About this Location

Facility Overview

The Forest Glen Metro Park & Ride is a vital commuter surface parking facility located at 9730 Georgia Avenue in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Silver Spring, Maryland. Owned and operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), this spacious open-air lot provides roughly 596 parking bays designed to support daily rail commuters, local hospital visitors, and travelers heading into downtown Washington, D.C. Because it is a ground-level, open-sky asphalt lot rather than an underground or multi-tier garage deck, there are no restrictive overhead height clearance barriers, making it readily accessible for standard passenger vehicles, full-size SUVs, pickup trucks, conversion vans, and roof-rack-equipped vehicles alike.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Positioned directly at the junction of Georgia Avenue (MD-97) and Forest Glen Road, the facility provides unbeatable proximity to critical local institutions and regional transit:

Holy Cross Hospital: Located merely 0.2 miles away (a 5-minute walk across Forest Glen Road), making this lot a practical alternative for outpatients, visitors, and healthcare staff.
National Park Seminary: Situated just 1 mile west, featuring the stunning historic architecture and walking grounds of the restored campus.
Rock Creek Regional Park: Within a 5-minute drive, offering extensive nature trails, playgrounds, and picnic facilities.
Downtown Silver Spring: Situated just two miles south (one stop on the Red Line), hosting The Fillmore Silver Spring, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, and hundreds of dining options.
Forest Glen Medical Center: Directly adjacent to the transit station footprint along Georgia Avenue.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Ingress and egress are straightforward via designated entrance ramps off Georgia Avenue and Forest Glen Road. The facility is strategically placed right beside Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway, Exit 31A/B), allowing drivers from across Montgomery and Prince George\'s counties to bypass inner-city beltway congestion. On-site access to the Forest Glen Metro Station—the deepest transit station in the Western Hemisphere at 196 feet underground—is serviced by high-speed transit elevators connecting directly to the Red Line platforms. Commuters can reach downtown Silver Spring in 3 minutes, Bethesda in 15 minutes, and Metro Center in D.C. in roughly 25 minutes. Multiple Montgomery County Ride On bus routes (including Routes 7, 8, and 33) also service the on-site bus loop.

Facility Amenities & Key Features

Ample standard and designated accessible (ADA) parking bays near the elevator pavilion.
Open-air surface layout offering completely unrestricted vertical vehicle clearance.
Payment integration via SmarTrip cards, credit/debit cards, and the ParkMobile mobile parking app.
Reserved parking permit bays alongside general daily commuter stalls.
Well-illuminated paved lanes with high-visibility nighttime lighting and regular transit police patrols.
Bike racks and secure bike lockers for multimodal commuters.
EV charging spaces available on-site for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Ideal For

Daily DC Commuters: Drivers wishing to avoid inner-city traffic and costly central business district parking garages.
Holy Cross Hospital Visitors: Individuals seeking nearby, convenient parking during peak hospital appointment hours.
Beltway Commuters: Motorists transitioning directly from I-495 onto the WMATA Metrorail network.
Large Vehicle Owners: Contractors, trade workers, and drivers of high-profile vehicles that cannot fit into standard downtown underground garages.

Visitor & Driver Tips

Parking fees on WMATA surface lots generally apply between 7:30 AM and 7:00 PM on weekdays, whereas parking is completely free on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. SmarTrip card users should ensure their transit card is loaded with sufficient funds, or utilize the ParkMobile app to pay quickly from their smartphone upon arrival. During morning rush hour (7:00 AM to 8:30 AM), spaces closest to the station elevators fill up quickly, so early arrival is advised. Remember to allow an extra 2–3 minutes to ride the high-speed elevator down to the deep Red Line train platform before your train arrives.