UPPER SALFORD — Spring Mountain Adventures is preparing to kick off the holiday season with something special.

Located at 757 Spring Mount Road near Schwenksville, it’s been a longstanding outdoor recreation destination for more than 20 years. Now, the business is adding an ice skating rink.

“You’re under the stars, you’re under the lights, you can see the ski hill. So I think the attraction is just the setting that it’s in,” said Manager John Brown.

While the idea to install an outdoor rink originated about four years ago, construction didn’t begin until July, Brown said.

Now five months later, the rink is expected to be operational next week ahead of the “Spring Mountain First Annual Skating Spectacular and Tree Lighting” on Dec. 11.

The holiday activities kick off at 3 p.m. and include a tree lighting, ice skating with Santa Claus and performances from local skaters. Visit springmountainadventures.com for more information.

“It should feel pretty festive here,” Brown said.

Once completed, the area will also feature fire pits and a food truck.

With the rink’s maximum capacity set at 300, Brown anticipates Thursday through Sunday will be more popular for would-be skaters to come out. Those interested in skating can do so for $15 — that includes the cost of rental skates.

Additionally, a range of skating lessons is available. Programs range from “ice mice” to “intro to skate” to beginner and advanced beginner ice levels, according to Spring Mountain Adventure’s website. Hockey players can also rent the entire rink for 1.25 hours for $400.

“It’s another stepping stone for people to learn a new sport,” he said. “We’re a beginner ski area. You can come here to learn how to skate as well.”

Spring Mountain Adventures Owner Gayle Buckman agreed.

“I think it’s just exciting for the local kids to have something else to do close by here,” she said.

Brown and Buckman hoped the newly constructed ice skating rink would serve as another asset to the business that was impacted like so many others by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That was a little bit tough, and then the governor closed us early, so we did lose a substantial amount, and we lost all of our summer business, our outdoor zip line canopy tours, which then took an added hit of the storms that we had that year,” she said. “So, a lot of it was destroyed, and not worth reopening, and our haunted events were canceled for that year.”

“So when it came around to Christmas, and all the ski areas in Pennsylvania worked together to develop a COVID plan, and present[ed] it to the governor so we had some control over how that would work out, and the governor approved it,” Buckman continued.

However, Brown observed how the winter months brought people out to hit the slopes.

“For the ski business on the East Coast, it went pretty well because people wanted something to do, and skiing’s a socially distanced sport,” Brown said. “So it worked out well for us for this business.”

Nearly two years later, Brown noted how the Montgomery County outdoor recreation spot still offers respite for those in need of some fresh air.

“The world as we all know is a little weird at the moment, so if you can get away, this [can] be like a little escape for a day,” he said.

The 2022 Winter Olympics is slated to begin in February 2022 in Beijing, China.

Buckman emphasized how the new skating rink will offer the chance for Spring Mountain skaters to be their own Olympians.

“This is the winter Olympic year,” she said. “So it’s good timing, and they always want to do whatever they see at home.”

With just days until the opening of the new skating rink, Spring Mountain Adventures employees are looking forward to people trying out the newest amenity.

“We’re the closest ski area to Philadelphia so if people want to come and experience the outdoors and some outdoor sports coming out here, I think is a draw,” Brown said.