Are you hoping to get out and enjoy active winter fun this year? Skating helps you make the most of winter, with plenty of locations to lace up. Plus, it’s often free or very affordable. Calgary is ideal for outdoor ice skating, especially when a chinook rolls in and the temperatures warm up! Community Outdoor Skating Rinks are a great place to meet your neighbours and get your skates on for free. If the weather is too warm or cold, there are also many indoor rinks. Not sure where to go? Keep reading to find out where to go skating in Calgary!
Community Outdoor Skating Rinks
Many communities in Calgary have rinks run and maintained by community volunteers. Check with a community near you, but please note that some communities only allow members of their community to access their rinks or lakes. Double-check before you head out so you don’t run into any surprises!
Adopt-a-Rink is a winter volunteer program through which volunteers help flood and maintain existing community pleasure skating rinks throughout Calgary. There are over 70 rinks currently enrolled in the program in Calgary. These rinks are for pleasure use only; hockey equipment is not allowed. To see the list of rinks and get more information on the program, click here.
Central Commons Park in the University District is a great option. This 3-acre park includes a skating rink and lots of amenities nearby. Be sure to take advantage of the free underground parking.
There is also a new rink at The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary) with heated portable restrooms open from 10 AM – 5 PM.
City of Calgary Outdoor Skating Rinks
In addition to the Community Rinks, the City of Calgary maintains several outdoor skating areas. These are free to use and weather-dependent. They are typically open from mid-December through February. The city-maintained ice surfaces are located at:
- Big Marlborough Park (NE)
- Bowness Park Lagoon (NW) (Check out the Ice Trail or rent an Ice Bike!)
- Carburn Park (SE)
- North Glenmore Park and Ice Trail (SW)
- Prairie Winds Park
- Prince’s Island Lagoon (SW)
- Thomson Family Park (SW)
- West Confederation Park (NW)
For more information, including rink street addresses, rules, hours, and the current status of the rinks, please visit the city website. Please note that equipment rentals are not currently available at the City of Calgary outdoor ice surfaces, except where noted on the website.
Indoor Arenas
For those days when it’s too warm or too cold to skate outside, there are also some indoor arenas in Calgary with public skating. The City of Calgary runs several of these arenas, and they sometimes have free skating on statutory holidays in the fall and winter. But there are lots of community-run indoor arenas, as well, so search for your area. You’ll also find rinks at many recreation centres. You can get started with this Arena Guide, but note that some of the locations on this map are outdoors.
You can also find public skating at the Olympic Oval, and they sometimes offer Toonie Skate Mondays, where you can skate the Olympic Oval from 6 to 8 PM every Monday for just a toonie. Be sure to check ahead about these dates, as there are blackout dates.
Happy skating, Calgary!
