Much of the public undeveloped or underdeveloped land in the Dane and Sauk County area is in small, separate parcels, leaving few options for 10+ mile trail systems. CORP’s goal is to help find solutions that connect our trail systems and to build those systems in such a way that they are connected, preferably for non-motorized use.
A known but yet unrealized solution is the planned Good Neighbor Trail (GNT) running from Middleton to Mazomanie (
http://www.ci.middleton.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/2757, maps at the end). Our Pleasant View bike trail in Middleton will be very close to the GNT, and the in-progress Cross Plains trail system will be on the GNT. This means that not only will Cross Plains residents gain an easily accessible trail, like Middleton residents already enjoy with PV, but residents of each city will be able to access both trails via bicycles.
Currently, we’re working to have these mountain bike trails ready when the GNT is built. CORP is teaming up with Middleton-based Death’s Door Distillery to raise money for the completion of the Cross Plains system and alterations to Pleasant View system that will be needed due to the planned Olympic development. Between now and the end of 2017, they will match all donations, up to $10,000, to help realize the connectivity of these trail systems.
In ten years, we hope to see a system that allows a rider to visit one or more ‘pocket parks’ in the city of Madison, travel out to the Sauk Prairie Recreation Area, head out to CamRock via the completed Glacial Drumlin Trail, and take in a lap at Brigham Park on the way out to Blue Mound, all without having to get in a car, or even ride on a road. This means dozens of miles of quality singletrack linked by multi-use trail, offering easy, healthy access for thousands of riders and epic adventures for those up to the challenge.
