A Driver's Guide To Arizona Spring Training

The map above shows the general locations of all 15 teams' spring-training sites in Arizona. Since the edges are cut off (the Reds don't show on the left edge), here's a larger version you can click on:

A huge shoutout to Max Rieper, manager of our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review, for creating this map.

The 15 teams play in 10 ballparks -- five are shared between two clubs. This article is intended to give you some tips if you are coming to Arizona for spring training and driving to games, which you pretty much have to, as public transportation in and around the parks is almost nonexistent.

Sloan Park

The Cubs' spring ballpark is one of the easiest parks to get to, no matter where you are staying in the Valley. It's right at the intersection of two major freeways, Loop 101 and Loop 202. If you are on what locals call "the 101," exit at Rio Salado Parkway and go east. The park is right there. On the 202, exit at Dobson and go south.

Helpful hints: get there early. Parking fills up and I have heard that late arrivals have gotten stuck in long lines to get into the lots. Even more helpful hint: about 1½ miles west of Sloan Park is Tempe Marketplace, a huge outdoor mall filled with big-box stores, bars and restaurants. You can park there free and take a trolley to Sloan Park. More information here. You can do the same at Mesa Riverview, a similar mall located just east of Sloan Park across Dobson Road. More info on the Mesa Riverview trolley here.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

This is the spring home of the Rockies and Diamondbacks. It's also easy to get to, located just off the 101 north of Talking Stick Way. You can exit there and park at a strip mall called the Pavilions and walk over. It's a bit of a walk, but doable. Talking Stick has several parking lots ringing the park, so choose the one closest to your seat. If you're sitting on the left-field side or lawn, for example, get off the 101 one exit north of the park (Via de Ventura), go west and enter the parking lot on the north side of the complex.

Scottsdale Stadium

The spring ballpark for the Giants is hemmed in on all sides by business parks, a hospital and a residential area. Parking is very limited. You can park in the city of Scottsdale lots that are located between the park and Old Town Scottsdale, about half a mile away, and walk over. The city of Scottsdale also operates trolleys from various places in town that will drop you at the park. Here is more info on the trolley, as well as the routes.

HoHoKam Park

The former spring home of the Cubs, now inhabited by the Athletics, isn't near any of the freeways but is still fairly easy to get to, as it's on a wide road (Center Street) and not far from Arizona route 87 (Country Club Drive), which is accessible off the 202. The A's don't draw as well as the Cubs did there, but getting there early will help you avoid traffic. Helpful hint: make sure you arrive from the direction you want to leave, because if you are in the lot north of the park, you'll have to go that way after the game, and the same with the lot south of the park.

Tempe Diablo Stadium

If you have seen games on TV at this home of the Angels, you'd think it would be easy to get to, since you can see Interstate 10 running behind the right-field wall. Unfortunately, there aren't any convenient exits off I-10 near the park. It's on Alameda Drive off 48th Street in Tempe, which you can get to via Arizona 143, but that would only be coming from the north. If you're coming from any other direction, Broadway Road to 48th Street to Alameda is probably your best bet. Parking is limited. If you get there real early you can park on the street for free, but those fill up fast and it's a bit of a walk. Traffic has been known to be horrendous after games.

Peoria Sports Complex

The spring home of the Mariners and Padres is also easy to get to. It's right off the Bell Road exit from the 101. Go east on Bell, turn right on 83rd Avenue and the park is about half a mile south. Like others it has multiple parking lots. If you're sitting on the lawn, turn left on Paradise Lane and park east of the ballpark, otherwise continue on 83rd Avenue into the lots south of the park.

Maryvale Baseball Park

The Brewers' park was built where it is (on 51st Avenue south of Indian School Road in Phoenix) because there were hopes that it would lead to redevelopment of the area. It opened in 1998, and... well, not much development has happened. The park itself is nice and rarely crowded. It's fairly easy to get to; the best way is probably going on I-10 to 51st Avenue, then north (this is probably faster even if you're coming from north of the park, because then you're on local streets). Traffic can be tough after games, and the parking lots are a bit of a maze.

Surprise Stadium

This park has not, in the past, drawn huge crowds, even when the Cubs were the visitors. This year, with the Royals being the defending World Series champions and the Rangers a defending division champion, I'd expect much larger attendance. This is a nice park, but it's a bit off the beaten path. You drive the same way you go to get to Peoria Sports Complex, only instead of going east on Bell Road, you go west. And west, and west... about another 10 miles. Just when you wonder when you're going to get there, you see the light towers and turn south on Bullard Avenue. Traffic usually isn't a big problem getting out after games, and one of the nicest things about Surprise: parking is free.

Camelback Ranch

Not recommended. And this has nothing to do with it being the spring home of the White Sox (and Dodgers). The reason: traffic getting out after games is impossible. When they built this park, they ran out of money before being able to finish the access road going north. Thus there is only one entrance, and one exit, from the parking lot. The first time I went there I sat in one spot for 45 minutes waiting to get out, without moving at all. (You can imagine how much fun that was.) The second time, I left after the seventh inning, which I don't like doing, but I like sitting in traffic like that even less.

There is one thing I can blame the White Sox for here. Camelback Ranch was built facing the same way (southeast) as the Cell does, supposedly on the orders of Jerry Reinsdorf. The problem with this is that it means that every seat is in the sun. For sun lovers that's great, but many spring fans like shade. I'm skipping the Cubs games at Camelback Ranch again this year.

Goodyear Ballpark

I like this place, the spring home of the Reds and Indians, even though it's a hike from almost anywhere in the Valley. You just keep going west on I-10 until you think the "10 West Los Angeles" signs mean you're going to be in L.A. in about five minutes. Most directions will tell you to get off I-10 at Bullard if you're going westbound and Estrella Parkway if you're going east, but I've found Estrella is probably better no matter which direction you're coming from.

The park is nice, it's rarely crowded (Cleveland and Cincinnati fans don't seem to travel well for spring training), and it's relatively easy to get in and out of the parking lot. And there's an airplane boneyard right behind the right-field wall, which is cool to look at.

If you're going, enjoy your trip to baseball and sunshine, and I hope this guide helps you get to games more easily.