TRAIL UPDATE: The Ice Skating Trail will open for the 2020/2021 season in January and skating will be available from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm everyday. The Trail will be closed between 11:30 am – 1:00 pm for scheduled maintenance.

Please note that Arrowhead Provincial Park can get extremely busy during peak times (the weekend) and often reaches capacity. Plan ahead and check @ArroPark on Twitter for real-time capacity updates. Mid-week is often the best time to visit. 

Please be responsible when enjoying winter at Arrowhead by continuing to follow public health advice. All visitors are asked to wear a mask or face covering when visiting indoor facilities, such as park offices, at the Visitor Centre, and washrooms. To reduce overcrowding and promote physical distancing, Arrowhead will not be hosting any Fire and Ice events this season.


The Legend of Muskoka’s “Fairy Tale Skate Through the Canadian Forest” Continues to Grow!

Already one of Ontario’s most popular winter attractions, the Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail was named as one of the Top 50 Canadian Winter Experiences by Flight Network, and one of 19 Stunning Natural Ice Skating Rinks Around the World by Travel+Leisure.

Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail

Very Important ‘Insider’ Information

  • Saturdays are the busiest days for the Ice Skating Trail, and it often reaches capacity. On the busiest Saturdays wait times into the park have reached up 30 mins, and worst case scenario vehicles have been turned away.
  • To avoid disappointment and for the absolute best experience, visit midweek or on Sundays!
  • Fire & Ice nights are extremely popular. The Fire & Ice Nights on Thursdays expect to be less busy.
  • Should you find yourself unable to get into the Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail on the weekend because it has reached capacity, check out the Cranberry Ice Trail, the only skating trail in the world with its own on-site winery. Post-skate, cozy around their campfire and sip on a cup of hot mulled wine.

Ontario’s best kept secret…might not be a secret anymore. The Ice Trail at Arrowhead Provincial Park has graduated from local folklore, to becoming a mainstay in Muskoka’s winter season! Opened in 2012 on a whim and a vision, the Ice Skating Trail has become one of the region’s most popular winter attractions, and one of the province’s most sought after winter ‘bucket list’ experiences.

The 1.3 km Ice Skating trail winds through the thick Muskoka forest and is a winter experience like no other. If you get to skate the loop after a fluffy snowfall, consider yourself in luck. Being surrounded on all sides by snow-covered evergreen trees is an absolutely stunning sight, and one that you won’t soon forget. Bring your family and watch your kids whip around the track with the perfect backdrop, or surprise your loved one with a romantic ‘hand-holding’ skate through the forest.

Weather permitting throughout the winter, the Arrowhead Provincial Park hosts Fire & Ice nights at the Ice Skating Trail on select Saturday nights in January and February. As if a skating trail through the forest wasn’t awesome enough, this is an experience you have to try first hand! Once the sun goes down and the stars come out, the Ice Skating Trail is illuminated by hundreds of tiki torches lighting your way as you carve through Muskoka’s beautiful evergreens.


Related: click here to see our top winter vacation packages


Important Info to Note:

  • The Ice Skating trail’s open status is subject to weather conditions. In season’s past, the trail has been open from the first week in January to roughly the second week in March
  • For latest updates on the Ice Skating Trail, check out Arrowhead Provincial Park’s daily update on their website
  • The best time to visit the ice skating trail is midweek. Less traffic on the ice means the ice is in considerably better condition
  • Open 7 days a week at 11am. Closes at 5pm in January, 5:30pm in February, and 6pm in March
  • Fire & Ice Nights schedule for 2019. Thursday nights expect to be less busy than Saturday nights.
    • Monday, December 31, 2018
    • Thursday, January 3, 2019
    • Saturday, January 12, 2019
    • Saturday, January 19, 2019
    • Thursday, January 24, 2019
    • Saturday, February 2, 2019
    • Saturday, February 9, 2019
    • Thursday, February 14, 2019
    • Saturday, February 23, 2019 – CANCELLED due to weather conditions
    • Saturday, March 2, 2019
    • Saturday, March 9, 2019
  • On Fire & Ice Nights, the Ice Skating Trail will be open from 11am – 3pm, and from 6pm – 9pm.
  • Skate rentals available at the park for $10
  • Helmets are recommended on the trail, but not mandatory
  • Admission is $17 per vehicle Monday to Friday, $20 per vehicle Saturday, Sunday and Holidays
  • Dogs are not permitted on the ice skating trail, or on cross country ski trails at Arrowhead Provincial Park. They are permitted on snowshoeing trails at the park
  • Baby strollers with rubber wheels (no metal wheels) are permitted on the skating trail, as long as the parent is comfortable. Use of baby strollers on the trail is at parent’s own risk
Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail

Arrowhead Provincial Park’s new ice skating trail may have garnered the park a lot of attention, but the truth is they have long been renowned as Muskoka’s winter playground. The provincial park is regarded as one of the top cross country ski destinations in Ontario, with 28km of classic ski trails and 16km of skate ski trails, ranging in difficulty From beginner to expert. The park also features a number of snowshoeing trails, with rentals for both snowshoeing and cross country skis available on site. If you want to get back to your childhood, there is a tubing hill at the park for you to whiz downhill on (tubes are provided). If you need a break From the outdoors, the park has a number of heating stations with wood burning stoves for you to cozy up inside, perfect if you packed a lunch for your day of winter fun!

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