The air is crisp and clean. The evergreens are covered with snow. If you’re lucky – and observant – you might spot a cardinal, a finch, a waxwing or a blue jay as you glide along the ice.
And when the sun goes down, you can huddle around a big bonfire with a cup of hot chocolate and warm up before relacing your skates and heading back out to skate under the stars.
It’s simply magical.
This winter, plan a skating trip to these four provincial parks:
Get on the ice!
Algonquin (Mew Lake) and Pinery provincial parks offer large outdoor rinks where you can skate — or play a game of shinny — from morning until after dark.
And by turning summer campground loops into enchanting wilderness skate trails that are lit at night, MacGregor Point and Arrowhead provincial parks offer a breathtaking “skate through the woods” experience you’ll never forget.
Ontario Parks rinks and trails are open generally from mid-December to February, though — of course — outdoor ice rinks and trails are all weather-dependent.
Check ahead for hours of operation and what amenities are available.
Some of the parks rent skates and push bars for toddlers. Arrowhead has heated cabins for overnight stays (especially midweek!), while at MacGregor, Pinery, and Algonquin, you can camp in a heated yurt!
Guarantee entrance to Algonquin, Arrowhead, and Pinery by obtaining a daily vehicle permit up to five days in advance of your trip, beginning at 7:00 a.m.
Make your reservation:
- Online
- By phone at 1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275) – open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST
Don’t hibernate this winter!
Leave that to the bears. Pack up the kids, head to a park and spend the day on the ice.
