Los Alamos County closes Ice Rink parking lot Thursday for tree removal

Skaters, trail users and anyone headed to the West Road side of Los Alamos lost Ice Rink parking Thursday while crews removed a nearby hazard tree. Los Alamos County said the parking lot was temporarily closed on May 21, 2026, and the rink itself was not listed as closed, but visitors were told to expect limited parking, plan extra time and follow posted signage around 4475 W Rd.

The county posted the alert on its homepage as a short-term safety measure, not as part of a long shutdown. That distinction mattered at the Ice Rink, where even a brief parking restriction can affect daily traffic tied to recreation, trail access and the surrounding corridor in Los Alamos Canyon. The rink sits on a 2.36-acre parcel at about 7,200 feet elevation in the bottom of the canyon, a setting where wind, trees and public facilities often intersect.

County tree-safety guidance shows how crews decide when a tree becomes a risk. The Department of Public Utilities uses a contractor to remove hazard branches and trees throughout Los Alamos County, and warning signs include dead or detached branches, cavities, cracks, rotten wood, disease, leaning trees and damaged roots. The new closure fit that pattern of precautionary work, with the county treating the tree removal as a safety issue rather than a simple inconvenience.

The Ice Rink remains one of the county’s most distinctive public assets. Built in 1936, it is the only refrigerated, NHL-regulation, outdoor ice rink in New Mexico, and the county Recreation Division uses it for public skating, hockey, skating lessons and other programs. That combination of history, elevation and heavy use helps explain why a parking-lot closure can ripple beyond a single corner of the property.

The May 21 shutdown also followed a year of heavier ice-rink maintenance. In May 2025, the county closed the front and LANL overflow parking lots from noon on May 19 until the afternoon of May 22 for chiller work, added traffic control on West Road and arranged Los Alamos Police Department escorts on NM 502 as the crane left town. That project carried a stated value of $955,000, and the county said the temporary chiller was removed on May 21, 2025, the same day the permanent chiller was delivered and placed. Taken together, the tree removal adds another small but visible interruption at a facility that continues to require active county maintenance to stay open and safe.