Winter in Wyoming is beautiful. Its renowned wilderness attracts droves of those craving snow-and-ice centered recreation, or a bucolic holiday getaway. For those intent on some ice, with a hockey stick or figure skates, there are a handful of high-quality spots of pristine frozen water. Here are the best ice skating rinks in the state.
The Jackson area only has one indoor rink, and it’s quite nice. All year round, but especially during wintertime, ice skating and hockey fans descend on the complex. It’s an extremely well-maintained surface, with an open calendar for a number of public skates and host to youth and high school competitive hockey practices. Hockey pucks are as common here as twirling technicians on the ice: all are welcome! An annual pass runs $200, day passes $10, with seasonal discounts and ample equipment for rent. And during the Holidays, this sheet of glass seems a most appropriate escape (and workout!).
While nearby Jackson Hole ski area is supremely attractive for downhill activities, Snow King has a supremely beautiful ace-in-the-hole: ice skating. When families and avid skaters desire some ice time, they head to the sports center for indoor hockey, and practicing of all sorts. But for a picturesque, more bucolic experience, the outdoor rink at the base of the mountain is the way to go. A hot spot for the holiday season, the surrounding beautiful scenery and expertly-groomed slopes serve as backdrop to a memorable ice skating experience.
Housed within the modern and stylish M&M’s Center, this winter hot spot is key for skating and hockey. Even the Zamboni responsible for the mirror finish on this surface sports the colorful candied mascots. This is yet another well-rounded facility, hosting adult hockey leagues, youth recreational sports and a number of classes multiple times per week. For 13 years, this complex has provided a community service, both in terms of its offering fun and guilt-free entertainment (affordably, at that!), and as a headquarters for the regions competitive winter sports.
Interestingly enough, an otherwise “Western” town named for Buffalo Bill is big into ice-centric activities like hockey and skating. In fact, the Riley Arena recently hosted a competitive hockey tournament for youth called “Hocktoberfest.” So, needless to say, this complex is more than suited to provide well-maintained ice, a family-friendly atmosphere and rental equipment available within reach. And don’t let the stick-and-puck focus dissuade: both casual free-skating and figure skating courses are always on offer.
Laramie is an outdoors town, and a sports town. For generations, the Laramie Community Center has provided a gathering place for the active, fully-stocked with equipment, amenities and everything from basketball courts to skating rinks. There’re a gym and excellent locker facilities, but come winter, the skating rink is all the rage. If the name weren’t clue enough, this place is centered around community, especially family. Which means accessibility, affordability and unpretentious, straight-fun ice time.
In warmer months, this recreational center attracts sports lovers and workout fiends of all stripes. It’s a hub for instruction in basketball and volleyball, and they’ve all the spin and Pilates classes of a big-city fitness complex. These focuses and impressive stock of quality equipment and ample facilities smoothly carries into winter. Not only are there classes for youth and adults, a number of wintertime events are charmingly festive: don’t miss “skating with Santa.” And after the ice, the decent locker-room is available for a hot shower, or even better, a steam.
Housed within the Rock Springs Rec Center, this sports complex is a well-maintained plot of ice, with enough of the necessary amenities to provide a fun (and affordable!) skating experience. While Rock Springs isn’t a postcard destination, for the very nature of its relative remoteness makes this rink a necessary luxury: It provides much needed recreational diversion and a locus for instruction (fitness and hockey classes) and free-skating. When it’s too cold outside in wind-blown Wyoming, bringing the ice indoors never sounded so good.
This small-town facility is an even smaller community is the home for the area's youth hockey. And this charmingly quaint facility is famous for much more than its hockey and skating (which are stellar, given the town's resources). Douglas is in fact the birthplace of the jackalope myth, the antler-adorned rabbit fabled to roam the prairie. Completely tongue-in-cheek, the town still issues hunting license to tourists for a short, one-day season (June 31).
