Crosslake's Outdoor Plans: Pickleball Courts and a Trail Study

Crosslake is planning its next round of outdoor amenities, and the wish list is concrete. The city council approved a park master plan that adds four pickleball courts, two ice rinks west of the Crosslake Community Center, and a new baseball field, while a public trail study is now mapping how future paths could tie the town together. For a community best known for the Whitefish Chain, the plans are proof that life here runs on land as much as water.

What the Park Master Plan Adds

The adopted plan concentrates new recreation around the Crosslake Community Center: four dedicated pickleball courts, two ice rinks, and a new baseball field. Dedicated courts matter to players, since shared-line courts stay busy all summer, and the ice rinks give the town a winter gathering spot within walking distance of the center. The plan was a deliberate choice to build amenities where residents already gather, rather than scattering them across town.

The Trail Study Could Change How You Get Around

In November 2025, the township posted a public Crosslake Trail Study asking residents and visitors where future trail connections should go. The study sits alongside a larger regional project, the Cross City Trail and the Legacy-funded expansion of the Munger Trail corridor, which would eventually tie Crosslake's lake country into the same paved network that reaches toward Brainerd. A community with a serious trail plan is a community thinking about year-round recreation, snowmobiling and fat biking in winter, walking and cycling the rest of the year.

Why Recreation Planning Matters to Lake Buyers

Lake buyers often shop Crosslake for the water, and they should: the Whitefish Chain is the reason most people find the town in the first place. But the buyers who stay are the ones who discover the land side, the parks, the rinks, and the trail network that keep a family busy in every season. Planned amenities do not just add fun, they support values, and on the chain, where shoreline is finite, a strong recreation program is part of what keeps the community desirable. Our look at which area lakes hold their value explains why community quality shows up in the market.

What Happens Next

Master plans and trail studies move on their own timelines. The park additions are the most defined, with the community center location locked in, while the trail connections depend on study feedback, funding, and the regional corridor work. Watch the city and township meeting notices for the milestones, and do not be shy about weighing in on the trail study if you live here: public comment is exactly how these lists get built.

The Bottom Line

Crosslake's outdoor plans add up to a simple message: this town is investing in the life between the boating. More courts, more rinks, and a serious trail study give year-round residents reasons to stay active from ice-out to freeze-up, and they give buyers a fuller picture of what living on the chain really includes.

Want to compare Crosslake's lakes and neighborhoods against your priorities? Schedule a conversation, or start with our Crosslake community guide and the Whitefish Chain comparison to see where the town fits. Cheers!