The Leelanau Conservancy says it has successfully raised $8 million to turn the old Sugar Loaf ski resort into a nature preserve.
They announced the plan in July, with the goal of raising another $2 million before the end of the year. But the community stepped up in just two months.
"We've received over 1,100 gifts of all sizes, $10 on up," Executive Director Tom Nelson told IPR. "We've never seen anything quite like it... [this] shattered all records for donations."
The land itself is a gift from the owner, an anonymous LLC called "SPV 45 LLC," according to Nelson. The $8 million raised by the Conservancy will go towards the work needed to open it to the public.
Although the lifts and downhill skiing won’t be coming back, there will be hiking, biking and cross country ski trails, plus a pavilion at the top with 360-degree views of the Leelanau Peninsula and Lake Michigan.
The broken promises of the past
In its heyday, Sugar Loaf was one of the most popular ski resorts in the Midwest and the biggest employer in Leelanau County, until it closed in the year 2000.
It has been abandoned ever since. Past buyers have promised to open a ski resort again, but that never panned out.
"The community has heard lots of promises about Sugar Loaf and bringing it back that never went anywhere," explained Nelson.
That's why they raised over $6 million quietly in 2024 and 2025 before announcing the project in July — they didn’t want to get northern Michigan’s hopes up too soon.
But with the gift of the land and the donations to the Conservancy, Nelson is confident they can now open Sugar Loaf to the public.
He says the view at the top is exhilarating.
"The Manitou Islands ... South Fox on a good day. You can see North Fox Island, Whaleback of course, Lime Lake and Little Traverse Lake, [and] all the farmland and forestland in Leelanau County," he described.
"[The summit] has an incredible, one-of-a-kind 360[-degree] view of all the reasons why the Leelanau Conservancy exists."
