Did you know that Lake County has over 30 outdoor ice skating areas? On a beautiful winter’s day, there’s no better place to be than enjoying the beautiful scenery and making memories with friends and family while ice skating on an outdoor rink.
Before heading out to the ice, there are a few things you need to know!
1. – Always call ahead to make sure that the rink is open
2. – Check the ice conditions with the weather hotlines below. If there’s a weather advisory, it might be a good idea to try an indoor activity, until it clears up a little. (Check out alternative things to do here!)
3. – Bundle up and if you’re skating with little ones, stick to some of the rinks with warming houses.
Lake County Forest Preserves Ice Skating
Ice must be at least 4 inches thick on ponds (and in some places, 6 inches) for ice skating. Be sure to call the Winter Sports Hotline at 847.968.3235 for current weather conditions!
- Lakewood in Wauconda
– Man-made skating pond
– Lighted and open until 9 p.m. daily when conditions allow
– Main entrance: are located on Route 176, just west of Fairfield Road
– Go to east entrance for the Winter Sports Area
Old School in Libertyville
– Man-made lighted skating pond
– Open daily until sunset when conditions allow
– Entrance/parking lot: St. Mary’s Road just south of Rt. 176, and north of Rt. 60 (Townline Rd.)
- Village of Deer Park
– Located on Deer Grove Lake
– Minimum of 4” of ice over entire lake is recommended.
– Hours 8 a.m. – sunset
- Independence Grove in Libertyville
– 16400 W Buckley Rd,Libertyville
– Designated skating area is on the southern end of the lake
– Open until sunset
DEERFIELD: Call 847-945-0650
Jaycee Park
1048 Wilmot Road
– Lighted rink
Patti Stryker Park
Pine and Hackberry
– Unlighted rink
Briarwood Park
199 Carlisle Ave.
Insider Tip! There’s a warming house at Jewett and Jaycee Parks for those colder winter days. Here are the hours for the Warming House:
Regular Warming House Hours at Jewett and Jaycee
Monday-Thursday: 4 – 9 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday: 4 – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
GRAYSLAKE PARK DISTRICT: Call 847.223.RAIN(7246)
- Green flag will alert when skating is open – Red means closed
Cambridge Lake Park
College Trail subdivision
– Open until sunset
Chesapeake Farms
Chesapeake Farms subdivision
– Open until sunset
Molly’s Pond
Haryan Farms subdivision
– Open until sunset
Jones Island Park
Corner of Harvey St. and Alleghany Rd.
– Hockey and family skating rinks
– Lighted rink
– Open until 10 p.m.
GURNEE PARK DISTRICT: Ice Rink Hotline 847.599.3774
- A green flag will alert the rink is open.
- All rinks are unsupervised.
- Monday-Friday 4 – 8 p.m.
Saturdays 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sundays Noon – 6 p.m.
School Days Off 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Betty Russell Park
– 5300 Pinewood Rd. (at the corner of Pinewood and Lawson Blvd.)
– Skating rink
– Hockey rink
– Warming Shelter with restrooms
Esper Petersen Park (In lieu of Viking Park)
Located at the corner of Grand and Old Grand Avenue.
University Park
Located at University Avenue and Este Street.
Christine Thompson Park
Located at the corner of Woodlawn and Belle Plaine Ave.
Photo by Claudia Lenart
LAKE BLUFF: Call 847.234.4150
Artesian Ice Rink
10 Sheridan Road
– Warming house with restrooms
– Hockey permitted during supervised skating hours, not on main rink
Warming Shelter Hours
Day Supervised Unsupervised
Monday-Tuesday 3:30 – 6:45 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday-Friday 3:30 – 9:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. None
Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. None
LAKE FOREST: Call 847.234.6702
West Park
850 Summit Ave.
– Warming house with restrooms
– Lighted Rink
– Hockey boards
West Park Warming House Hours
Monday – Thursday 3:30 – 9 p.m.
Friday 3:30 – 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday 12 – 9 p.m.
LIBERTYVILLE: Call 847.680.5267
All rinks are unsupervised and participants use them at their own risk
Adler Memorial Park
1500 N. Milwaukee Ave.
– Warming Shelter
– Concession Stand
– Restrooms
Butler Park
810 Lake Street
Nicholas-Dowden Park
748 Crane Blvd.
– Ice skating rink
– Hockey rink
LINCOLNSHIRE: Call 847.913.2382
Green flag will alert when open
Spring Lake
49 Oxford Dr.
Open until sunset
LINDENHURST: Call 847.356.6011
Millennium Park
– 201 Country Place Lane
– Open until dusk
– Warming shelter and bathrooms
– Green flag will alert when open
Engle Memorial Park
– 2200 E. Grass Lake Road
– The Haven Hockey Rink
John Janega Memorial Park
205 Hickory Dr.
– Designated pond area near gazebo
– Green Flag will be flown when open
MUNDELEIN: Call 847.566.0650
Keith Mione Community Park & Sports Complex
Midlothian & Dunbar Roads
– Hockey and open skate visit website for schedule
– Open until 9 p.m. weather permitting
Diamond Lake Sports Complex
Routes 60/83
– Open until 9 p.m. weather permitting
ROUND LAKE: Call 847.546.8558
Harts Hill Park
– 761 W. Hart Rd.
– Lighted rink
– Open until 9 p.m.
– Green flag will alert when open
VERNON HILLS: Weather Hotline 847.996.6616
- Green flag must be flying
- Never skate on a lake or pond by yourself
- Skate only when ice is six inches or thicker
- Do not skate at night
- Evergreen Lake at Deerpath Park
Adjacent to the softball field
- Willow Lake at Deerpath Park
North of the Cherokee Road entrance
- Grosse Pointe Pond
At Grosse Pointe Blvd. and Hunter Court
- Century Park North
1001 Lakeview Parkway
– Lighted until 9 p.m.
– Man-made rink on basketball court
– No skating on Big Bear or Little Bear Lake
WAUKEGAN: Call 847.360.4700
Victory Park
1325 North Avenue
– Open daily (weather permitting) 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
No comments yet.