Can't miss
- Sailgating Fans tie up boats on Lake Washington and tailgate on deck, a few steps from the stadium. Walk down to the water and look.
- Mount Rainier from the stands On a clear day the mountain rises to the southeast, and the upper rows get the best look.
Quick answers
What time do the Husky Stadium lots open?
6 hours before kickoff. Overnight parking isn't allowed, and any vehicle left overnight needs its owner there by 6:30 a.m. on game day to have its pass scanned, or it gets towed.
Can you grill at Husky Stadium?
Charcoal grills are allowed in parking lots, with hot coals going into the hot ash containers. No grills in garages or under any structure, and no deep fryers, oil cooking or open fires.
Can you drink at Washington tailgates?
UW's policy says it's illegal to display or possess open containers or to drink in a public place without a permit, and that includes all university property and parking lots.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
The lot policy doesn't require a game ticket, but every vehicle needs its own parking pass, one car per stall. The Zone, the free pregame at the stadium, does require a game ticket.
How do you buy parking for a Huskies game?
Single-game public parking is first come, first served on game day: the Pay-By-Phone app in most campus lots, or a card at the Padelford and Portage Bay garages. Season passes go through the Tyee Club waitlist.
The game-day timeline
- 6 hrs beforeCampus parking lots open
- 3 hrs beforeThe football box office opens on the NW plaza
- 2 hrs beforeGates, concessions and The Zone open. Harbor shuttles and the bike valet start.
- 1 hr beforeOn busy days, flag your harbor shuttle by now
- 1 hr afterLast harbor shuttles, and the bike valet closes
Where to park
Passes are digital only. Load yours in the Go Huskies app before you leave, then pick land or water.
- Single game
- First come, first served on game day. Pay-By-Phone in most campus lots (Central Plaza Garage, N5, N12, N25, the W lots and more); cards at the Padelford and Portage Bay garages.
- Season
- Tyee Club members, through a waitlist. E1 and the lots around the stadium are on the season parking map.
- RV / trailers
- A limited number of single-game public RV permits. RVs, fifth wheels and pull-behind motor homes park in E1 RV or E4. A trailer can take one extra space behind your car.
- Bus
- Charter buses park on Wahkiakum Rd, with permits bought ahead from Event Management.
- Accessible
- Advance single-game permits through the ticket office, or day of at E1 with a state placard, first come. Dawg Sled carts run from E1 to the North and South entrances.
- By boat
- Husky Harbor moorage permits, season or single game, by waitlist and priority points, bought at least a week out. Or anchor in the bay and take the shuttle in.
Garages are fine for parking, but grills aren't allowed in them. If you want to cook, find a surface lot.
C12, N24 and Padelford traffic enters at Stevens Way NE and NE Mason Rd.
No car? Link 1 and 2 Lines stop at University of Washington Station. The South Kirkland, Eastgate and Redondo Heights Park & Ride express buses are gone as of 2026, and UW points those riders to Link. Rideshare and the free bike valet are at Rainier Vista.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against gohuskies.com.
UW's policy is short and strict, and the alcohol line is the one people miss.
- Grills
- Charcoal grills in parking lots, coals into the hot ash containers before you go in. Never in a garage or under any structure.
- Alcohol
- Open containers and drinking in public are illegal without a permit, and that covers all UW property and parking lots.
- Tents
- Allowed in lots, inside the purple dots, with the rear legs in front of your rear tires. UW strongly encourages breaking down before you go in.
- Your space
- One pass, one car, one stall. Gear goes in front of or behind your vehicle, never in travel or emergency lanes. No saving spaces.
- Not allowed
- Deep fryers and oil cooking, open fires, loud amplified sound, drones and kites, golf carts and ATVs, unauthorized vending, weapons and fireworks.
- Boats
- No dinghies in Husky Harbor. Anchored boats ride the shuttle in, and permit holders can't ferry people from the bay.
- When it ends
- No overnight parking. Harbor shuttles run until 1 hour after the game.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No re-entry.
- Gates open
- 2 hours before kickoff, with walk-through security screening.
Before you go
Husky football parking and tailgating policiesHusky football parking informationHusky HarborPublic transportation to Husky Stadium2026 Husky football parking map (PDF)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Seattle
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
Opener & Shotgun Tool
$7.99
Free over $50 (our gear)
Our opener pops caps and clips to your keys, so it's never the thing nobody packed.
More for this lot
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Taiga 27 qt Hard Cooler, 24 Cans$199 · Ships free
-
Daylodge AirHaven 30 Inflatable Vehicle Awning, 30 sq ft$799 · Ships free
Late-season games in Seattle get cold and wet. Pack rain gear and layers.
Gear for Washington fans
In stock now.
Where the party is
Husky Stadium is one of the few places you can tailgate on the water. The lots run on land like anywhere else, but the boats in Union Bay are the part people fly in for.
On the water
Husky Harbor
Docks up to 140 private boats on game day, by permit, matched by size. B and C docks (21 to 40 feet) are sold out for 2026. Anchor in the bay instead, and the shuttle brings you in.
Ticket holders
The Zone
Free pregame at the stadium from 2 hours before kickoff, with food trucks and entertainment. Game ticket required, and no re-entry.
On land
The campus lots
Charcoal is allowed in the surface lots, and the garages are grill-free.
What to eat
Charcoal is the one grill UW's policy names, so plan a menu that likes coals.
Cook thisWhat to cook at a tailgate (that survives the lot)Getting out
Light rail platforms get crowded after games, so patience is part of the plan. Your options, best first:
- Take Link. University of Washington Station is next to the stadium. Expect to wait to board, and don't push or run.
- Catch an extra Metro bus. Added service on Routes 44, 255 and 542, plus extra coaches on 65, 72 or 75, from first-stop bays on Montlake Blvd and NE Pacific St.
- Back to the boat. Harbor shuttles run for 1 hour after the game. Anchored? You need a return-trip ticket from the Waterfront Activities Center office, card only.
Skip this
Have a rideshare meet you at the stadium. Pickup is at Rainier Vista, on Okanogan Ln off Stevens Way. Walk there first; it's close.
First time here?
- Campus lots open 6 hours before kickoff. No overnight parking.
- Pay for single-game parking with the Pay-By-Phone app, or a card at the Padelford and Portage Bay garages.
- Charcoal grills in surface lots only, never in a garage.
- No open containers anywhere on UW property, lots included.
- Gates open 2 hours before kickoff. Clear bag only, and no re-entry.
- Anchoring in the bay on a busy day? Flag a shuttle at least 1 hour before kickoff.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
The Zone is free with a game ticket from 2 hours before kickoff, an easy place to meet up. In the lots, wear your colors, bring something to share and ask before you join a setup.
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Your Husky Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
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