There’s something magical about spending the holiday season in the outdoors, taking in the frosty air, hearing the gentle crunch of snow under your boots, and imagining you’ve stepped into a little North‑Pole hideaway. It’s the kind of feeling that hits you when the world slows down for winter, and it’s even better when that feeling is less than two hours from the city.
A short drive northeast of the city sits SkyPark at Santa’s Village, tucked away in the mountains of Skyforest. Inside this forested escape you’ll find Silver Bells Arena, a cozy outdoor skating rink that, in winter, transforms into a frozen pond amid nature.
An ice rink in the middle of the forest
SkyPark occupies about 230 acres of natural forest, meadows and ponds, real pines and redwoods. The setting alone gives you that “Christmas village in the woods” energy that’s hard to beat: think frosty air, rustic cabins, and the smell of gingerbread all around.
Originally the site of a mid‑century amusement park (opened in 1955), the place shuttered in 1998. After years of dormancy, including damage from wildfires, the park was lovingly revived and reopened on December 2, 2016, as SkyPark at Santa’s Village: a year‑round adventure‑and‑holiday getaway, complete with hiking, bike trails, zip‑lining, forest strolls… and seasonal ice skating, of course.
Inside that wooded expanse, Silver Bells Arena plays double duty: in colder months it’s an ice‑skating pond, and when it warms up, it switches to regular roller‑skating. Skate rentals (and seasonal skate nights) are included with entry.
📍 Location: 28950 California 18, Skyforest, CA 92385