Outdoor Skating

Richmond Hill has great outdoor skating opportunities in the winter.

Richmond Green Skate Trail 

2023-2024 Season Presented by:

Status: The Skate Trail is Closed for the Season 

Glide through the trees at our 250 metre looped skate trail with lights for evening skating and ample parking. The skate trail is located at 1300 Elgin Mills Road East right next to Tom Graham Arena. Admission is free and registration is not required.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (weather permitting). For skate trail conditions, call our hotline at 905-771-5490.

What you need to know before coming to the skate trail

• Bring your own skates. Rentals and skate sharpening services are not available
• All persons on the ice must have skates on
• Skate guards are recommended while off the ice
• Children 9 years of age and under must be accompanied on the ice by a guardian 14 years+
• CSA-approved helmets are mandatory for children 5 and under and strongly recommended for everyone else
• All skaters must skate in the same direction
• Hockey/shinny is not permitted
• Do not speed or figure skate, backwards skate, participate in horseplay or carry children while on the ice 
• Skating aids and wheelchairs are permitted on the ice. Persons accompanying users must have skates on
• The skate trail is unsupervised
• Ice resurfacing will take place periodically throughout the day. You will be asked to clear the ice while the Zamboni is out there

Mill Pond and Lake Wilcox 

Enjoy skating on the natural ice rinks at Mill Pond and Lake Wilcox in the winter (weather permitting). 

Status: Closed

Locations and parking

• Mill Pond is located at the corner of Mill Street and Trench Street. Free parking is available in the lots on Mill Street directly across from the pond  
• Lake Wilcox is located on Bayview Avenue approximately 2 km north of Stouffville Road. The rink is in front of the Richmond Hill Canoe Club at the north end of Lake Wilcox Park. Free parking is available. The parking lot closest to the rink is the north parking lot off of Olde Bayview Avenue.

Ice Safety

We know how inviting a clean sheet of ice can be. However, we advise everyone to stay off of frozen lakes*, rivers, ponds* and stormwater ponds, as the ice may not be safe. Even if the weather has been cold, other factors such as water flow, fluctuating water levels and snow on the ice, can contribute to unsafe conditions. In addition, even if the ice at the water's edge seems safe, it can get weaker further out.

Stormwater ponds are particularly dangerous to play on. Unlike natural ponds, stormwater ponds are designed to collect and release runoff from rainfall and snowmelt to help prevent flooding in the community. As a result, water levels change rapidly due to the constant water flow. The pond water may also contain road salt and other contaminants, which contribute to poor ice quality. These factors combine to create dangerous and unpredictable conditions, which put your safety and the safety of our emergency responders at risk.

Know what to do if you’re out on the ice alone and in trouble or if you witness someone fall through the ice. Visit the Canadian Red Cross website for details. 

*The only natural bodies of water that are monitored by the City are the Mill Pond and the City-run ice rink on Lake Wilcox (note that we do not monitor the entire lake). Please obey posted signage.  

More information

Learn about Richmond Hill's:

• Skating programs
• Arenas
• Ice rentals