Toronto Skating Rinks

Toronto runs more than 50 outdoor rinks, and every one of them is free. The season usually runs from late November to March, weather depending, and the City also opens indoor arenas for the colder months if you want ice without checking the forecast. Everyone on the ice needs skates, but beyond that, the rules depend on what you're there for: leisure skating, figure skating, or shinny, each with its own scheduled times.

Outdoor rinks are more weather-dependent than people expect. A heavy snowfall shuts a rink down until crews can clear it, and on unusually warm days, some rinks close too, since not every refrigeration system can keep ice hard above zero. Access isn't even across the city either: most of downtown Toronto is a short walk from a rink, Etobicoke has more rinks than most areas, but parts of Scarborough sit much farther from the nearest one.

Which outdoor skating rinks in Toronto are worth the trip?

The biggest are the skating trails: Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke, The Bentway under the Gardiner, and Greenwood Park in the east end. For a classic rink, Nathan Phillips Square, Mel Lastman Square and the Natrel Rink at Harbourfront are the best known — all free, all outdoors.

1. 1.Colonel Samuel Smith Park Skating Trail~250 m figure-8 trail · 65 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr
2. 2.The Bentway Skate Trail~220 m figure-8 trail · Dec–Family Day · 250 Fort York Blvd
3. 3.Greenwood Park Skating Trail~215 m trail + covered rink · 150 Greenwood Ave
4. 4.Natrel Rink (Harbourfront Centre)Oversized rectangular rink · 235 Queens Quay W
5. 5.Nathan Phillips Square RinkCivic-square rink, no boards · 100 Queen St W
6. 6.Mel Lastman Square RinkCivic-square rink · 5100 Yonge St
7. 7.Dieppe Park RinkDouble-pad rink · 455 Cosburn Ave
8. 8.Sherbourne Common RinkWaterfront rink · 61 Dockside Dr
9. 9.Sid Smith Rink (Christie Pits)Hockey + pleasure pad · 750 Bloor St W
10. 10.Regent Park South RinkPleasure + shinny pad · 480 Shuter St

Looking for all 50 outdoor rinks in Toronto? Download our Toronto iOS app and find the closest ice to you. It's free and private!

All outdoor rinks run late November to mid-March, weather permitting.