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Directions and parking

Access to Tempe Town Lake on the Rio Salado, its surrounding amenities, businesses and adjacent downtown area is easy, convenient and open to the public. Printable maps:  Directions to Town Lake, Tempe Beach Park, and Tempe.

South Bank Access
Direct access is available from the Red Mountain Freeway (Loop 202) and other connecting freeway routes. From the Red Mountain Freeway exiting south, motorists can access Rio Salado Parkway at Priest Drive, Rural Road or McClintock Drive. Rio Salado Parkway is the primary automobile route on the south side of Tempe Town Lake. This scenic, four-lane road provides a direct destination route to Tempe Beach Park (80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe), the popular downtown Tempe area and Arizona State University's Sun Devil Stadium.

South Bank Parking
In addition to parking in downtown Tempe, parking is available at many lots around Town Lake – some are free, others require payment. The closest free lot to Tempe Beach Park is at Rio Salado Parkway, just north of the Ash Avenue intersection. This is a small lot and fills quickly. You can also park at Tempe Center for the Arts located just west of Tempe Beach Park.

North Bank Access
Visitors who wish to launch car-top or hand-carried boats, or people just wishing to enjoy pedestrian, biking and skating pathways on the north bank, will find more than 400 parking spaces available near the Rio Salado Operations Center at 620 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ. The Operations Center is located in the south end of the Marquee Theater parking lot, under the Red Mountain (Loop 202) Freeway. All boats require a Town Lake Boat Permit before entering the lake and it can be purchased at the Operations Center.

Town Lake Marina
The Town Lake Marina is located on the North Bank between Mill Avenue and Rural Road. Go south on College Road at Curry Road and follow the blue signs to the marina. 

North Bank Parking
On the north side of Tempe Town Lake, all parking is free – except during Marquee Theater concerts when the parking lot of the Town Lake Operations Center temporarily becomes a fee lot. Many lots along Lake View Drive are near Boat Beach and prime fishing areas. Lake View Drive intersects with Washington/Curry Drive on both the east and west sides of Mill Avenue. It's a short walk across the Mill Avenue Bridge to get to Tempe Beach Park and other south bank amenities.

Directions to the Rio Salado Operations Center

From Phoenix: Take the Loop 202 east to the Priest Drive or Center Parkway exit. Exit north (left), cross the freeway overpass and turn east (right) on Washington Street. Look for the Marquee Theater on the south side of the road (SW corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street). Enter the Marquee Theater parking lot and travel south. The Operations Center is located under the freeway.

From Van Buren Street heading south: Look for the Marquee Theater on the SW corner of Van Buren (Mill Avenue) and Washington Street (Curry Road). Enter the parking lot just south of the Marquee Theater. The Operations Center is located under the 202 freeway.

From Mesa: Take the 101 (Pima Freeway) north to the 202 west to the Center Parkway exit. Exit at Center Parkway and travel north to Washington Street and turn right. Look for the Marquee Theater on the SW corner of Mill Ave. and Washington St.. Turn into the Marquee Theater parking lot and go south to the Operations Center, located under the 202 freeway. You can also enter the parking lot on Mill Avenue, south of the Marquee Theater.

From Scottsdale: Take Scottsdale Road south - it turns into Rural Road at McKellips. Continue south to Curry Road and turn right. Go to Mill Avenue and turn left, enter the parking lot just south of the Marquee Theater. The Operations Center is located in the south end of the parking lot, under the freeway.

From Downtown Tempe/Mill Avenue heading north: Cross Tempe Town Lake and turn east (right) on Curry Road. Look for the first street on the right side of the road called Lake View Drive. Follow the road down to the lake and continue up to the Marquee Theater parking lot. The Operations Center is located at the south end of the parking lot, under the freeway.

For more information, call (480) 350-8625.

What About Transit?

The City of Tempe’s Transit Program, Tempe in Motion, provides bus, bicycle and walking services throughout the city, including the Tempe Town Lake area. In addition, the City continues to participate in planning the Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail transit (LRT) project.

Bus Service: There are six bus routes that serve the Tempe Town Lake area, routes 56 – Priest, 62 – Hardy, 66 – Mill/68^th Street, 76 – Miller, Neighborhood FLASH (Free Local Area Shuttle) and Yellow Line. Most Tempe buses run Monday through Saturday until 1 a.m. and Sunday until 10 p.m., with rush hour service every15 minutes Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.

There are numerous bike paths throughout the Tempe Town Lake area. Tempe is a bicycle friendly community, with more than 125 miles of bikeways. All buses are equipped with two bike racks and most major destinations in Tempe provide convenient bicycle parking.

Walking is a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to driving. There are many places to walk in Tempe, including Tempe Town Lake. All major streets and most local streets in Tempe have sidewalks.

Light Rail: The City continues to participate in planning the Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail transit (LRT) project. A proposed 20.3-mile starter segment will begin operating in late 2008. This starter segment would run from the Chris-Town area to downtown Phoenix, through downtown Tempe and into Mesa. The light rail line would serve the Tempe Town Lake area, downtown Tempe and Arizona State University. In addition, a new LRT bridge will be constructed over Tempe Town Lake.