Town of Banff

Ice Skating

Indoor Ice Skating - Banff Ice

Banff's skating rink is at the Banff Recreation Centre. It's a busy spot from September through April, as it offers ice time for a wide range of activities and programs:

• recreational public skating
• casual shinny hockey
• organized hockey for all ages and levels
• curling leagues
• figure skating
  

Banff Ice is even a favorite spot for professional NHL hockey teams with off-days between games in western Canada.

To check ice schedules, including public skate hours, call 403.762.1235

Outdoor Ice Skating

Skating on Banff's ponds, rivers, lakes, as well as artificial outdoor rinks, is a favourite winter activity enjoyed by both locals and visitors. The mountain views, glimpses of fish wintering below the ice, the gentle booming sound of thick ice shifting, and the thrill of skating itself... all these make ice skating in the outdoors an exhilarating experience.

Throughout the winter, when conditions permit, there is a track cleared for skating on the Bow River, accessible from Central Park in downtown Banff. Note that this is not a maintained rink, and that river flow may impact the ice's thickness (and thus the skater's safety) from day to day. Other skating spots include:

• Forty-Mile Creek to Vermilion Lakes
• Johnson Lake
• Two Jack Lake
• Lake Minnewanka
  

If you are thinking about skating outdoors on a frozen body of water, the Parks Canada Website provides detailed information about the risks of outdoor skating, and suggestions for how to be prepared.

Free Outdoor Rinks

In the Banff townsite:

• Behind the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, located just past the Bow Falls Parking lot (on Spray Avenue), with a covered changing area for putting on skates, a contained bonfire, benches and picnic tables (December - March)
• Please call Community Services at 403.762.1251 to check on other outdoor rinks

At Lake Louise, there is a cleared rink with a bonfire area in front of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise from November through April.

Ice skates can be rented through:

• Snow Tips/Backtrax, located on Bear Street in downtown Banff
  
• Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
• Wilson Mountain Sports at Samson Mall in Lake Louise
  
• Monod's Sports in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise