Winter Getaways Near Ottawa
January 14, 2022
Romantic Restaurants
February 4, 2022
Best Skating Experiences in the Ottawa Area
It’s wintertime! And this calls for all of the fun activities that come along with this frosty season. One of Canada’s favourite winter pastimes is of course ice skating! As a matter of fact, our National Capital Region has tons of great places to skate! From temperature-controlled ice rinks to skating through forests and apple orchards. Our area has got you covered so you can enjoy this Canadian fan favourite to the fullest! Afterward, you can enjoy a delicious treat at many of the sites below!
Don’t know how to skate? That’s no problem! The city of Ottawa offers skating lessons for all ages! Check out their website to find an age-appropriate course for you and your family members!
Our list below features the top skating rinks in the area as well as some other non-traditional and totally awesome places to skate. Given that, you are sure to find something for every family member on this list below! Happy skating!
Rideau Canal
Along Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive, Ottawa
📅 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Firstly, we have Ottawa’s only skating rink that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! And the best part? It’s free! The 52nd season of the Rideau Canal Skateway is underway with 30cms of safe and thick ice. Featuring a whopping 7.8kms of skating, making it the world’s largest rink. How can you resist going for your annual skate on this UNESCO World Heritage site! Live downtown? In reality, you could even try skating to work. Many of the local Ottawans do! Not to mention, you can also enjoy a Beavertail and sip some hot chocolate along the way!
Rink of Dreams
110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa
📅 Daily, 8 am to 11 pm
The Rink of Dreams is one of 4 refrigerated rinks in Ottawa, meaning it will stay frozen even when the temperatures are milder! With its convenient location next to City Hall, you can enjoy inexpensive, underground parking right on site! Skate all day on this pristine ice under the sun. When you skate after dark, the neon-coloured lights make it a spectacular disco-like skating experience! Most importantly, you’ll want to grab a Beavertail on your way out!
Riveroak Skating Trail
2900 York’s Corners Road, Ottawa
📅 Weds/Thurs: 11AM – 7PM | Fri: 11 AM – 8PM | Sat: 9AM – 8PM | Sun: 9AM – 6PM
Enjoy skating through a beautiful orchard and sugar bush at Riveroak Skating Trail just outside of Metcalfe. At this skating trail, you can go up and over hills and around corners. This is undoubtedly one of Ottawa’s most unique skating experiences! If you are looking for an extreme skate, check out their skate park with jumps and ramps! Want a fresh new date night idea? Check out the torchlit Friday night under the stars! You can’t get much more romantic than this. Once you are finished with skating you can check out the snowshoe and hiking trails! In conclusion, there is truly something for everyone here.
Little Penguin Trail
312 Chemin Taché, Gatineau, Quebec
📅 Daily from 9AM – 6PM | 9AM – 9AM Saturdays
This brand new skating trail is about 25 minutes from downtown Ottawa. By comparison, it is the largest outdoor trail in the region! It stretches across 5kms of the beautiful grounds of Touraine Golf course in the middle of nature. With the trees in the forest full of freshly fallen snow, it truly is magical! Bring your friends, the more skaters you have, the better deal you will get on tickets! Starting at $15 / person.
Patinage en forêt
9 Montée Beausoleil, Lac-des-Loups, Québec
📅 Daily 9AM – 4:30 PM
Indeed, this is the original Ottawa region skating path! It was also formerly the longest skating path in the Ottawa area. Patinage en Foret is celebrating its 6th year in business. They paved (groomed?) the way for many other great skating paths in the area. Featuring an enchanting skating path that winds through the forest adjacent to Gatineau Park. It is about 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa and is a skating experience like no other! This 3km trail meanders through nature in a magnificent open-air landscape, sheltered from the wind. Try out the torchlight skating on select evenings!
Éco-Odyssée
52 Chem. des Sources, Wakefield, Quebec
📅 Thurs/Fri: 12:00 PM – 9PM | Sat: 10AM – 9PM | Sun: 10AM – 6PM
As can be seen, Quebec has so many unique skating experiences! This skating trail is about 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa and features 3.3kms of natural ice through a maze! Keep in mind that the ice is natural, so it does have flaws and imperfections. It is truly a natural experience among beautiful wildlife! As a matter of fact, you will learn about the habitat of the beaver while you navigate through this ice maze of 64 intersections. Note that this ice is all-natural, so there are flaws and imperfections.
Icelynd Skating Trails
6865 Fernbank Road, Stittsville
📅 Tues – Thurs: 2PM – 10PM | Fri/Sat: 10AM – 10PM | Sun: 10AM – 7PM
Ottawa’s newest skating trail is open and resides only a few minutes outside of Stittsville! Featuring professionally maintained skating paths and rinks, this is a great skating experience for all ages! There is also a canteen on the property where you can purchase hot chocolate, Gatorade and snacks when you get peckish. Tickets start at $12 each and need to be booked in advance in order to skate on site. Because of this, you will want to be sure to buy yours before embarking on your adventure! Additionally, you can even rent out the large skating rink for your next private event!
Rideau Hall Skating Rink
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
📅 Sat/Sun: 12PM – 3PM
Skate on a little piece of history at Rideau Hall! This historic skating rink was originally built in 1872. It was built during the mandate of the governor-general, Earl of Dufferin. His wife became a great skater, therefore the couple organized many skating parties at the rink. Because the rink is a little smaller than most rinks in Ottawa, there is a maximum of 25 visitors allowed per time slot. For this purpose, you will need to book your reservation before you get to the rink. After your skate, you can warm up by the public fire pit.
Lansdowne Skating Court
1525 Princess Patricia Way, Ottawa
📅 Daily from 7AM – 11PM
This refrigerated rink is conveniently located at Lansdowne Park. Here, you can skate alongside the Rideau Canal and among all of the great shops and restaurants at Lansdowne. Care to grab a bite to eat afterward? You have so many options and outdoor heaters are set up almost at every corner. Afterwards, you can warm up after a long skate! It is possible to skate without reservation during the off-peak hours, but you will want to make a reservation on the busy weekends.
In conclusion, there are tons of great places to skate in the Ottawa area! We hope you enjoyed reading about these 9 local skating experiences! Remember, if you plan on visiting any of these great locations, it is important to bundle up! It’s been surprisingly cold this winter and we want you to stay safe. In fact, if you are looking for a place to warm up for a hot cup of coffee after your skate, check out one of Ottawa’s best local coffee shops!
The Susan & Moe Team hopes you and your families enjoy your winter season to the fullest! If you are looking to buy or sell a home, contact us today. We would love to help you find your dream home!
