At a glance
- Cost
- Free at both car parks
- Hours
- 24/7; parts of Doug Jennings Park restricted for access from 8pm to 6am; Philip Park unrestricted
- Spaces
- Doug Jennings Park 700 to 799; Philip Park 200 to 249
- Address
- Seaworld Drive, The Spit, Main Beach
- Gold Coast 500
- Build Notice 05 lists sections of the Phillip Park and Spit Seaway car parks as closed for the race build
- Official pages
- City of Gold Coast car park and park pages
Parking is free at both the Doug Jennings Park car park and the Philip Park car park on The Spit at Main Beach. The City of Gold Coast says there is no charge at either. Doug Jennings Park has a listed capacity of 700 to 799 spaces and Philip Park 200 to 249, and both are off Seaworld Drive.
The two car parks do not work the same way: parts of Doug Jennings Park are restricted for access between 8pm and 6am, while the City describes Philip Park as unrestricted parking, available 24/7. Details below are from the City’s pages, checked on 13 October 2026.
How do the two car parks compare?
| Doug Jennings Park Carpark | Philip Park Carpark | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | No charge | No charge |
| Capacity (City listing) | 700 to 799 | 200 to 249 |
| Hours | 24/7, with parts of the car park restricted for access between 8pm and 6am | 24/7, unrestricted parking |
| Where the City says it is | A large outdoor car park at the end of Seaworld Drive, The Spit | An outdoor car park in beachside Philip Park on The Spit |
| Accessible parking spaces | Listed | Not listed |
Each page is on the City’s site: Doug Jennings Park Carpark and Philip Park Carpark. The City’s car park pages list no height limit for either car park.
What is at Doug Jennings Park?
The City’s Doug Jennings Park page says the Gold Coast Waterways Authority is the trustee of the 30 hectare park. It lists picnic shelters and tables, beach showers and drinking fountains with dog bowls, two public toilet blocks (one near the kiosk and one along the Moondarewa Spit), bike racks, a fish cleaning station, a Marine Stadium Jetty Pontoon and seating along the Seaway Promenade. Dogs can go off leash on the dog beach between the Seaway Kiosk and the Sand Bypass Pumping Jetty, with alternative access along the Seaway Breakwall.
For access, the City lists a pathway around the park, disabled toilets and disabled parking bays. The page also says there is more parking along the ring road. Bookings and questions about events in the park go through the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, which the City lists on 07 5539 7350.
What is at Philip Park?
The Philip Park page says the car park is at the northern end of the park, which sits between Hollindale Park and the southern end of the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve. Facilities include barbecue and picnic areas, several beach access points, outdoor showers, drinking fountains with dog bowls, an outdoor gym, toilets and a disability toilet. Dogs must be on a leash.
On access, the City says the Philip Park car park has paths to the picnic and barbecue facilities but none to the public toilets. A second car park south of the Sheraton Mirage has more toilets, which are pathed and accessible. The City’s pages give no capacity or fee details for that second car park.
Are these car parks affected by the Gold Coast 500?
Possibly. The Gold Coast 500 organisers’ Build Notice 05, for the week beginning Tuesday 6 October, says that from Monday 14 September, sections of the Cypress Avenue, Macintosh Island, Phillip Park and Spit Seaway car parks are closed for the build, and that the remaining bays stay open to the public. The notice does not say whether its “Phillip Park” and “Spit Seaway” car parks are the car parks on the City’s Philip Park and Doug Jennings Park pages, and it does not say which sections are closed or when they reopen.
The City’s road closure listing for the event also names Main Beach Parade, Breaker Street and other streets in Main Beach from Friday 11 September to Saturday 14 November. The City’s two car park pages do not mention the event. If you plan to park here around the race weekend, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October, check the signs on the day. Our Gold Coast 500 transport and parking guide covers how to get to the track, and the organisers say there is no public parking at the event itself.
More guides: Gold Coast parking guide · Gold Coast 500 2026 guide
Sources
- City of Gold Coast — Doug Jennings Park Carpark (checked 13 October 2026)
- City of Gold Coast — Philip Park Carpark
- City of Gold Coast — Doug Jennings Park
- City of Gold Coast — Philip Park
- Supercars — Gold Coast 500 transport and traffic, Build Notice 05
- Supercars — Gold Coast 500 community information (event FAQ)
- City of Gold Coast — City alerts, road closures
Featured image: the Gold Coast Seaway at Main Beach (photo: Shiftchange / CC0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority or Supercars. Conditions can change; check the City’s pages and the signs at the car park before you park.