Arrowhead Provincial Park is small by Ontario standards, 1,237 hectares established in 1971 and classed as a Natural Environment park, but it does two things very well. In winter it has the most photographed skating trail in the province, a 1.3 km loop through the trees. In summer it has a swimmable lake, a waterfall walk and a handful of short trails, all within a ten-minute drive of Huntsville. MuskokaLimousineServices.com gets you there on a pre-booked schedule when a taxi cannot, and this page explains what to reserve first.
Can I book a car to Arrowhead Provincial Park and the skating trail?
Yes. Choose Arrowhead Provincial Park, 451 Arrowhead Park Road, Huntsville, as the drop-off in the booker, add a return leg and see one fixed fare before you pay. You reserve the park's daily vehicle permit yourself through Ontario Parks. The permit, not the car, is what guarantees entry.
For a short hop in daylight, a local taxi is perfectly good, and we say so. Where a pre-booked car earns its place is the evening return after Fire and Ice, a family with skates and car seats, or a first stop on the way up from Pearson when you want to skate before checking in. See Huntsville for the town side of the plan.
Where Arrowhead is and how you reach it
The park is about 7 km north of the centre of Huntsville and roughly ten minutes by road. From Highway 11, leave at Muskoka Road 3, which is one exit north of the Highway 60 exit, and make an immediate left onto Arrowhead Park Road. From Huntsville town you can also follow Muskoka Road 3 north. The park's listed address is 451 Arrowhead Park Road, and Ontario Parks shows it open every day of 2026 from January 1 to December 31, with daily facility hours posted on its page.
| From | Distance | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Huntsville | about 7 km | 10 minutes |
| Deerhurst or Hidden Valley (Peninsula Lake) | a few kilometres further | roughly 15 to 20 minutes |
| Toronto Pearson | about 220 km | 2 h 30 – 2 h 50 off-peak |
| Muskoka Airport, Gravenhurst | roughly 55 km | about 1 h |
Longer figures are rounded and depend on your pickup. The Toronto to Huntsville route page has the highway sequence.
The Ice Skating Trail, in detail
The skating trail winds 1.3 km through the forest on uneven ground, not a flat rink, which is the point of it. Staff pack a snow base, then build the ice in thin layers, resurfacing it each day. Ontario Parks says the trail runs from mid-January to mid-March, weather permitting.
On Fire and Ice Nights the trail is lit by hundreds of tiki torches. Discover Muskoka lists the evenings as Fridays and Saturdays, 6 pm to 9 pm, with the trail closed for maintenance from 5 pm to 6 pm, and the Ontario Parks blog mentions Friday evenings, so confirm the nights for the year you plan. Both sources agree on the essentials:
- Book in advance. Reserve through the Ontario Parks reservation site up to five days ahead, choosing "Day Use + Fire and Ice Evening Skate".
- Expect to sell out. The listing calls the nights extremely popular and urges early booking.
- Rent skates on the day. Rentals are at the building beside the Visitor Centre, first come, first served, and they often sell out on weekends.
- Leave the dog home. Dogs are not allowed on the trail.
- Strollers with rubber wheels are allowed at the parent's own risk, and helmets are recommended but not required.
- Campers with a valid park permit do not need a separate skate trail reservation.
What is confirmed for the next season
The 2026 trail closed in March, and Discover Muskoka expects Fire and Ice Nights to return in January 2027, Fridays and Saturdays, weather dependent. That is as firm as it gets. The trail depends on cold nights, and the park's snow report, updated each morning in season, is the place to check whether it is open. When you have a date, book the park permit first and the car second.
A Fire and Ice evening, hour by hour
A plan that works for a family staying in Huntsville or on Peninsula Lake looks like this, using the 6 pm to 9 pm window that Discover Muskoka lists.
- 4:45 pm. Pickup at the hotel with skate sizes noted, a thermos and spare mittens. A note with the booking is the place for the meeting door.
- 5:15 pm. Arrive at the park. The trail closes from 5 pm to 6 pm for maintenance, so this is the time for rentals, washrooms and the pavilion rather than ice.
- 6:00 pm. Step onto the trail as the torches are lit. Allow an hour or so for the 1.3 km loop at a family pace, with breaks.
- 7:30 pm. A second lap or a hot drink, depending on the kids.
- 8:30 pm. Walk back to the lot, with the car already waiting by arrangement, and head home before the last skaters leave.
If the evening is a surprise to your party, tell the booker so that the return time suits the youngest skater, and remember that arriving earlier is easier than arriving late when a Friday sells out.
Winter at Arrowhead beyond skating
The park lists 28 km of cross-country ski trails for classic skiing and 16 km for skate skiing, with ski packages (skis, boots and poles) available at the pavilion. It also lists more than 8 km of marked snowshoe trails, and the Muskoka Loppet in January. Ontario Parks says the Mayflower Lake and Stubb's Falls trails become snowshoe routes in winter. Ski and snowshoe rentals mean you can arrive with little gear, which makes the day easier by car.
Winter driving and what the chauffeur does differently
The 7 km from Huntsville is short, but it is the same road system as the rest of Muskoka in January, with snow squalls, early darkness and slippery shoulders. A chauffeur car with winter tires, a warm cabin and a driver who knows where the park entrance turns makes sense after dark. Winter tires are not required by law in Ontario, and we suggest them as sensible. Check Ontario 511 for road conditions, which include plain-language ratings from covered to bare and snowplow locations, before you travel from further away. Our winter and ski transfers page covers storm delays and bags.
Summer and fall: trails, beaches and paddling
When the ice is long gone, Arrowhead is a day-use park with a lake. These trail lengths and times are the ones the Ontario Parks activities page lists.
| Trail | Length | Time | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stubb's Falls | 2.6 km | 45 minutes | easy |
| Mayflower Lake | 2.1 km | 30 minutes | moderate |
| Homesteaders | 2.8 km | 1 hour | moderate |
| Beaver Meadow | 4 km | 2 hours | moderate |
| Arrowhead Lake | 5.1 km | 1.5 hours | moderate |
| Big Bend Lookout | short walk | short | easy |
Stubb's Falls is the one most visitors want, because it is the easiest walk to a waterfall in the area. There are four beaches, none with lifeguards, and Beach 2 is the main day-use beach and the only one with canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals. Motorized boats, including electric motors, are prohibited on Arrowhead and Mayflower lakes, and you should wear a lifejacket. Fishing needs a licence and an outdoors card. In July and August the park runs Discovery programs.
The daily vehicle permit
Ontario Parks lists a 2026 day-use fee schedule with four tiers of regular daily vehicle permits, from $12.25 to $21.00 including HST. It states that fees are specific to each park and does not say which tier Arrowhead falls in on the pages we read, so check the park's page for its figure. Winter skating needs a permit too. Buy it from Ontario Parks online or through its reservation line, up to five days ahead for the skating trail, and buy it before you travel rather than relying on the entrance.
Which way to go: taxi, bus or booked car
| Option | Door-to-door time | Cost note | Luggage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive yourself | 10 minutes from Huntsville | fuel plus the permit | skates and gear | locals with a car |
| Local taxi | 10 minutes from Huntsville | metered | small bags | a daytime hop with no schedule |
| Public bus | no service to the park gate that we can verify | not applicable | not applicable | not an option |
| Pre-booked MuskokaLimousineServices.com car | 10 minutes from Huntsville, 2 h 30 – 2 h 50 from Pearson | fixed fare via booker | 2 to 12 bags by class | evening returns, groups, kids, direct from the airport |
Ontario Northland and FlixBus serve Huntsville but not the park. If you are coming from Toronto on the bus and want to skate, the realistic plan is a coach to Huntsville and a pre-booked ride from there. The private car is the better choice when you carry skates and winter clothing, travel with children, come back after dark or have a group.
Families, strollers, pets and car seats
Child seat, toddler seat and booster seat options are in the booker, so add them when you book. Tell the desk about a pet when you book; pets travel in a carrier in our cars, and trained service animals travel free, though dogs are not allowed on the skating trail itself. A rubber-wheeled stroller is allowed on the ice according to Ontario Parks. For more advice on children, see child seats and family travel.
Groups and corporate evenings
A Fire and Ice evening works well for team outings from the Peninsula Lake resorts. An Executive Sprinter takes up to 12 passengers and 12 bags, a Business SUV takes up to 6 passengers and 6 bags, and an Executive Sedan takes up to 3 passengers and 2 large bags. Larger groups can ask about coaches of 20 to 56 seats. Corporate accounts with monthly invoicing are supported. Read about corporate retreat transportation, or pair the evening with a stay at Deerhurst Resort or Hidden Valley Resort.
Pair Arrowhead with Algonquin
Arrowhead and Algonquin work as a two-day plan: skating or a waterfall walk on one day and Highway 60 on the next. The Algonquin Park tours page and Toronto to Algonquin route explain the second half. The attractions hub lists more, and the Muskoka hub lists the towns. Flying in? See Pearson transfers.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Arrowhead Provincial Park?
At 451 Arrowhead Park Road, Huntsville, about 7 km north of the centre of town. Leave Highway 11 at Muskoka Road 3, one exit north of Highway 60, and turn left onto Arrowhead Park Road. The drive from Huntsville takes about ten minutes.
When does the Arrowhead Ice Skating Trail open?
Ontario Parks says mid-January to mid-March, weather permitting. The trail is 1.3 km. Fire and Ice Nights are planned to return in January 2027 on Fridays and Saturdays, weather dependent. The park's snow report is the best check on the day.
Do I need a reservation for the skating trail?
You need a daily vehicle permit, and Ontario Parks recommends buying it in advance, up to five days ahead, through its reservation system. For Fire and Ice Nights choose the Day Use plus Fire and Ice Evening Skate option. Campers with a valid permit do not need a separate reservation.
Can I rent skates at Arrowhead?
Yes. Rentals are at the building beside the Visitor Centre, first come, first served, and they often sell out on weekends, so arrive early. Helmets are recommended but not required. Ski and snowshoe packages are available at the pavilion for other winter activities if you want a change from the ice.
Is there a bus to Arrowhead Provincial Park?
We cannot verify a public bus to the park gate. Ontario Northland and FlixBus reach Huntsville, about 7 km away. From there a local taxi or a pre-booked car from MuskokaLimousineServices.com completes the trip.
Can the car wait while we skate?
Yes. Book hourly hire or a return leg timed for the end of your session. For Fire and Ice, evenings run until 9 pm, so tell the booker your return time and add a note with the booking about where you will meet.
Can dogs come to the skating trail?
No. Dogs are not allowed on the skating trail, so plan for the dog to stay home or at your lodging while you skate. Tell the desk about a pet when you book; in our cars, pets travel in a carrier, and trained service animals travel free. Tell us at booking if a service animal will be with you.
What can I do at Arrowhead in summer?
Hike short trails such as the 2.6 km Stubb's Falls walk, swim at the beaches, rent canoes, kayaks or paddleboards at Beach 2 and fish with a licence. Motorized boats are prohibited on Arrowhead and Mayflower lakes, and a daily vehicle permit is required.
