Outdoor ice rinks for skating, hockey fun in northern Illinois

Lace up your skates and embrace the winter magic! Northern Illinois offers a variety of outdoor ice rinks, perfect for a family outing, a romantic date, a game of hockey, or simply a chance to enjoy the crisp winter air.

Here is a list of some local outdoor rinks to check out this season. As always, operating hours are weather dependent, so it’s a good idea to call or check websites before heading out.

KANE COUNTY

Aurora – Oakhurst Forest Preserve in Aurora features the only ice rink in the Forest Preserve District of Kane County system. The forest preserve is located at 1680 Fifth Ave. kaneforest.com/location/oakhurst

Batavia – As soon as it’s cold enough and the ice is thick enough, Depot Pond in downtown Batavia turns into an ice rink. Bring your own skates, as no rentals are available. Check the Batavia Park District’s website for rink opening hours and times. bataviaparks.org/ice-skating

Geneva – The Geneva Park District has outdoor rinks at Wheeler Park, 410 Wheeler Drive and at Mill Creek Park, 39W125 South Mill Creek Drive. The Wheeler Park rink has one area for skating and another for hockey. The temperature has to remain at 20 degrees or below for at least 48 hours for the rinks to open. genevaparks.org/facilities/outdoor-ice-skating/

St. Charles – After three consecutive days of temperatures at or below 15 degrees to freeze the ice, rinks are open at Lincoln Park for skating only, at 4th & 5th Streets, and at Langum Park for hockey only, located on 7th Avenue. Check the St. Charles Park District’s website for rink status, as open hours are weather dependent. stcparks.org/winter-activities/

KENDALL COUNTY

Oswego – The 66-acre Prairie Park, 4120 Plainfield Road, has an ice rink that is open, weather permitting. Check for the green flag, which means the rink is open. A red flag indicates that it’s closed. The park also has a sledding hill and a 1.5 mile walking trail. oswegolandparkdistrict.org/locations/prairie-point-community-park/

McHENRY COUNTY

Algonquin – Snapper’s Field, 599 Longwood Drive, has an ice rink, weather permitting. There is no equipment rental, so skaters must bring their own equipment. Willoughby Farms Park, 2001 Wynnfield Drive, also has an ice skating rink. Check the village’s website for rink status. algonquin.org/

Crystal Lake – The Crystal Lake Park District operates ice rinks at Main Beach and West Beach, weather permitting. Main Beach is located at 300 Lakeshore Drive, and West Beach is located at 2330 Lake Avenue. Both locations have lighted skating areas from 4 to 9 p.m., and both have hockey goals. A green flag indicates the rinks are open and the red flag indicates that they’re closed, depending on ice conditions, which are monitored daily. crystallakeparks.org/Sled-Skate-Ski

Fox Lake – The outdoor ice rink is located at 17 E School Ct. in Fox Lake. Public skating hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., hockey hours are 8:30 to 11 p.m. A green flag indicates the rink is open, a red flag means it’s closed. foxlake.org/419/Fox-Lake-Ice-Rink

Fox River Grove – An ice rink is available at Stanger Park, located at 815 Algonquin Road. foxrivergrove.org/_T30_R18.php

Lake in the Hills – Once it gets cold enough, ice skating is available on the lake at Indian Trail Beach, located at 228 Indian Trail. The skating area, which is open from dawn to dusk, is clearly marked on the lake. A green flag indicates the rink is open, a red flag means the rink is closed. lith.org/government/departments/parks-and-recreation

McHenry – River Point Park, 1202 Riverside Drive, is open for skating only; hockey is not permitted. The rink is lighted. Visitors must bring their own skates. cityofmchenry.org/our_residents/ice_skating.php

DuPAGE COUNTY

Downers Grove – An ice rink is located at Prince Pond, 4941 Linscott Ave. The rink is open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, weather permitting. At least 8 inches of ice is required. A green flag indicates conditions are safe, while a red flag indicates that the rink is closed. dgparks.org/winter-recreation

Glen Ellyn – The Glen Ellyn Park District operates outdoor ice rinks at Lake Ellyn Natural Ice Rink, 645 Lenox Road, which has lighted skating from 4:30-9 p.m. daily; Newton Park Natural Ice Rink, 707 Fairview Ave., which is primarily used for hockey (general skating hours are from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-5:40 p.m.); and Lake Foxcroft Natural Ice Rink, 2S540 Lambert Road, which does not have lighting and is open from 6 a.m. to sunset. Look for green flags, which indicate the rinks are open; red flags indicate the ice is unsafe and rinks are closed. Skate rentals are not available. gepark.org/outdoor-skating-sledding/

Naperville - The city of Naperville offers four outdoor ice skating rinks. The lighted rinks, which are open until 10 p.m., are located at Centennial Park, 500 W. Jackson Ave., Nike Sports Complex, 288 W. Diehl Road, and Wolf’s Crossing Community Park, 3252 Wolf’s Crossing Road. A nonlighted rink is located at Gartner Park, 524 W. Gartner Road, which closes an hour past dusk. Hockey is permitted only at the two boarded rinks at Centennial Park. A third rink at Centennial Park is for free skating only. All rinks are open, weather permitting. Green flags indicate open status. napervilleparks.org/wintersportsfacilities

Wheaton – Ice rinks are available at the Central Athletic Complex, 500 Naperville Road. Reservations must be made to skate on the rinks, and can be made online here. Skating is free to Wheaton residents, $7 for nonresident adults, and $5 for nonresident kids 17 and under, as well as for nonresident senior citizens. Temperatures must remain below 40 degrees for several consecutive days for the rinks to open. Non-reservation hours are 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. weekdays. Both skating and hockey reservations are available. wheatonparkdistrict.com/facilities/central-athletic-complex/central-athletic-complex-ice-rinks/

WILL COUNTY

Plainfield – The Plainfield Park District operates an outdoor ice rink at Eaton Preserve, 23604 W. 135th St. The rink is free to use by the public during regular park operating hours, which are weather dependent. Skate rental is not available. plfdparks.org/parks-facilities/specialty-parks-amenities/ice-rinks/

LEE COUNTY

Dixon – The Dixon Park District’s outdoor ice rink is located at Page Park, 1 Page Park Drive. The beautiful park offers skate rentals (subject to availability), provides a warming shed, and always has music playing to keep the festive vibe going. The ice rink had yet to open as of press time, but a spokesperson from the park district said the rink is expected to open as soon as temperatures remain consistently 30 degrees and below. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Hockey sticks and pucks only are allowed during designated times. dixonparkdistrict.com

DeKALB COUNTY

Sandwich – Head to the southern DeKalb County city of Sandwich, which has a community ice rink in Knights Park, 1001 N. Latham St. The rink is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting. Ice hockey hours are 8–10 a.m. and 8–9 p.m., or whenever no one is skating. Check the Sandwich Park District’s Facebook page for rink status.

La SALLE COUNTY

Peru – The rink at Peru’s Washington Park opened for the 2024-2025 season in early December. The park is located at 1301 West St. Temperatures must remain cold enough for the rink to remain open. A green flag means the rink is open and a red flag means the rink is closed. For more information, visit peru.il.us.

BUREAU COUNTY

Princeton – The outdoor ice rink at Alexander Park has opened for the 2024-2025 season. Ice skates will be available for rental for $5 at the Bureau County Metro Center, 837 Park Ave. W. Skates must be returned to the facility before closing time. princetonparkdistrict.org/alexander-park-and-pool/

Spring Valley – The ice rink at Echo Bluff Park, which is located off Route 29 between Spring Valley and DePue, is available for both skating and hockey. Check the website for open skate and “stick and puck” times. The cost to skate is $5 per person. In addition to regular skating hours, the ice rink has special lights and lasers during open skate on Friday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. Temperatures must remain in the mid-40s or below for the rink to operate. For more information, visit echobluff.org.

WHITESIDE COUNTY

Morrison – The city of Morrison offers free ice skating at Waterworks Park, 503 W. Winfield St., which turns into Morrison Winter Park for the season. The rink is located on one side of the park’s tennis courts. Ice skating is free, and there are skates available to rent for free. The rink, which is not staffed, is open during park hours, weather permitting. The park also has a sledding hill, as well as sled rentals. For more information, visit the Morrison Winter Park page on Facebook.

JO DAVIESS COUNTY

Galena – Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, located just outside the historic town of Galena in northwest Illinois, has an outdoor ice rink, as well as a variety of additional winter activities at the Nordic Center. Spend the weekend exploring snowshoeing trails, sledding, skating, and more at this luxurious resort. eagleridge.com/nordic-center