📍1505 Front St, Toledo, OH 43605

What Makes It Special: This 1,000-foot refrigerated loop on the Maumee River delivers soft curves and Toledo skyline views to ice skaters, plus you can rent your own cozy heated cabana right on the ice.

Size: Over 1/2 acre of skating surface on the loop trail, plus a 5,000-square-foot “Pond” area perfect for beginners

2025-2026 Season: November 15, 2025 through March 15, 2026; daily ice skating sessions are 2 hours

2025-2026 Tickets: $10 admission plus $2 skate rentals; reserve your session at metroparkstoledo.com/the-ribbon

Good to Know: The Ribbon at Glass City is less than an hour from metro Detroit, has six rentable cabanas right along the trail, and also offers Ice Bocce, which is a blend of curling and bocce ball where you slide Dysks toward a target puck.

The trail’s refrigerated system keeps ice smooth year-round, a Zamboni resurfaces between sessions, and in summer the same path transforms for roller skating and scooters.

📍219 S St Louis Blvd, South Bend, IN 46617

What Makes It Special: This isn’t your average skating spot. We’re talking 16,000 square feet of ice with rolling hills, soft curves, and even a bridge, plus a separate pond for traditional skating.

Size: 16,000-square-foot ice trail plus attached ice pond

2025-2026 Season: Late November through early March, open seven days a week

2025-2026 Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for kids (ages 3-17), includes skate rental; book your 90-minute session online to guarantee your spot

Good to Know: Howard Park really goes all out. You’ve got fire pits for warming up, an ADA-accessible playground, South Bend Chocolate Café treats, and even a full restaurant (Howard Park Public House) on site. They host DJ Skate Nights, yoga on ice, and the Zamboni resurfaces every 80 minutes so you’re always skating on smooth ice. Kids can use skate aids, and there are lessons for ages three and up.

Pro tip: evening skating when the lights come on (especially after fresh snow) is absolutely magical.

📍10135-10217 Old K Rd, Boulder Junction, WI 54512

What Makes It Special: New in 2025! Nearly a mile of skating ribbon weaving through a state forest with curves, hills, and pine-lined benches. And it’s all lit up for evening escapades. (But, bringing a headlamp along is a good idea.)

Size: 0.8-mile skating ribbon

2025-2026 Season: Winter months, weather permitting.

2025-2026 Tickets: The Glide is free and open to the public from 10 AM – 10 PM. There are a limited amount of skates for borrow on site or you can rent skates from Coontail in downtown Boulder Junction.

Good to Know: This place delivers that rare skating-through-the-woods experience. Plus, you can borrow ice skates and sleds on site, warm up in the heated shelter, or hang out around the bonfire.

📍337 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601

What Makes It Special: This quarter-mile winding trail with curves and slopes right in downtown Chicago, with the skyline as your backdrop. It’s especially magical after dark when the city lights up.

Size: Quarter-mile ribbon looping around the park’s rock-climbing walls

2025-2026 Season: Opens November 14, runs through early March; sessions run from 8 AM-10 PM on weekends and holidays, 11AM-10 PM weekdays

2025-2026 Tickets: Sessions at Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon are 2 hours long and fill up fast. reservations open on a rolling schedule. Pro tip: book online because walk-ups are only available if sessions aren’t sold out.

Good to Know: In summer, the same ribbon becomes a rollerblading track. And, it’s in a park that’s packed with other attractions, like gigantic twisty slides and city-themed putt putt.

📍462 N Scenic Dr, Muskegon, MI 49445

What Makes It Special: It’s basically a winter fairy tale, with a figure-eight trail winding through white pines with twinkling lights overhead.

Size: Quarter-mile trail, about five feet wide, with additional hockey and family ice skating rinks

2025-2026 Season: Winter months (check their website for when the ice is nice)

2025-2026 Tickets: Day Passes available at Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park; you can rent skates there too

Good to Know: This place is a full-on winter playground just an hour from Grand Rapids. Bonus activities include one of only four luge tracks in the entire United States, plus cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking, so you can easily make a whole day of it without anyone getting bored.

📍61 E 6th St, Holland, MI 49423

What Makes It Special: This brand-new refrigerated ice ribbon offers a long, looping ice skating trail right in downtown Holland.

Size: Ice ribbon trail plus large central ice rink

2025-2026 Season: November through March (refrigerated ice means it stays solid even when Michigan weather gets weird)

2025 Tickets: $10 per person includes skate rental. Space is limited so you must purchase tickets online in advance.

Good to Know: The park features huge fire pits with seating, heated sidewalks, curling sheets you can reserve, and a plaza building with skate rentals, restrooms, and concessions. In summer, the space transforms for recreation programs, concerts, and community events with terraced seating.

📍Hungry Jack Lodge – 372 S Hungry Jack Rd, Grand Marais, MN 55604

📍Gunflint Lodge – 143 S Gunflint Lake Rd, Grand Marais, MN 55604

What Makes It Special: This is a 2-for-1 deal, with two of the longest ice skating trails in the entire country Both are set on a cleared paths along pristine North Woods lakes. They’re remote, stunning, and you betchya, an adventure.

Size: Over 6 miles of maintained trails on Gunflint Lake (one of the longest ice skating trails in the United States); nearby Hungry Jack Lake adds another 8-mile skating path maintained by Hungry Jack Lodge

2025-2026 Season: Winter months when the lake freezes solid (typically mid-winter through early spring)

2025-2026 Tickets: Free to use! Bring your own skates or rent them at Gunflint Lodge

Good to Know: The trail starts right at Gunflint Lodge and includes loops in front of the lodge before heading out across the lake. It’s suitable for all skill levels, offering both protected paths and adventurous open lake sections. The lodge provides food, beverages, and skate rentals to make your day complete.

This whole region along the Gunflint Trail has become a premier destination for serious outdoor ice skating. No kidding!

If you want to go the distance, this is your spot. Just be prepared for a real North Woods adventure that requires more planning than your typical rink visit.

The Canadian side of the Great Lakes has ice skating trails too, and LOTS of them.

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Right Across the Michigan Border) Three ice skating spots in town: Clergue Park Skating Trail along the St. Marys River waterfront, Art Jennings Speed Skating Oval, and Downtown Plaza Rink with a cantina. All open weather permitting.

Greater Toronto Area Five ice skating trails, including The Bentway (loops under a highway) and Colonel Samuel Smith Skating Trail (figure-eight with Lake Ontario views).

The Big One: Rideau Canal Skateway (Not Quite Great Lakes, But Too Good Not to Mention) You can skate for nearly 5 miles through downtown Ottawa on a frozen canal, past historic architecture, with delicious BeaverTail stands along the way. It’ll feel like you’re in Europe! And, it’s the longest naturally frozen, outdoor groomed skateway in the world. Bonus: It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Definitely bucket list stuff.