I attend many SDFC (soccer) games at Snapdragon. I do not support SDSU football. Snapdragon is a terrific, very chill and scenic stadium, with the only problem being the hot sun on the east side stands. Since the Cal game is at night, this is not a worry. However, Snapdragon also has a reputation as being extremely slow and annoying to get into and out of the parking lot.
SAN DIEGO TROLLEY
Taking the San Diego trolley works smoothly and is inexpensive. The "Stadium Station" is literally in the parking lot of Snapdragon, a few hundred yards' walk to the stadium. The only hassle is dealing with the queue to get back onto the trolley after a game. At that point, the money you saved on parking fees is your reward for having a little patience. Some trolley stations offer free parking. I can only speak about one. The "Grossmont Station," on the Green Line, is an easy 20 minute trip approaching the stadium from the east, and has free parking which is underneath the apartment complex built there. One bonus of approaching from the east is, if you have some time to explore, you could choose to exit the Green line at the "SDSU Station" and explore the SDSU campus on foot, and then get back on the Trolley to go to the game. Note, you cannot easily walk from the SDSU campus to Snapdragon -- it is off campus by a few miles. Of course, you can use the Green Line to approach Snapdragon from the west -- i.e., from the more touristy coastal areas -- and I'm sure some of those stations probably offer free parking, I just can't tell you which ones. To make your life a bit easier, make sure you don't have to transfer between trolley lines (just stick to the Green line if you can).
PARKING ADVICE
If you're going to pay to park in the lot, take my advice, trust me on this.
- Buy a parking pass in the Orange Lot. Note that this lot is gravel, so your car may get a bit dusty. (Note I can't give any specific advice on where tailgating may occur).
- When driving to the stadium, do not approach the stadium via what everyone else does, which is either I-15 (north or south) or Friars Road or San Diego Mission Rd. Avoid these like the plague unless you're going super early.
- By far, the best way into and out of the stadium, no matter that time you're going, that most people don't know about, is a little road named "Rancho Mission Rd" that leads to the Gate 3 entrance to the parking lot. Gate 3 is on the east side of the stadium, in the southeast corner of the Orange parking lot. The 24-Hour Fitness at 5885 Rancho Mission Rd, San Diego, 92108, is at the head of this road. Just plug the 24-Hour Fitness into your iPhone, and then, once you're there, drive west on Rancho Mission Rd past the 24-Hour Fitness, go under the bridge, and you will wind around a roundabout and into the lot.
- This is the key: Once you pass the parking lot attendant who will check your parking pass, park as close as possible to the entrance/exit that you just entered through, so that after the game, your car is as close to the entrance that you came in. Back into your parking spot so that after the game your car is pointed towards the aisle and towards the exit. When you enter the lot, parking attendants may try to guide you and force you to park in some organized fashion a specific part of the Orange lot, which can be quite a distance from the Gate 3 entrance/exit. Don't be a jerk about it, but find a way to IGNORE their instructions, and work your way back, if possible, to park as close to the entrance/exit you just came in as possible.
- So, how to approach Rancho Mission Rd before the game? There are a variety of excellent side streets those of us who live in San Diego know about. For someone not very familiar with the area, I'd recommend simply approaching the stadium on I-8 (either westbound or eastbound), and then take the Mission Gorge Rd exit. That area never backs up as badly as the I-15/Friars Road exit area or Friars Rd itself or San Diego Mission Rd. If you have to travel south on I-15 to get to I-8, just avoid the I-15/Friars Rd exit and know the freeway will back up approaching that exit. Stay in the left lanes to avoid the congestion. After the game, you'll just want to retrace your drive down Rancho Mission Rd, take a right at the 24 Hour Fitness, then take a left shortly after that, and drive down about a mile (this part will be a bit backed up). Then you take a right and can easily get on I-8 either eastbound or westbound.
One caveat: I have done this for YEARS for Chargers games and SDFC games, but never for an SDSU game. There is always a possibility that they change things up for SDSU. So, I can't guarantee you this will work. But, I just looked at an SDSU football parking map, and they clearly show Gate 3 and the Orange lot on it, so I would be shocked if logistically parking for SDSU doesn't work the exact same way.
Go Bears! Thanks for reading, and remember to have your pets spayed or neutered.
