In Canada, a land of snow and ice, they know that part of the fun of snow sports is being outdoors. That’s why Edmonton, Alberta, opens a series of outdoor ice rinks yearly in parks around the city.
But Edmonton’s most iconic skating destination isn’t an ice rink at all. It’s an ice track through a forest, one of the city’s most popular parks. The Victoria Park Ice Track covers just under 2 miles within Victoria Park and three laps of the track open in early January.
The Victoria Park Ice Trail is located south of downtown Edmonton, along the North Saskatchewan River. The trail may be centrally located, but once you strap on your skates and hit the ice, the buzz of Edmonton can seem distant—especially at night. Victoria Park’s IceWay winds lazily through the woods. Once night falls, the path is lit in iridescent lights, allowing skaters to glide under multicolored lights until the park closes at 10 p.m.
The ice track is connected to the Victoria Park Ice Rink, a 400-meter Olympic-sized oval ice rink explicitly designed for speed skating. Skaters can skate around the oval ice rink and then slide under the mesmerizing rainbow lights. On some nights throughout the winter, a roaring fire next to the pavilion in nearby Victoria Park will serve hot chocolate.
The Victoria Park Ice Track is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. It is entirely free and open to the public. They don’t rent skates here, so bring a pair of skates. Or, you can rent adult skates from Totem Outdoor Outfitters (starting at $25 per day). The pavilion in Victoria Park serves as a heating area for the ice track, with bathrooms, lockers, changing areas, and a view of the ice rink in Victoria Park. There is also a covered picnic spot with tables, a wood stove, and a fire pit.
Ice Road parking is at the Victoria Park Main Car Park, Victoria Park East Car Park, and Victoria Golf Course.
Several other skating facilities exist in Edmonton, including parks around the city. Castle Downs Park, Town Hall Square, Hawrelak Park, Jackie Parker, Meadows Community Recreation Centre, and Rundle Park all have ice rinks, with Rundell Park having a second (albeit shorter) ice track: the Rundle Park Ice Track. Rundle Park, just up the river from Victoria Park, includes about a mile of walking trails with an outdoor hockey rink and two ice rinks nearby.
