The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for de-icing a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The wind turbine has a nacelle mounted atop a tower. The nacelle has a rotor with a rotatable hub having rotor blade mounted thereto. The method includes shutting down the wind turbine in response to detecting ice on the rotor blade. The method also includes positioning the wind turbine in a de-icing position, the de-icing position including at least one of yawing the nacelle of the wind turbine such that the rotor is in a down-wind location of the tower or pitching the rotor blade such that a leading edge of the rotor blade is facing the tower. Another step includes de-icing the rotor blade while the rotor is in the de-icing position.