At a September 29 meeting, the Middleton Tourism Commission spent part of its 20 minutes on a single word. Visit Middleton had put $250,000 toward a new building at the CXC Outdoor Center, and that grant came with naming rights. Visit Middleton had previously voted to call it "Middleton Nordic Center." CXC director Yuriy Gusev worried the sign would look odd reading "Middleton Nordic Center at the CXC Outdoor Recreation Center." He suggested "trailhead." Commissioners then debated "trailhead" against "lodge." One of them pointed out that in his business, a lodge means rooms to rent. The meeting lacked a quorum, so no vote was recorded.
The building has no rooms for rent. "Lodge" won anyway. At the commission's October 6 meeting, a motion to rename the building Middleton Nordic Lodge carried with no discussion. The October 26 opening announcement set the grand opening for 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 4355 Schwartz Road. The name matters less than who the building lets on the trails. A rental shop and a lit snowmaking loop on the same site mean a resident can ski at CXC without owning skis and without waiting on the weather.
Years of Trails Without a Building
The trails came well before the lodge. Dan and Natalie Erdman donated the land to the city in 2021 for recreational use, and the first trails were cut that year. A road to Schwartz Road and a 16-space parking lot came next, and the City of Middleton added 48 more stalls in 2022. Last winter, Visit Middleton's CXC Outdoor Center page said ski rentals were "temporarily suspended" during construction. The same page gave the building a target of "by summer 2026" and said rentals "will be available again next winter." Ground was broken on September 16, 2025, and the November grand opening date lands a little over a year later, about a season behind that summer target.
According to the opening announcement, the building holds:
- A Nordic retail and rental shop
- A community multi-use room and a board room, both rentable
- Restrooms
- A private performance physical therapy office
- The CXC main office
- The CXC Performance Training Gym
- An outdoor area for larger events
The rental shop and the restrooms are the two that matter most to a first-timer. With rentals back in a shop on site, someone who has never owned skis has a place to get equipped at the end of Schwartz Road. Gusev described the goal as a place where "people of all ages and abilities can come together to enjoy cross-country skiing, from families with young children to local community groups and students."
Two Miles That Don't Wait for Snow
CXC grooms about eight miles of cross-country trail, which matches the 13 kilometers on Visit Middleton's listing. Two of those miles have snowmaking infrastructure, built to supplement natural snow and keep coverage reliable from December through March.
In a south-central Wisconsin winter, that snowmaking loop is the difference between skiing in early December and waiting for a storm. The loop is also lit at night. Last season's pass page said it opens whenever the weather allows snowmaking and listed December 1 as the anticipated start, which was a forecast and not a promised date. Visit Middleton lists winter trail hours as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, so the lights make after-work skiing practical after the sun goes down around dinnertime.
The pass structure follows the loop. Last season, a regular pass covered the groomed CXC trail system, including the trails at Pleasant View Golf Course. It did not cover the machine-made loop when there was no natural snow. For that, you needed an all-access pass or a daily pass. Passes were required from December 1 through March 15.
All-access prices for the 2025–26 season, for comparison. These are last season's rates and may change this winter:
- Adult season pass: $110 standard, $93 on the City of Middleton resident rate
- Youth season pass, ages 6 to 18: $55 standard, $46 resident
- Family season pass, two adults and children 6 to 18 at the same address: $250 standard, $212 resident
- Adult daily pass: $25 standard, $21 resident
- Youth daily pass: $10 standard, $8 resident
- Children 5 and under: free
At last season's rates, two resident adults paying daily would spend $210 over five outings, so the $212 resident family pass pays for itself on the sixth trip. Passes are sold through the CXC Outdoor Center site. Last season, annual passes arrived by mail 10 to 15 business days after purchase, and the receipt worked as a pass until then.
The Site Already Has a Schedule
The site has regular users lined up for the season. The Madison Nordic Ski Club's junior winter program lists practices at Elver Park or CXC in Middleton. The high school team, grades 9 through 12 plus approved eighth graders, practices four times a week from Nov. 3 through Feb. 17. The middle school team, grades 5 through 8, starts Nov. 17 and practices twice a week through the same date. Neither team holds official practices in the last two weeks of December. The club says its teams may use the lit, machine-made loop at CXC when natural snow is poor.
The building also sits on a summer trailhead. Middleton Parks and Recreation moved the Middleton Bike Park trailhead from Pleasant View Golf Course to the CXC parking area and added a pump track. The bike park has more than four miles of free, year-round singletrack that connects to Blackhawk Ski Club trails. Mayor Lisa Janairo described the site that way in the opening announcement:
"In the winter, there will be miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and in the summer, people will be able to enjoy the trails on foot or by bike. It's a gift of nature and trust, and we treasure both."
The rentable rooms carry the same idea indoors. Visit Middleton's announcement says the building will host weddings, events, corporate retreats and board meetings, and the stated goal is to make Middleton a four-season destination.
Built by Donation, One Piece at a Time
Middleton got to a finished lodge in increments. Gusev credited people who "believed in this vision nearly 10 years ago." More than 200 donors have given to the project, paying for trail cutting and signage, snowmaking and the lodge itself. Visit Middleton was among the first to invest, when Gusev was raising money for the first trails, and the tourism department has since made three grants. The $250,000 grant for the building is the one that started the naming debate.
Dan Erdman put the land in personal terms in the announcement: "I grew up exploring all over this property and Natalie and I are proud that the public will now have the same opportunity to experience this beautiful piece of land that is practically in our own backyard."
Getting There
From Highway 14, take Schwartz Road south to its end and turn right onto the CXC access drive. The parking lot is at the end of that drive. Parking on the access drive itself is not allowed. When the lot is full, park along Schwartz Road at the bottom and walk up. The ski trails are for cross-country skiing only, so walkers and fat-tire riders should use other trails once grooming starts. Trail conditions are posted on CXC's Facebook page and on Nordic Pulse. A printable ski map is also available, though it dates from 2022.
Middleton's other early-winter tradition takes place indoors and outdoors downtown. Stone Horse Green's Holiday Makers Market runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Light the Green countdown, with Santa arriving by fire truck, is at 5 p.m. Saturday, and live reindeer are listed for Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.
The lodge cuts what it takes to ski at CXC down to a pass and a drive to Schwartz Road. Our flat fee works the same way for sellers: you get MLS exposure, professional photos, showings and negotiation at one all-inclusive price. If you're thinking about selling a Middleton home this winter, Flat Fee Pros can walk you through what our flat-fee listing includes. Schedule a free consultation.
