Let’s Go Ice Skating
As winter unfolds, ice skating becomes a cherished activity for many across the U.S. And while most travelers head straight to popular attractions like the iconic Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink in New York City, there are plenty of more unexpected (and less crowded) places to enjoy this beloved pastime across the country. With this in mind, Viator sought to uncover the best states to visit for ice skating this winter. To do so, the travel experts created a points-based index system that analyzed the total number of ice rinks and the number of ice rinks per 100,000 people in each state.
The 10 best states to visit for ice skating this winter
North Dakota (41 rinks) 9.90 score
Vermont (30) 9.20
Minnesota (192) 7.87
New Hampshire (37) 7.10
Alaska (19) 6.94
Maine (34) 6.71
Massachusetts (139) 6.17
Wisconsin (103) 5.83
South Dakota (15) 5.64
Connecticut) (56) 5.44
Highlights from the research:
North Dakota is the top ice-skating hotspot, with 5.26 ice rinks per 100,000 people – the highest figure per capita out of all states
North Dakota has more than double Alaska’s ice rinks, despite having a similar sized population
Vermont has the second highest number of ice rinks per capita – 4.64 per 100,000 people
Minnesota offers the most ice rinks in the U.S. (192)