Hampstead Heath Parking: Where to Park, What It Costs, and When to Arrive

Hampstead Heath Parking: Where to Park, What It Costs, and When to Arrive

Hampstead Heath has no single car park in the way that a National Trust property or a managed visitor attraction does. Instead, it has a network of small car parks distributed around its edges, a surrounding residential area with controlled parking zones, and a visitor population that reliably exceeds parking capacity on any sunny Saturday or Bank Holiday between March and October. This is what you need to know before you drive.

The Official Car Parks

East Heath Road Car Park (Parliament Hill entrance)

The largest and most useful car park for the southern Heath. Located on East Heath Road, NW3, it provides direct access to the Parliament Hill section, the athletics track, the model boating pond, and the bathing ponds. There are approximately 80 spaces.

Hours: Open daily, typically 7am to 8pm (hours vary seasonally — check the City of London Corporation website before visiting in winter or for early morning arrival).

Cost: Pay-and-display. Charges apply seven days a week. Current rates are approximately £2.20 per hour; maximum stay four hours. Cash and card accepted at the machine; cashless payment by phone also available.

When to arrive: Before 9am on weekends to guarantee a space. By 10am on a sunny Saturday in July, this car park is reliably full. On weekdays, spaces are available throughout the morning.

Golders Hill Park Car Park

At the western end of the Heath Extension, adjacent to Golders Hill Park and the free zoo. Smaller than East Heath Road — approximately 30 spaces — but less known to visitors from south of the Heath.

Access: From North End Way (A502), turn at the sign for Golders Hill Park.

Cost: Pay-and-display, similar rates to East Heath Road.

Best for: Families using the Golders Hill Park zoo and café; walkers heading onto the Heath Extension.

Parliament Hill Car Park (Highgate Road)

A small pay-and-display car park on the Highgate Road edge of the Heath, near the Lido. Limited spaces — fills quickly on weekends. Best for visitors specifically using the Lido.

Kenwood (English Heritage) Car Park

On Hampstead Lane, at the northern edge of the Heath. Managed separately from the City of London Corporation car parks. Free to use, with a modest number of spaces in a woodland setting.

Access: From Hampstead Lane (A1201), follow signs for Kenwood House.

Important: The Kenwood car park closes at dusk (approximate times posted at the entrance). If you park here and stay past closing, the barrier comes down and you need to contact security — this happens regularly to visitors who underestimate their stay.

Best for: Kenwood House visitors; walkers starting from the northern Heath.

Street Parking Near the Heath

The residential streets adjacent to the Heath are predominantly within controlled parking zones. The boundaries of these zones are worth understanding:

East Heath area (NW3): Most streets immediately adjacent to East Heath Road and South End Road are in a CPZ operating Monday to Saturday. Outside CPZ hours (typically after 6:30pm on weekdays, all day Sunday), free parking is available on residential streets — though spaces become scarce on Sunday mornings during summer.

Gospel Oak area (NW5): Streets near Gordon House Road (the Parliament Hill athletics track entrance) have a CPZ on weekday mornings. On Saturdays, particularly during parkrun hours (7:30–10am), these streets fill completely before 8:30am.

Hampstead village: The village itself has very limited street parking and a strictly enforced CPZ. Do not drive to Hampstead village — park lower and walk up, or use the tube.

The Honest Advice

Arrive before 9am or after 3pm on summer weekends. The 10am–2pm window is when parking pressure peaks.

Use the tube or overground if you're coming from central London. Hampstead on the Northern line (Zone 2) is 20 minutes from King's Cross; Gospel Oak on the Overground is well-connected across north London. The walk from either station to the Heath is part of the experience.

Cycling is practical from much of north London — the route across the Heath is cycling-restricted (you must dismount), but arrival by bike is possible via the adjacent roads. A covered cycle rack is at the East Heath Road car park entrance.

Sundays are the best day to drive, if you must. The CPZ restrictions lift on residential streets in most areas, making free parking on nearby residential streets genuinely possible — though still competitive after 9:30am during summer.

What Happens When It's Full

If the East Heath Road car park is full, the realistic alternatives are:

1. Lido car park on Highgate Road — small, often has residual spaces when East Heath is full 2. South End Green area — paid parking available in the area at the bottom of the hill; short walk up to the Heath entrance 3. Belsize Park residential streets — outside the CPZ zone on the relevant roads (check signs carefully) 4. Come back later — if you arrive between 10am and noon on a busy day and can't find a space, leaving and returning after 2pm usually works

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Related reading: Getting to Hampstead Heath · Best Walks from Hampstead Tube · Hampstead Heath Complete Guide