Traveling to Truckee in Lake Tahoe but not interested in skiing? Or looking for something fun to do with little kids while the grown-ups in your party hit the slopes?
Ice-skating is a great option. The best place to go ice-skating in Truckee is the rink at the Village at Northstar.
I visited the rink on my recent trip to Truckee and skated with my six-year-old. We had a ton of fun!
About the Rink
The rink is located in the upper part of the Village at Northstar. If you’re coming with more than four people, you can park for free and take a shuttle bus to the village.
If you’re staying at Northstar, you also have easy access.
The rink is large and situated in an open area of the village, surrounded by shops and restaurants.
There are fire pits with relatively uncomfortable seating and couches with very comfortable seating, ringing the rink. I appreciate that you don’t have to reserve these in advance or pay extra to sit at them.
The rink has a large skate rental area. Prices are fairly reasonable. For me and my son to both skate, the skates and helmets came to $44 total. If you bring your own skates, access to the rink is free.
Even when I visited over a holiday weekend, the rink was not crowded. There’s plenty of space for my son to easily try out skates for the first time.
The fact that helmets are included in the rental feels like an extra nice safety measure, especially if you’re new to skating!
Unlike some skating rinks here in the Bay Area, there was no time limit on the rink at Northstar. We were able to skate for a while, sit down have a rest, and then get back out if we wanted to.
The seating around the rink also makes a great place for non-skaters to sit and watch you slide around!
Get Some Snacks
Another nice feature is the presence of plenty of places to grab a bite to eat after you’re done skating! Ice-skating can be hard work, and I appreciated the fact that Frites, a restaurant serving fries and fried chicken, was right next to the rink.
I would definitely recommend skating for a while and then getting a snack there. If you’re skating as an adult, there are also several bars with window service surrounding the rink where you can get a post-skate drink.
Overall, skating at the rink at the Village at Northstar felt like a really chill and fun experience. It’s a lot more low-key (and cheaper!) than hitting the slopes. I definitely recommend it, especially for families visiting Truckee with smaller kids.
