The City lists a figure-eight ice skating trail here, set among a network of paths on a wooded shoreline in the Kipling and Lakeshore area. You will find it next to the Power House Recreation Centre. The City also calls the park one of Toronto’s most popular birding destinations, so bring a camera along with your skates. Our pick if you want a skate that feels like a woodland walk.
Outdoors DeskGuide
Skating Trails in Toronto: Figure Eights and Frozen Paths
Seven spots turn the rink into a loop, from City parks to The Bentway. Here is where they are, what sits beside them and where to check the season.
A rink is a rectangle. A skating trail is a story with a bend in it: you push off, loop around, pass the same tree twice and somehow it is never boring.
Toronto has a handful of them. City park pages list skate trails at Colonel Samuel Smith, Dieppe, Greenwood, College, Rennie and McCowan District, and The Bentway adds one tucked beneath the Gardiner. We looked at what each official page actually says, so this is a guide to where the trails are and what sits beside them, not a ranking.
When do Toronto’s skating trails open?
The City says its outdoor artificial ice rinks typically open in late November and close for the season in March. It runs more than 50 outdoor rink locations in a typical season. Exact dates change with the weather, so use the City’s skating page and rink map to see whether your trail is open.
On Cosburn Avenue just east of Greenwood Avenue. The City lists a pleasure skating trail here, and a double-pad rink that allows non-stop public skating. The park also has a lit ball diamond, a multipurpose field, a playground and a splash pad, so a family can split up and still meet at the ice. The double pad makes it a good plan B if one surface is busy.
A 6.2-hectare park on Greenwood Avenue, north of Dundas Street East. The City says it has its first covered outdoor artificial ice rink, with an ice skating trail beside it.
Downtown’s trail is the Barbara Ann Scott Ice Trail, in a park with gardens, a reflecting pool and a children’s play area. The park reopened in 2019 after a major revitalization. It is near College and Yonge, so it pairs easily with a coffee run.
A 9.7 hectare park near Bloor Street West and the South Kingsway with an artificial ice rink. The City’s facility list includes one skate trail.
Scarborough’s entry on the list. The City’s page shows skaters on the skating trail and lists one skate trail among the park’s facilities.
The Bentway’s figure-eight trail winds beneath the Gardiner Expressway. It is 220 metres long, and 2026-27 is its ninth winter season. The Bentway says the skate trail runs from December through February, and that a new installation called Àdìrẹ on Ice launches in December 2026. Each year its Transform the Trail program invites artists to create a new public artwork that celebrates winter, and this year’s piece is inspired by the Yoruba textile tradition àdìrẹ. Last winter’s Bentway FAQ said skating was free and needed no reservations, so check its site for this season.
What is a leisure skate?
On the City’s schedules, a leisure skate is an open skate for all ages. Shinny hockey, figure skating and speed-skating are not permitted during it. That is what makes a trail feel like a stroll: nobody is slapping a puck past your shoulder. Everyone on the ice must wear skates, and most programs require a helmet.
Do I need my own skates?
Everyone on the ice needs skates, but you may not need to own them. The City offers a free Skate Lending Library at select locations, with skates, helmets and skating aids to borrow. Skate rentals are available at Nathan Phillips Square during the winter season only. The City also says all drop-in programs at its rinks are free.
Which trail should I pick?
Want trees and quiet? Head west to Colonel Samuel Smith. Want a downtown skate before dinner? College Park or The Bentway. Want options in one park? Dieppe has both a trail and a double-pad rink. Going with kids or a first-timer? Pick a trail near a recreation centre, bring a thermos and keep the first lap slow. Layer up, because a trail keeps you outside longer than a rink does, and pack a spare pair of dry socks for the ride home. Going with a camera? Late afternoon light on a winding trail is hard to beat, and the figure eights photograph especially well from the middle. Rinks, toboggan hills and more are collected in our winter in Toronto guide, and our free outdoor rinks list covers the classic flat-ice option.
How did we pick these trails?
We stuck to what official pages say. Each City park here lists a skate trail among its facilities, and The Bentway describes its own trail on its own pages. We have not rated ice quality, crowd size or surface, because those change by the day. What we can promise is a place to start, with an official link beside each one so you can check before you head out. If you find a trail we missed, tell us through the contact page and we will look at it.
Want more winter outside?
If skating makes you want a longer outing in the cold, see our winter walks, the Toronto Islands in winter and the Evergreen Brick Works Winter Market.
Know before you go
Send this to the friend you would bring, the one who still thinks a skating trail is just a long rink.
Sources (10)
- Drop-in Skating, City of Toronto
- Trails, City of Toronto
- Transform the Trail Returns, The Bentway
- Winter Skating Frequently Asked Questions, The Bentway
- Colonel Samuel Smith Park, City of Toronto
- Dieppe Park, City of Toronto
- Greenwood Park, City of Toronto
- College Park, City of Toronto
- Rennie Park, City of Toronto
- McCowan District Park, City of Toronto
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“Saving this for the first cold weekend: the skating trails around Toronto, from figure eights to paths through the trees.”
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