More than two decades after Sugar Loaf Ski Resort shut down in northern Michigan, the mountain is preparing to welcome the public back.
The former ski resort property will reopen as the Sugar Loaf Scenic Area on Oct. 9 following an $8 million fundraising campaign and years of work to transform the abandoned mountain into a public recreation and conservation area.
It will not, however, mark the return of Sugar Loaf as a ski resort. The old chairlifts and much of the abandoned resort infrastructure have been removed. Instead, the Leelanau Conservancy’s long-term plan for Sugar Loaf calls for hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and backcountry skiing, along with scenic overlooks, universal-access features and family recreation areas. For skiers, that means turns could return to Sugar Loaf this winter, but they will have to be earned.
Sugar Loaf has been closed for more than two decades
Sugar Loaf was once one of Michigan’s best-known ski destinations. The ski area opened in 1947 and developed into a major northern Michigan resort before eventually shutting down around the turn of the century. The property subsequently spent decades vacant as different owners and redevelopment proposals came and went.
The mountain’s long period of abandonment made Sugar Loaf one of the Midwest’s most recognizable lost ski areas, a history explored earlier this year in a look at Sugar Loaf’s rise, closure and uncertain future.
A path forward finally emerged when the property’s owner offered to transfer the mountain to the Leelanau Conservancy if the nonprofit could raise $8 million to turn the property into a protected public recreation area.
The campaign reached that goal in September 2025. Ownership officially transferred to the Conservancy in March 2026, a milestone that moved the former ski resort into permanent conservation ownership. The $8 million is being used for the larger transformation of the property, including trail construction, ecological restoration, visitor infrastructure and long-term stewardship.
Skiing is coming back, just without chairlifts
Sugar Loaf’s next chapter will look very different from its resort days.
The Conservancy plans to maintain opportunities for both cross-country and backcountry skiing, and volunteers are already scheduled to work on the mountain’s former ski terrain.
A Nov. 8 Sugar Loaf ski-run clearing work will focus on removing deadfall and brush and trimming vegetation on former glades and ski runs to create what the Conservancy describes as a safe backcountry skiing environment:
“This work is considered difficult due to the steep, uneven slopes we’ll be traversing. Work will include removing deadfall and debris, moving brush, thinning vegetation, and limbing up tree branches on former glades and ski runs to create a safe backcountry ski environment. Please leave your chainsaw at home. If you have a favorite set of loppers or a non-motorized handsaw, feel free to bring that. All other tools will be provided by the Conservancy. Volunteers should bring their own gloves, safety glasses, water, sun protection, and wear long pants and closed toe shoes.”
Other plans include a trail to the summit, mountain biking routes, a sledding hill, nature play areas, scenic viewpoints and ecological restoration aimed at reducing erosion and improving water quality in the Good Harbor Bay Watershed.
The Conservancy has also emphasized that Sugar Loaf’s redevelopment is intended to remain centered on public access rather than rebuilding the commercial resort that once occupied the mountain.
