There’s no scarcity of winter sport offerings in the Denver area. Some of the world’s premier ski resorts are less than 90 minutes’ drive away. Sledding, snow tubing, and alpine luge offerings abound. But there’s something special about ice skating this time of year. Thankfully, the Denver area also has several places where you can indulge in figure skating, ice hockey, or public skating. Here’s our top picks.
Big Bear Ice Arena
Carved from an old Air Force hangar, Big Bear Ice Arena is a spacious multipurpose venue. Big Bear has offerings for every major ice skating activity. Daily public skate sessions, youth and adult hockey leagues, and ice dancing lessons taught by pro figure skaters are all on Big Bear Ice Arena’s schedule.
Edge Ice Arena
Operated by the Foothills Park and Recreation Department, Edge Ice Arena is an affordable and accessible skating venue. Admission for public skate sessions on the arena’s two NHL regulation size rinks ranges from to . Drop-in hockey hours, coaching and private lessons for freestyle or figure skating are also held. Edge Ice Arena is a 20-minute drive from the Centennial apartments at AMLI Dry Creek.
Evergreen Lake
The world’s largest Zamboni-groomed outdoor ice rink sits just 30 miles southwest of Denver. Evergreen Lake also offers one of the most scenic, safe natural ice skating opportunities in the country. Views of alpine trees and stunning mountain vistas are afforded from just about every vantage point. A quaint, wood-and-stone hut housing a fireplace is a great place to warm up over a cup of hot cocoa. The 40-acre lake is large enough to host public skate sessions, hockey practice and games, and ice skating races simultaneously. Evergreen Lake, operated by the Evergreen Parks and Recreation Department, is open for skating until March 5.
Southwest Rink at Skyline Park
Currently open for its seventh straight season, Southwest Rink is the only outdoor public ice skating rink in downtown Denver. With free admission and rental skates, it’s also very budget-friendly. Friday nights the rink comes to life with lights and music played by popular local DJs. Ice skating lessons are held on Saturday mornings, and live music skate sessions take place Saturday evenings. Broomball games are organized several times throughout the season. Southwest Rink, a mile from the apartments at AMLI Park Avenue and AMLI Riverfront Park, is open until Valentine’s Day this year.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst