Red Lodge Ice Rink Enhancement Project
For more than a century, outdoor skating has been an important part of winter recreation in Red Lodge. Today, however, the existing rink faces site, surface, maintenance, weather, and operational limitations that make it increasingly difficult to provide dependable, high-quality ice throughout the winter.
Red Lodge Ice is exploring the development of a refrigerated outdoor rink that could provide a longer and more reliable skating season, a safer and more consistent ice surface, and an affordable, community-focused winter recreation opportunity.
Planning for the project is being supported through Red Lodge’s Pilot Community Tourism Grant and is intended to determine the best location and design for a future rink while balancing recreation needs, neighborhood impacts, parking and access, operating costs, and the character of the surrounding area.
The planning process is currently evaluating two potential locations: the existing rink site at Lions Park and City-owned property near the Red Lodge Airport. No final location has been selected. The purpose of the current work is to fully evaluate both alternatives and gather community input before a recommendation is brought to the Red Lodge City Council for a final decision on the location.
Representatives from Red Lodge Ice will discuss the project, answer questions, and hear comments about both sites. Andrew Houlihan of Collaborative Design, who has been assisting with site planning and conceptual design , will also participate.
“While there has already been significant community involvement in planning for the future of the rink, this meeting is specifically intended to hear what people think about the two potential locations,” Red Lodge Ice said. “We want people to understand the advantages and challenges of each site, ask questions, and tell us which location they prefer and why. Input from rink users, neighbors, families, businesses, and the broader community will be an important part of the recommendation ultimately presented to the City Council.”
The Red Lodge City Council previously authorized Red Lodge Ice to proceed with a Preliminary Architectural Report examining the two sites. That authorization allows the planning and evaluation process to move forward but does not approve construction of a new rink or determine its final location.
