Last weekend we decided to pack up our skates and head to the west end of the city. Fantastic decision! Situated at the bottom of Kipling Avenue, Colonel Samuel Smith Park has a gorgeous skating trail. I had heard about this rink and was looking forward to giving it a try. The park is part of a little neighbourhood of buildings on this lovely piece of land that runs along the waterfront. This space is also the home of Humber College, the Assembly Hall, a Separate School Board Secondary School and Colonel Sam Smith Park.
We happened to arrive at the park around noon on a Sunday, the sun was shining and the sky was clear...the perfect day for outdoor skating. Our family loved this skating trail. Instead of the traditional round and round of a rink the trail weaves through tall grasses, around a small pond and over a little bridge. This trail gives you the feeling that you are skating on a pond in the countryside. Except when the Zamboni comes out to clear the ice!
can you see the tobogganning hill in the distance?
parking - the parking lot is a Green P lot, you do not have to pay for parking on weekends
cost to skate - free
skate rentals - none available
skate change area - indoor with large cubbies to stash your stuff in
hot chocolate availability - none on site, you have to head up to the Lakeshore to find a coffee shop
ice quality - good quality, but when it gets busy the ice gets snowy and slower
kid friendliness - there is a small area that is great for kids who are learning to skate around, away from the trail
Hot Tip: Arrive early in the day. We arrived at noon and the rink was not very busy, by the time we left at 2:30 the trail was getting pretty filled with skaters.
Also: bring along your sled, there is a fun hill accessible across the road from the rink
As Well: the park has walking trails that lead down to the lake and a big fenced dog park
All in all this is a wonderful park. In fact, we are planning on making a trip out here again in the warmer weather to explore. We will certainly be back to skate again this winter. By the end of the trip all of our cheeks were rosy and everyone was tired out...another successful day spent skating outdoors.
REMEMBER...
It is important to play safe.
Children under 6 years of age MUST wear a CSA approved helmet
Children 12 years of age and younger MUST be supervised
maryanne @ mama smiles
Free skating? That's fantastic!
JDaniel4's Mom
What fun! I would need one of the walkers but, I would enjoy trying to skate.
Abbie
This looks great! I love that it is a trail and not just a big open circle area. Great post on the details of the park too. Thanks for linking up to the outdoor play party!
multiplemummy
I want to live near you...only a few miles away! 😉
How awesome! Another fantastic day out with the family.
Thanks so much for linking to Family Frolics! Hope to see your posts again!