Marquette County, Michigan — After years of abandonment and rumours, it sounds like the story of Sugar Loaf will have a happy ending.
Yesterday, the Leelanau Conservancy announced its intentions to purchase the former Sugar Loaf ski resort. To date, $6 million has been raised, with less than $2 million needed to complete the takeover. They hope to reach this goal by the end of the year. If they reach that goal, the current landowners, who have vowed to donate the 285-acre property, will transfer it to them. If everything goes according to plan, the final portions of the project are expected to be completed in 2026.
The plan is to transform the property into a public facility with various activities. Some of the planned attractions include a summit access trail, mountain biking trails, a summit pavilion, a community gathering area, a sledding hill, and picnic pavilions. So far, they’ve removed the infrastructure that made it look like a haunted place, so they’re in a prime position to begin construction.
While lift-serviced skiing won’t be making a comeback there, skiers will be happy to hear that it will reopen for shredding. Backcountry skiers will be able to earn their turns when there’s enough snow on the slopes. Cross-country skiers will also have pistes to explore.
Opened back in 1947, Sugar Loaf became one of the most popular destinations for Midwest skiers and riders. It wasn’t just known for its slopes, though; it also offered various off-slope activities and lodging options. However, its lifts last operated in 2002. In the years that followed, the site became an abandoned relic of the past. While these changes may not bring guests back to the glory days of the ski resort, it’ll allow a new generation of skiers to experience Awful, Awful.
Click here to donate to the efforts by Leelanau Conservancy to purchase the Sugar Loaf property.
Image/Video Credits: Leelanau Conservancy, Skimap.org
