbound traffic delays of up to four hours or more during active WSDOT construction on the Vantage Bridge on I-90, check WSDOT for current conditions before driving to any 2026 show.
Gorge Amphitheatre Parking Tips
Arrive as early as possible. Parking lots open roughly two hours before gate time, and the final hour before gates open brings the heaviest inbound traffic on roads leading to the venue. The last 20 miles of I-90 approaching George can back up significantly during peak arrival windows. If you are driving from Seattle for a Friday festival opener, leaving by early afternoon is strongly recommended.
Buy your parking upgrade in advance. Star Parking ($30) and Star Plus options sell out for major shows. Purchasing a premium lot pass when you buy your tickets guarantees a closer spot and dramatically faster exit. Do not count on upgrading at the gate.
For the absolute best exit experience, Star Parking is the fan-consensus pick. It is close to Gate B, clears faster than GA lots, and multiple reviewers specifically describe it as the difference between being the first cars out versus sitting motionless for over an hour.
Lawn seat attendees in the GA Day Parking lot should plan for the longest exit wait. If you are in GA parking and do not want to wait, leaving five to ten minutes before the show ends is a practical option, it gets you moving before the main surge. Alternatively, book a campsite and make a weekend of it: camping guests simply walk back to their site after the show and skip the traffic entirely, which is by far the most relaxed way to experience the Gorge.
Fill your gas tank before reaching Ellensburg on the way in. Gas stations are sparse in Eastern Washington, and the venue has none nearby. Cell service fades as you approach the Gorge, so download offline maps before you leave and confirm your shuttle or transportation plan before losing signal.
Heading to a show? See our Gorge Amphitheatre bag policy for everything else you need to know before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is parking free at Gorge Amphitheatre?
Yes, general admission parking is included with every Gorge Amphitheatre concert ticket at no additional cost. Paid upgrades to Star Parking ($30), Star Plus, and Reserved Parking are available for fans who want closer positioning and faster post-show exit.
How much does Star Parking cost at the Gorge?
Star Parking is priced at $30 per vehicle and reserves a spot closer to the venue gates than standard GA parking. Star Plus Parking and Reserved Parking options are also available, with premium upgrade prices starting from $65 depending on the event.
Can you tailgate in the Gorge Amphitheatre parking lot?
No. Tailgating is explicitly prohibited in the parking lots and all surrounding areas of the Gorge Amphitheatre. Consuming alcohol in the parking lot is also strictly forbidden. Pre-show socializing for camping festival attendees takes place within the campground, subject to each festival’s specific campground rules.
Is overnight parking allowed at the Gorge?
No overnight parking is permitted in the Gorge Amphitheatre day parking lots. Any vehicle left overnight without authorization will be towed at the owner’s expense. If you need to keep your vehicle on-site overnight, you must purchase a campsite, the campground allows one vehicle per campsite, and additional vehicles require purchasing an additional campsite.
Can I get an Uber or Lyft to Gorge Amphitheatre?
In most cases, no. Uber and Lyft are largely unavailable at the Gorge due to its remote rural location in Central Washington. Fans should arrange transportation in advance through a pre-booked car service, charter bus, or a shuttle such as the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle, which offers round-trip service from Wenatchee Train Station for $65.
How do I get to the Gorge without a car?
The most practical car-free option is taking Amtrak to Wenatchee and booking the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle for round-trip transportation to the venue at $65 per person. Some local taxi and charter shuttle services also operate during concert weekends. Several small towns within an hour’s drive, including Ellensburg and Wenatchee, may offer additional options for specific events.
Where is ADA parking at the Gorge Amphitheatre?
ADA parking is located at Gate B on Silica Road, which is the closest parking entrance to the venue gates. It is free of charge and first-come, first-served. A valid state-issued accessible placard, permit, or license plate is required, and the placard holder must be present in the vehicle.
Should lawn seat ticket holders park in a specific lot?
Lawn seat ticket holders use the standard Day Parking area accessed via Gate B, the same lot as all general GA parkers. There is no dedicated lawn-specific lot. Lawn attendees should expect the same exit delays as all GA parkers, so upgrading to Star Parking or planning to camp on-site are both good strategies for minimizing post-show wait time.
