Where to Park (and where not to park) at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

Today we are starting our “where to park” series so that you can enjoy different shopping areas across MoCo with a little less worrying about where to park. We’ll explore popular shopping centers and developments across the county and let you where (and where not to) park. Today we begin with Rio Lakefront, formerly the Rio Washingtonian Center, in Gaithersburg:

Let’s start by stating that parking is free here. So while it may get frustrating during busy times, it’s always free. Unless you’re going early enough on a weekday, we recommend avoiding the parking garage that’s located outside of the front entrance of the AMC movie theater and above the new Toya’s Southern Kitchen, Donutchew, Chipotle, etc (pictures below). While it may seem like the most convenient, you don’t want to rely on hoping you’ll find an empty spot as you wonder whether you should go up the middle of the garage or loop around the outer lane. When it’s busy, we recommend avoiding this garage at all costs.

If you leave the roundabout and enter between Dick’s and True Food Kitchen on Rio Blvd (photo below), you may have to deal with some congestion during busy times, which is why we recommend avoiding doing so during those times. There’s an immediate left you can make where you can find a few spots in a very small lot or you can turn right into the YardHouse lot. The small lot on the left is almost always full and the YardHouse lot is convenient, but fills up quickly. Luckily, you can see if there are any spaces as you drive by so you can make a decision without much of an impact. Then you arrive at the crosswalk between Uncle Julio’s and Corner Bakery. This is the cause for the congestion, as people are often crossing the street– individuals, big groups, families with children, etc.  

Once you’re past the crosswalk, you have a decision to make. Are you going to try to make a right and park conveniently by the lake and playground behind Uncle Julio’s, are you going to make a left into the garage, or are you going to make your second left just past the garage (photo below)? If it’s not busy, see if you can find your spot behind Uncle Julio’s. Otherwise, make your left into the garage, but then make an immediate left and go down where you will likely find many empty spaces. We think intuitively most people go up, where it gets much harder to find a spot. If you choose to make a left past the garage then it’s hit or miss as you look for a space all the way up to Target.

We don’t like parking at the garage across from Target. Target tends to be busier throughout the day and while you’re likely to find a spot there, we think it’s easier to park in the lot beside and behind Target (pictured below). Unless you have an electric car, then there are plenty of spaces there for you.

The lot we refer to as “the Guapo’s lot”, though it leads to pretty much everything on that side, is the biggest lot of the bunch (off of Washingtonian Blvd, photo below). It can get busy, but the trick is to go down…just not all the way down where it gets busy near the walkway between Guapo’s and the former Union Jack’s. Park somewhere below the Dave & Buster’s level and above the Guapo’s level and take the stairs.

Our personal favorite is the Kohl’s lot. It’s a little further out, but so many of us love to walk when we go to Rio that it’s just an added bonus. You park behind Kohl’s and walk to your destination and the parking lot is never busy. The side lot next to Kohl’s is our “secret spot” (pictured below).

Now you know, and knowing’s half the battle. Featured photo by @DronifyDMV, other photos courtesy of Google Maps.