Where to Play: Sledding, Skating and Spray Parks
The best City of Lethbridge spots for sledding and outdoor skating in winter, and spray parks and the outdoor pool in summer, with simple safety tips for each. Our weather changes fast, so we also show you how to check that a spot is open before you go.
Is today a good day to…?
Live from Gary’s West Lethbridge weather station at 1:47 am: 0 °C, calm.
It’s nighttime, so these are for right now. Check again in the morning!
Go sledding?
MAYBE
Good sledding weather, if there's snow on the hill!
Fly a kite?
NOT TODAY
Hardly a breath of wind. Kites need a breeze.
Skate at an outdoor rink?
MAYBE
Just below freezing. The ice might be soft, so check the rink first.
Find a City outdoor rinkHave a picnic?
NOT TODAY
Too chilly for sitting on the grass. Picnic indoors instead!
Go to the spray park?
NOT TODAY
Spray parks are snoozing until summer.
Go on a nature walk?
YES
Great walking weather. Look for deer, hawks and winter birds!
Too cold to play outside?
NOPE, GO PLAY!
Nope! Go play outside.
This is our best guess from the station readings. Always check with a grown-up before you head out, and look outside too!
On this page
Play in every season
One of the best things about growing up in Lethbridge is that there’s always somewhere to play. In winter there are sledding hills in parks all over the city and lakes and ponds the City checks for skating. In summer, when it gets hot and sunny, the spray parks and the outdoor pool at Henderson Lake are the places to be.
Our weather keeps us on our toes, though. A chinook can melt a sledding hill fast, and the City has closed every outdoor skating area after a temperature swing of almost 40 degrees in just a few days. So the golden rule on this page is: check before you go. Our forecast and what to wear pages will help you plan.
Sledding hills
We couldn’t find a single citywide list of sledding hills, but these City parks list sledding on their official City park pages. They’re spread across the north, south and west sides, so there’s probably one near you.
| Park | Side of the city | What the City says |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson Lake Park | South | Sledding hill near the Rose Gardens |
| Legacy Park | North | Sledding hill, in a park of about 30 hectares (73 acres) that also has outdoor skating |
| Sugar Bowl (Ravine Park) | South | Sledding |
| Park Meadows Park | North | A small hill that’s great for sledding with little ones |
| Labor Club Park | North | A grass slope ideal for first-time tobogganers |
| Heritage Point Park | West | Hills at the south end, ideal for first-time tobogganers |
| Blackfoot Park | West | Small hills that are great for sledding with little ones |
| Assiniboia Park | West | The berm at the south end of the park |
We checked these pages in November 2026. Parks change, so look at the park’s page before you head out.
Best sledding weather: a fresh snowfall on a calm day. After a chinook, hills can turn icy when they freeze again overnight, and the Parachute safety charity says to avoid ice-covered areas. If the hill is shiny and hard, save it for another day.
Sledding safety
Sledding is one of the great joys of winter, and a few simple habits keep it that way. These tips come from Parachute, Canada’s national injury prevention charity, and from Health Canada.
Wear a helmet
Parachute recommends a ski helmet, because it’s made for cold weather and similar falls and speeds. A hockey helmet can also be used.
Sit up, face forward
Sit up or kneel, facing down the hill. Parachute says sliding headfirst on your stomach gives the least protection from head injuries, and lying flat on your back raises the risk of a spine injury.
Pick a safe hill
No trees, rocks, fences or bare spots, and well away from roads, rivers and railways. Parachute says to look for a hill that isn’t too steep (less than 30 degrees for children) and has a long, clear runout at the bottom so you can stop safely.
Walk up the side
After each run, move out of the way quickly and walk back up the side of the hill, away from the sliding path.
- Use a real sled you can steer and stop. Parachute says inner tubes and plastic discs aren’t recommended, because they’re hard to control.
- Grown-ups, stay close. Parachute says young children should always be supervised by an adult, should never sled alone and shouldn’t sled at night.
- Sled where sledding is meant to happen. Health Canada says to sled only in designated areas, away from parking lots, signs, goal posts and other hazards.
- Dress warmly and change out of wet clothes as soon as you’re done. Parachute notes that many sledding injuries are cold-related, such as frostbite.
Outdoor skating
There’s nothing quite like skating outdoors on a crisp, sunny day. The City of Lethbridge has four designated outdoor skating areas:
- Henderson Lake
- Nicholas Sheran Lake
- Legacy Park’s Northwest Pond
- Legacy Park’s East Pond
The City says it checks ice conditions at least once a week and closes ice surfaces when conditions are unsafe. It doesn’t measure the ice at all while there’s open water anywhere on the pond or lake. Each area’s status (open or closed) is posted on the City’s Arenas and Skating page. Look it up every time you go, because a warm spell can close the ice quickly.
Skate only on City-designated areas when the City says they’re open. The City says it doesn’t monitor ice thickness on any other water in the city, and asks everyone to keep off closed ice and all storm ponds. The river is never a place to skate. Read our ice safety page with your grown-up, and wear a helmet, as Health Canada recommends for winter sports.
Ice fishing isn’t allowed in the designated skating areas. For a guaranteed skate when the weather won’t cooperate, the City also runs public skating in its indoor arenas (admission applies).
Why do you think the City waits until there’s no open water anywhere before it measures the ice? What might open water tell you about the ice beside it?
Spray parks
When summer heats up, the City’s spray parks are the coolest places in town (literally). Here’s what the City lists:
| Spray park | Where | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Spray Park | North end of Legacy Park | Three zones: a tot area, a family area and an area for ages 5 to 12. Press the hand print to start the water. Open daily from late May to early September, weather permitting. |
| Gyro Spray Park | Behind the Nicholas Sheran Leisure Centre | The City says it’s fun for kids of all ages. Its water isn’t recycled, so its hours may be cut back, or it may close, when water needs to be saved. |
| Rotary Centennial Fountain | Rotary Centennial Plaza at Galt Gardens, downtown | Open daily from late May to early September, weather permitting. |
| Rotary Spray Park | At Henderson Pool | A play area for toddlers and young children, open whenever the pool is. Pool admission is needed. |
Hours are on the City’s spray parks page. They can change with the weather and during water conservation, so check before you pack the towels.
The outdoor pool
Henderson Outdoor Pool, in Henderson Lake Park, is the City’s outdoor summer pool, and the City calls it one of the most popular outdoor summer destinations in southern Alberta. In recent years it has opened in mid-June, with shorter hours for the first couple of weeks while schools use it on weekdays, then regular afternoon and evening hours through the summer. Swimming lessons and aquafit classes start in early July.
Opening dates and hours change each year, so look for the City’s announcement in late spring, or check the Henderson Pool page.
Water safety: a grown-up watches the whole time. The Canadian Paediatric Society says toddlers should always be within arm’s reach of an adult when they’re in or around water, and that young children should never be left alone in a pool, even for a moment. It also reminds parents that swimming lessons alone can’t prevent drowning. Lifeguards help, but they don’t replace your own eyes on your child, at the pool or the spray park.
Heat and sun safety
Our summers are sunny and can get very hot. Health Canada’s tips for keeping children cool in extreme heat:
- Drink water before you feel thirsty. Health Canada says to give children plenty of water before they feel thirsty. Bring a full water bottle to the spray park.
- Find shade. Tree-shaded areas are often cooler. Take breaks out of the sun.
- Dress cool: loose, light-coloured clothing made from a breathable fabric, and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Use sunscreen: broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, following the instructions on the bottle. Health Canada reminds us that sunscreen protects from UV rays but not from the heat.
- Never leave children alone in a parked vehicle.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says that when the UV index is 3 or higher, you should protect your skin as much as possible: cover up, and wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. At the spray park or pool, ECCC’s advice is a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or more, reapplied often.
Know the signs of heat illness. Health Canada lists changes in behaviour (such as sleepiness or temper tantrums), dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, headache, fast breathing or heartbeat, intense thirst, and less pee than usual. Heat stroke is a medical emergency: call 911 right away if a child with a high body temperature is unconscious, confused or has hot, red, dry or damp skin. While you wait for help, Health Canada says to cool the child right away: move them to a cool place, put cold water on large areas of their skin or clothing, and fan them. For the milder signs above, move the child somewhere cool and give water.
Check every year
Seasonal spots change from year to year, so these are worth a fresh look each season:
- Each winter: the sledding hills on City park pages, and the skating status on the Arenas and Skating page every time you go.
- Each spring: spray park opening dates (usually late May) and hours on the spray parks page.
- Each June: the Henderson Outdoor Pool opening date and hours.
- Any time: call 311 for City information.
We’ll keep this page up to date too. Looking for indoor fun when it’s too cold? See Too Cold to Play Outside?
Printable play checklist
Winter
- ☐ I sledded at ______________________ Park
- ☐ I wore my helmet and sat up facing forward
- ☐ I walked up the side of the hill, out of the way
- ☐ I skated on a City skating area on a day it was open
- ☐ I tried indoor public skating
Summer
- ☐ I visited a spray park: ______________________
- ☐ I swam at Henderson Outdoor Pool
- ☐ I brought my own water bottle and drank before I was thirsty
- ☐ I wore sunscreen and a hat when the UV index was 3 or higher
Sources
- City of Lethbridge park pages, amenities (sledding listed), all fetched November 2026: Henderson Lake Park (sledding hill near the Rose Gardens; outdoor skating; outdoor pool); Legacy Park (sledding hill; outdoor skating; spray park; 73 acres, about 30 ha); Sugar Bowl (Ravine Park); Park Meadows Park; Labor Club Park; Heritage Point Park; Blackfoot Park; Assiniboia Park
- City of Lethbridge, Arenas and Skating (four designated skating areas; checked at least once a week; closed if unsafe; no measurements with open water; no monitoring of other water; keep off closed ice and storm ponds; no ice fishing in designated areas; 311): lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Lake ice and outdoor skating (Nicholas Sheran Lake, Henderson Lake, Legacy Northwest and East ponds): lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Quick warmup closes designated outdoor skating areas (“a temperature swing of almost 40 degrees”): lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Public skating by date (indoor arenas; admission rates listed separately): leisure.lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Spray Parks (Gyro, Rotary Centennial Fountain, Legacy and Rotary spray parks; locations, seasons, zones; Gyro water not recycled; pool admission for Rotary Spray Park): lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Get ready to dive in: Henderson Outdoor Pool is opening for another season (opens Monday, June 10, with modified hours; regular hours from June 28; programs from July 2; “one of the most popular outdoor summer destinations in southern Alberta”): lethbridge.ca
- City of Lethbridge, Grab your suit, sunscreen and a towel: Henderson Outdoor Pool is opening (opens Monday, June 12; modified hours; lessons from July 3): lethbridge.ca
- Parachute, Sledding and tobogganing (last reviewed January 7, 2026): parachute.ca
- Health Canada, Safety tips for winter activities (2025: kneel or sit upright; designated sledding areas; helmets; supervise young children; change out of wet clothes): canada.ca (PDF)
- Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids, Water safety (updated March 2023: toddlers within arm’s reach of an adult in or around water; never left alone in a pool, even for a moment; swimming lessons alone cannot prevent drowning): caringforkids.cps.ca
- Health Canada, Keep children cool! Protect your child from extreme heat (modified 2026-09-25): canada.ca
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, UV index, heat and wind chill products (UV index 3 or higher): canada.ca