Ice skating Toronto turns the city into one of Canada’s most romantic winter destinations. From the Nathan Phillips Square reflecting pool, lit up at night beside the famous “TORONTO” sign, to the more than 50 outdoor rinks scattered across the city’s neighbourhoods, where drop-in skating is free, there is somewhere to lace up in almost every part of town. Add the indoor arenas and the Bentway skating trail under the Gardiner Expressway, and you have a winter sports scene with real range. This guide covers the city’s best skating rinks, walks through skate rentals and seasonal hours, and adds context on tobogganing, cross-country skiing, and the surprise of fat biking on the Toronto Islands.
Why ice skating Toronto is a must-do winter activity
Toronto’s outdoor skating season typically runs late November through mid-March, with the most reliable mid-season weeks being mid-January to mid-February. The city’s Parks and Recreation department runs outdoor artificial ice rinks at 52 locations containing 63 ice pads, according to the City’s December 2024 Ice Facilities Strategy. Volunteers also look after natural-ice rinks in parks; the City’s 2025–26 approved list named 48 park locations, and whether one is open depends on the weather and on volunteer upkeep. Drop-in skating is free. Skate rentals are available at some rinks, including Nathan Phillips Square, and each operator posts its own rates.
The best ice skating Toronto offers is at the city’s three flagship outdoor rinks — Nathan Phillips Square, Harbourfront’s Skate by the Lake, and the Bentway under-the-Gardiner trail
Nathan Phillips Square: the iconic Toronto skating experience
The Nathan Phillips Square skating rink (100 Queen St W, in front of City Hall) is a celebrated ice skating Toronto location and the unofficial winter symbol of the city. The reflecting pool of the 1965 City Hall plaza freezes into a rink beneath the square’s three concrete arches, and the illuminated “TORONTO” sign makes a popular photo backdrop. Skating is free; Nathan Phillips Square Skate Rentals charges $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under for a two-hour rental. Queen and Osgoode, both on Line 1, are the nearest subway stations.
Pro tip: for the iconic photo, arrive at twilight (4:30–5:30pm in midwinter) when the sky is still blue but the lights have come on.
Skate by the Lake at Harbourfront: lakefront skating
Skate by the Lake is Harbourfront Centre’s seasonal skating rink at 235 Queens Quay W, right on the waterfront. Admission is free during the season. Rentals are $10 for children and $15 for adults, and free on Saturdays. Check Harbourfront Centre’s skate page for the season’s hours and programming before you go.
The Bentway: a 220-metre skating trail under a freeway
The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd) is a 220-metre figure-eight ice trail snaking through the concrete columns supporting the Gardiner Expressway above. Its first phase, including the skating trail, opened on 6 January 2018, with Public Work among those involved in the planning and design. Skating is free and skate aids are available to borrow. Rentals are $12.99 for adult sizes and $12 for youth sizes, for a maximum of two hours. Check the Bentway’s winter skating page for the season’s schedule. Take the 511 Bathurst streetcar to Fort York Boulevard.
Other top outdoor rinks
Trinity Bellwoods Park rink
Trinity Bellwoods (790 Queen W) has an outdoor artificial ice rink in the park. Pickup hockey on the south side; family skating on the north. Free, no rentals.
Ramsden Park rink
Ramsden Park (Avenue Rd at Roxborough) has a rink in the Yorkville area. Free.
Greenwood Park rink
Greenwood Park (150 Greenwood Ave) has a covered hockey pad and a skating trail. Free.
Christie Pits Park rink
Christie Pits has an artificial ice rink, the Sid Smith Artificial Ice Rink. The amphitheatre-style park around it makes for a great cold-weather walk. Free.
Withrow Park rink
Withrow Park (725 Logan Ave) is Riverdale’s community rink — an artificial ice rink surrounded by mature trees. Free.
Sherbourne Common rink
Sherbourne Common (61 Dockside Dr, East Bayfront) is the most architectural of the rinks — the south park, which holds the rink, opened in 2010 and the full park was completed in 2011, and the rink is bordered by a stainless-steel water sculpture that doubles as a lighting installation. Free.
Mel Lastman Square rink
The North York counterpart to Nathan Phillips Square — a compressor-cooled rink at 5100 Yonge St (in front of North York Civic Centre), with a similar evening-lights atmosphere. Bring your own skates. Free.
Other compressor-cooled outdoor rinks worth visiting
Other notable ice skating Toronto rinks include Dufferin Grove (875 Dufferin) and Riverdale Park East (550 Broadview).
Indoor rinks for serious skaters
Toronto has more than 30 indoor city arenas. Mitchell Field Community Centre (89 Church Ave, North York) is one, and the Mattamy Athletic Centre (50 Carlton St — formerly the iconic Maple Leaf Gardens) has an NHL-size ice surface. At the City’s arenas, drop-in skating is free.
Skate rentals and lessons
Rental rates differ by rink, and Nathan Phillips Square, Harbourfront and the Bentway each post their own. Bring a credit card or government ID for the deposit. For skate sharpening, Sport Chek offers the service, and Pro Hockey Life lists it at its Whitby store; check Pro Hockey Life’s website for other stores.
For lessons, Skate Canada‘s national CanSkate program runs out of dozens of GTA clubs, and the City of Toronto’s recreation listings show which Learn to Skate classes are on this season.
Beyond skating: other Toronto winter sports
Tobogganing hills
The City’s designated tobogganing list names 30 hills across 28 parks. Check it for the hill nearest you.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing in the city depends on snow cover, so check the City of Toronto’s ice and snow activities pages for current conditions and equipment before you head out.
Downhill skiing within the city
Earl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre (4169 Bathurst) is a small City-run hill with a beginner rope tow, three main-hill runs served by a four-person chairlift, and ski and snowboard lessons. For the 2026 season, lift tickets were listed from $21.29 to $40.65; check the City’s page for next season’s rates. The big skiing is 90 minutes north — see our Blue Mountain from Toronto guide.
Fat biking on the Toronto Islands
An increasingly popular winter sport — fat-tire mountain bikes ride the snow-covered Multi-Use Trail across the Toronto Islands. The winter ferry schedule to Ward’s Island runs from 14 October 2026 to mid-April 2027, with departures generally 30 to 60 minutes apart. Toronto Adventures rents fat bikes from December to early March.
Practical tips for ice skating Toronto
What to wear
Layered clothing — base layer (synthetic or merino, never cotton), mid layer (fleece or down), shell (waterproof). Mittens warmer than gloves; thin liner gloves underneath if you want phone access. Wool socks. A toque covers the ears (vital — most heat loss is from the head). Pack a thin scarf or buff for very cold nights.
When to go
Outdoor rinks open late November and close mid-March, weather-dependent. Best skating mid-January through mid-February, when the ice is fully frozen and crowds are still manageable. Hours and programs vary by rink, so check the City’s location-specific schedules and each event organiser’s listings before you go.
Costs
City of Toronto outdoor skating is free, and so is drop-in skating at the City’s indoor arenas. Skate rentals run from $10 to $15 at Nathan Phillips Square and Harbourfront, and $12 to $12.99 at the Bentway. Budget a little extra for hot chocolate at the rinks. The City’s downhill skiing and snowboarding page lists current equipment rental rates at Earl Bales.
Accessibility
Most major Toronto rinks have wheelchair-accessible washrooms. Nathan Phillips Square, Harbourfront, the Bentway, and Sherbourne Common all have ice-skating-aid loans (the metal-frame walker-style aids). For adaptive skating programs, check the City’s public skating page or call 311.
Once you’ve mastered the rink at Nathan Phillips Square, the natural next step is four and a half hours east. When Ottawa’s Rideau Canal freezes, it becomes a 7.8 km skateway through the middle of the capital, and during Winterlude, from 29 January to 15 February 2027, the whole city skates. Our Ottawa from Toronto guide covers how to get there and when the ice is most reliable.
Plan the rest of your Toronto winter
Skating is the headline winter activity, but our guide to Toronto outdoor activities covers what else runs once the temperature drops. Pair skating with the rest of Toronto’s winter offering: best parks in Toronto, Blue Mountain from Toronto, Distillery Christmas Market, things to do in Toronto, CN Tower tickets, and our where to stay in Toronto guide for hotels near the major rinks. For warm-weather alternatives, see Toronto beaches and kayaking Toronto.
Ice skating Toronto is the city’s most quintessential winter experience — bring warm gloves, plan a 4:30pm arrival at Nathan Phillips Square, and follow it with hot chocolate at a Queen Street café.
