Numerous ice rinks are scattered throughout the Colorado mountains, from the ski towns and mountain destinations, to the rural communities. While many are multi million dollar, full service facilities, many are inexpensive, natural ice rinks that offer a start-up program for a few months during the winter to prove interest and viability that the skating sports can offer to a community. Indeed, many of the more elaborate rinks started from these humble beginnings.

Mother nature in Colorado provides the refrigeration that these rinks require to operate, and if built properly, will usually have skateable ice on a daily basis for 3 to 3.5 months per winter. Not only can these rinks provide for leisurely, recreational skating, but can support a vibrant ice hockey program for both youth and adults.

Hockey is a burgeoning sport in the US and Colorado has become the Minnesota of the West. Hockey not only provides the most income to a rink, but also makes a huge economic contribution to the municipality. Economic data from Gunnison indicates that the economic contributions from hockey to the community surpasses that of skiing!

These rinks can offer all the opportunities to skate that the indoor rinks provide, such as open public skating, skating lessons, party and charter groups. Teenagers find skating to be a popular date night and seniors come to the rink in the morning for exercise and camaraderie.