Cross Country Ski Trails

The City of Middleton and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) celebrate the opening of the access road, parking lot and cross country skiing trails at the CXC Outdoor Recreation and Sports Center (CXC Center).

On Monday, December 20th, 2021, officials from the Central Cross Cross Country Skiing and the City of Middleton announced the completion of the Phase One development for the CXC Center.  Phase One includes an access road, the initial phase of the parking lot (16 stalls), purpose-designed cross-country ski trails, and the initial snowmaking infrastructure.  This first phase of development was made possible through a land donation by Dan and Natalie Erdman, along with $1.2M contributions from individuals, businesses, and grants.

Facilities have been open to the public since Tuesday, December 14th, 2021, with daily operating hours 8 am to 8 pm. Use of the cross-country ski trail system requires the purchase of a trail pass to assist in covering the cost of trail development/maintenance, snowmaking

operations, trail grooming, and snowmaking/grooming equipment maintenance. Mountain bike trails will remain free. Only cross country skiing is allowed on the cross-country ski trail system. City of Middleton residents will be able to purchase trail passes at a discounted rate starting on Tuesday, December 21st at the Middleton Parks & Recreation, 7426 Hubbard Avenue, Middleton, WI 53562, from 8am-3pm, Monday-Friday.

Phase Two will include final grading of cross-country ski trails, permanent snowmaking infrastructure with trail lights, 2 miles of paved recreational trail, a mountain bike trailhead, a mountain bike trail for novice riders, a paved pump track, a skills course for mountain biking, and paving the remainder of the parking area, increasing its capacity to 60 vehicles. $550K has already been raised from CXC's needed $1.4M, including funding commitments from the City of Middleton and Capital Off Road Pathfinders.

Phase Three will include a 14,000 square foot trailhead building with a gathering space, equipment rental and an event center.

CXC Center located at 4385 Schwartz Rd, Middleton, WI 53562

"The vision of the CXC Center is finally being realized after years of hard work, strategic planning, and incredible community support," commented Yuriy Gusev, Executive Director of the Central Cross Country Skiing. "This facility will be an incredible asset to our community, the general public, and everyone who shares a passion for the outdoors."

Mayor Gurdip Brar agrees: “The City of Middleton is delighted that our partnership with CXC and Dan & Natalie Erdman is coming to fruition. The CXC project will become a regional and state destination for outdoor recreation, and we know that winter sports enthusiasts as well as cyclists and hikers will enjoy this natural facility for decades to come. In concert with the City’s improvements to Pleasant View Road in 2022-23, complete with a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the road, we are thrilled to expand the City’s extensive trail network.”

For more information about the CXC Center visit https://center.cxcskiing.org or contact Yuriy Gusev at yuriy.gusev@cxcskiing.org

ABOUT CXC

The Central Cross Country Skiing Inc (CXC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit community organization for cross country skiing and a regional affiliate of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard in the 10-state Central Region of the United States.

CXC provides programs and competitions that create opportunities for athletes, coaches and officials of all ages and abilities to participate and advance in Nordic skiing through sport specific training programs, events, education and certification.

CXC also provides programs to promote healthy, active lifestyles, to support recreational skiers, and to introduce the sport to children and adults of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.