Vermont Community Ice Rinks to Skate This Winter (2023-24)
January 16, 2022

Vermont community ice rinks can be found in every corner of the state, from Underhill to Peru.

Vermont community ice rinks offer an easy, affordable way to combat cabin fever and enjoy the outdoors. Here are outdoor public rinks, many of them run by volunteers, to visit this winter.

Rinks typically are typically open by early January, depending on the weather. Be sure to check the links below for hours and updates.

Peru Ice Rink

A group of friends who love to play pond hockey hatched an idea to create an ice rink on the Peru town green a few years ago. Now the 120-by-60 rink is open daily and is a hit among locals and visitors. In 2020, volunteers—many of them members of the town’s fire department—organized a disco party for kids with music and a giant disco ball propped up over the rink. Maybe another one is in store for this winter? Fingers crossed. (Main Street, Peru; instagram.com/peru_ice_rink)

Pittsfield Community Ice Rink

Just off Route 100, the basketball court behind the town hall transforms into an ice rink every winter. The rink includes lights for night skating and a shed filled with donated skates.  (40 Village Green, Pittsfield; www.facebook.com)

Gardner Park Rink in Newport

Head over to Newport’s Gardner Park to enjoy beautiful ice rinks, free skate rentals, hot cocoa and restrooms. The contained Hockey Rink is open for casual stick and puck while the Rec Rink on the south end offers public skating. (155 Gardner Park Road, Newport; facebook.com/newportparksandrecreation)

Norwich Ice Rink

The Norwich Ice Rink on the town green is open with new under-rink lighting in “Norwich Blue” so that the perimeter glows. If you need skates, stop by the bins behind Tracy Hall on Main Street to see if your size is available. (22 Church Street, Norwich; norwichvt.myrec.com)

The Rink at Underhill’s Moore Park

The 2023-24 season will be the fifth winter for the Underhill outdoor rink. The rink, which offers views of Mount Mansfield, is managed by the Underhill Recreation Committee. (15 Pleasant Valley Road, Underhill; facebook.com/underhillvtrecreationcommittee)

Vershire Ice Rink

Up until a few years ago, Vershire residents had to travel to Chelsea or Lake Morey in Fairlee to go ice skating. In January, the town center rink reopens at the Vershire Town Center for its third winter season. (27 Vershire Center Road, Vershire; vershirevt.org/recreation)

Proctor Skate Rink

The Proctor Skate Rink—which doubles as a roller rink in the summer—feels more remote than it is, thanks to the tall pines that surround it. It looks like a pond, but the rink is an asphalt slab that the town floods and allows to freeze each winter. (Olympus Road, Proctor; facebook.com/PSR2018)

Bradford Skating Rink

Go ice skating in Bradford at the Walter Lee Pavilion—and outdoor covered space at Elizabeth’s Park. Bradford Parks and Recreation and volunteers keep this rink going in the winter. (Elizabeth’s Park, 464 Fairground Road, Bradford; facebook.com/BradfordParksandRecreation)

Skatium Outdoor Rink in Waitsfield

The Skatium Outdoor Ice Skating Rink has been in operation for over 30 years in the Mad River Valley. Half of its rink is reserved for stick-and-puck and the other half is available for recreational skating. (40 Slow Road, Waitsfield; facebook.com/skatium)

Bristol Skating Rink

The Bristol Skating Rink is a full-size rink used for roller skating in the summer and ice skating in winter. The ice rink is maintained by volunteers in the winter. (110 Airport Drive, Bristol; facebook.com/bristolrec)

Sharon Community Rink

Located near the local elementary school, the Sharon Community Rink opened in 2012 with help from a matching grant from the State of Vermont. “Our goal was to reinvent outdoor winter recreation and create a winter town square and a place to gather,” says Steve Gagliardone, who helps run the rink. “Every year, it seems like more and more folks are partaking. Ice rinks have become a popular emergence in small towns in the last decade.”  (School Street, Sharon; facebook.com/SharonIceRink)

Derry Rink in Londonderry

Now in its third season, the Derry Rink behind Jake’s Restaurant offers outdoor recreational opportunities and is a central gathering spot for the community. The 120-foot by 50-foot skating rink is a project of the One Londonderry Recreation Group. (Route 100, Londonderry; onelondonderry.org/skating-rink)

The Sea Caves at Arthur Park in Burlington

This is not technically an ice rink, but the Sea Caves are a skating location worth including. Walk through the woods to skate on a pond and into a cave in Burlington’s Arthur Park. The caves are visible from Route 127 by looking west just below the exit for the Ethan Allen Homestead. Parking is available in the Burlington High School on Institute Road, across the street from the trailhead. At the small brown-and-white sign for Donahue Sea Caves, follow a road down a small hill and onto the ice. (enjoyburlington.com/winter-outdoors)

-The Derry Rink in Londonderry. (courtesy photo)

What are your favorite Vermont community ice rinks? I would love to keep adding to this list! -Erica