Your guide to winter sports in Middleton

Nobody wants to be stuck inside all winter — thankfully, there are some great places to take in some fresh air and play in the snow (or on the ice) in Middleton. Here’s a quick guide to some of the area’s winter outdoor recreation options.

Cross-County Ski Trails

• The CXC Outdoor Recreation and Sports Center (CXC Center) near Pleasant View Golf Course is a great place to get out and take in the scenery via cross-country skis. Trails are groomed for both cross-country skiing and diagonal striding; and, with an artificial snow maker, trails are open throughout winter. Cross-Country ski gear can be rented here. Facilities are open Dec. 1, 2023 through March 14, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Use of the cross-country ski trail system requires the purchase of a trail pass (December-March only), which can be done online or at the CXC office. City of Middleton residents receive a 50 percent discount by purchasing tickets at City Hall or online. Only cross-country skiing is allowed on the cross-country ski trail system. View or download a printable cross-country ski map here. Mountain biking can also be done on the trails at CXC Center and is free.
• Blackhawk Ski Area is a private club with classic and skate trails, ski jumps, downhill runs, and snowmaking. West of Madison, 10118 and 10222 Blackhawk Road, Middleton.
• In the winter, more thank five miles of Governor Nelson State Park’s trails are tracked for diagonal skiers and groomed for skate skiers. Most of the trails are easy to moderate in difficulty, and some have hills with challenging turns; view specific routes here.

Snowshoeing

• The 549-acre Pheasant Branch Conservancy welcomes snowshoeing on all trails. Even in winter, the wildlife here is abundant and the variety of terrain makes for a great hike. In order to protect the conservancy’s revitalized prairie landscape, snowshoeing is not allowed off trails and cross-country skiing is prohibited.
• Governor Nelson State Park has a 2.4-mile loop trail that ventures through restored prairies in the northern portion of the park. This is a multi-use trail, also open to skiers.

Ice Skating

Several of Middleton’s community parks have ice skating facilities:

• Parkside Heights Park (3300 Northbrook Drive), City of Middleton maintained ice rink, open weather dependent
• Meadows Park (6415 South Avenue), City of Middleton maintained ice rink, open weather dependent
• Stricker Pond (7605 Voss Parkway), neighborhood maintained, use at your own risk
• Tiedeman Pond (1500 N Gammon Road), neighborhood maintained, use at your own risk
• Middleton Hills Pond (6867 Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue), neighborhood maintained, use at your own risk
• Esser Pond (corner of John Q Hammons Drive and Deming Way), neighborhood maintained, use at your own risk

Additionally, there are open skate times at Bob Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena, home to the Madison Capitols as well as Madison Capitols AAA Youth program, Middleton Cardinals High School hockey team and the Middleton Wings youth program. The ice arena has two full sheets of ice, eight public locker rooms and six public bathrooms. Specific open skate times can be found here. The entrance fee for open skating is $10 and skates can be rented for $5.