{"id":2170515,"date":"2026-09-29T23:23:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T20:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2170515"},"modified":"2026-09-29T23:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T20:23:23","slug":"beloved-michigan-ski-resort-to-reopen-as-public-parkland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2170515","title":{"rendered":"Beloved Michigan Ski Resort to Reopen as Public Parkland"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_428491\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-428491\" style=\"width: 1076px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-428491 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAD3AQMAAAC3u3cwAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAACpJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20ND6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAODJOJwAB8x9hmwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"sugar loaf michigan\" width=\"640\" height=\"247\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=640%2C247&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=300%2C116&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=1200%2C463&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=768%2C296&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"247\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\" wp-image-428491\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=640%2C247&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"sugar loaf michigan\" width=\"640\" height=\"247\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-428491\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The historic Sugar Loaf Resort in Michigan is now set to reopen as the Sugar Loaf Scenic Area on October 9, 2026. | Credit: Leelanau Conservancy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>A beloved Michigan resort is finally set to reopen as a public parkland.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>After years of waiting, the newly refurbished <a href=\"https:\/\/leelanauconservancy.org\/sugarloaf\/\">Sugar Loaf Scenic Area<\/a> in Cedar, Michigan, will finally open to the public on October 9.<\/strong> Sugar Loaf had formerly been a popular winter destination in the Mitten State, but had sat dormant for over two decades following its closure. Now, owned by the <a href=\"https:\/\/leelanauconservancy.org\/\">Leelanau Conservancy<\/a>, the mountain is finding new life as a hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and backcountry skiing area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The scenic area\u2019s grand opening will take place on <a href=\"https:\/\/leelanauconservancy.org\/sugarloaf\/\">October 9<\/a> from 5 p.m. until dusk.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cExplore the new Summit Trail, take in the views, chat with Conservancy staff and spend an autumn evening experiencing Sugar Loaf together,\u201d the Leelanau Conservancy wrote in its grand opening <a href=\"https:\/\/leelanauconservancy.org\/sugarloaf\/\">announcement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-15\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<div class=\"sb-trending-widget\">\n<div class=\"sb-trending-header\">\n            <span class=\"sb-trending-icon\">\ud83d\udd25<\/span><br \/>\n            <span 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class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sugar-loaf.jpg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Beloved Michigan Ski Resort to Reopen as Public Parkland\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">Beloved Michigan Ski Resort to Reopen as Public Parkland<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/sofia-goggia-shares-health-update\/?utm_source=trending_widget&amp;utm_medium=internal&amp;utm_campaign=trending\" class=\"sb-trending-link\" 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class=\"lazyload\" data-eio-rwidth=\"80\" data-eio-rheight=\"64\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/expanded-excellence-deer-valley-east-village-2-jpg.webp?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"North America&apos;s Newest Ski Village Pushes Towards 2028 Goals\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">4<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">North America&#8217;s Newest Ski Village Pushes Towards 2028 Goals<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"sb-trending-item\">\n                <a 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alt=\"Epic, Ikon and the Shrinking Pipeline of New Skiers\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"80\" height=\"64\" data-eio=\"l\">\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-text\">\n                        <span class=\"sb-trending-num\">5<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sb-trending-right\">\n                            <span class=\"sb-trending-title\">Epic, Ikon and the Shrinking Pipeline of New Skiers<span class=\"sb-trending-arrow\"> \u2192<\/span><\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<p>    .sb-trending-widget {<br \/>\n        background: #f8f8f8;<br \/>\n        border-top: 2px solid #e0e0e0;<br \/>\n        border-left: 4px solid #ea2e49;<br \/>\n        border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;<br \/>\n        margin: 28px 0;<br \/>\n        padding: 14px 14px 6px;<br \/>\n        width: 100%;<br \/>\n        box-sizing: border-box;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n    .sb-trending-header {<br \/>\n        display: flex;<br 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document.addEventListener(&#8216;DOMContentLoaded&#8217;, function() {<br \/>\n        var trendingLinks = document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.sb-trending-link&#8217;);<br \/>\n        trendingLinks.forEach(function(link) {<br \/>\n            link.addEventListener(&#8216;click&#8217;, function(e) {<br \/>\n                e.preventDefault(); \/\/ Prevent immediate navigation<\/p>\n<p>                var title = this.getAttribute(&#8216;data-trending-title&#8217;);<br \/>\n                var position = this.getAttribute(&#8216;data-trending-position&#8217;);<br \/>\n                var url = this.getAttribute(&#8216;href&#8217;);<\/p>\n<p>                \/\/ Fire GA4 event<br \/>\n                if (typeof gtag !== &#8216;undefined&#8217;) {<br \/>\n                    gtag(&#8216;event&#8217;, &#8216;trending_widget_click&#8217;, {<br \/>\n                        &#8216;event_category&#8217;: &#8216;engagement&#8217;,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;event_label&#8217;: title,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;trending_position&#8217;: position,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;trending_item&#8217;: title<br \/>\n                    });<br \/>\n                } else if (window.dataLayer) {<br \/>\n                    \/\/ Fallback for GTM dataLayer if gtag is not available<br \/>\n                    window.dataLayer.push({<br \/>\n                        &#8216;event&#8217;: &#8216;trending_widget_click&#8217;,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;event_category&#8217;: &#8216;engagement&#8217;,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;event_label&#8217;: title,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;trending_position&#8217;: position,<br \/>\n                        &#8216;trending_item&#8217;: title<br \/>\n                    });<br \/>\n                }<\/p>\n<p>                \/\/ Navigate after a brief delay to ensure event is sent<br \/>\n                setTimeout(function() {<br \/>\n                    window.location.href = url;<br \/>\n                }, 100);<br \/>\n            });<br \/>\n        });<br \/>\n    });<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/leelanau-conservancy-seeks-to-revitalize-michigans-abandoned-sugar-loaf-ski-area-for-public-acceiss\/\">Leelanau Conservancy Seeks to Revitalize Michigan\u2019s Abandoned Sugar Loaf Ski Area for Public Access<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Sugar Loaf first opened as a ski resort in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sugarloaftownhouses.org\/?page_id=78\">1947<\/a> as the Sugar Loaf Winter Sports Club.\u00a0<\/strong>It was founded by three Leelanau County locals \u2014 Stanley Ball, Hans Teichner, and Art Huey \u2014 who operated the resort\u2019s tow ropes and warming hut. The resort was later forced to close in 1950 and remained closed until 1962.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When Jim and Pat Ganter purchased the resort in 1962, its transformation began.\u00a0<\/strong>They reopened it as the Sugar Loaf Resort and added a hotel, indoor tennis, a golf course, a 3,500-foot paved airstrip, 72 townhouses, and a wastewater treatment plant. Its upgrades made it a modern ski resort, and the 1970s were the resort\u2019s heyday. Thousands of skiers flocked to the resort each year, enjoying its Lake Michigan views, extensive terrain, and elite lodging offerings. But after the \u201970s passed, the resort was passed from one owner to the next, and it began to decline.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In 1981, the resort was taken over by Empire Bank after high interest rates and poor winter weather forced the Ganters to default on a loan.<\/strong> Later that year, an investment group acquired Sugar Loaf for $ 7.5 million, including the lodge and hotel, one golf course, the airstrip, wastewater treatment plant, and 1,600 acres. The bank reacquired the resort in 1997, but the investment group retained the golf course and the wastewater treatment facility. Remo Polselli purchased the resort later that year, before eventually shutting it down in 2000 due to financial neglect, poor management, and consecutive warm winters that led to mounting debts.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/mount-bohemia-mi-to-open-new-backcountry-terrain\/\">Mount Bohemia, MI, to Open New Backcountry Terrain<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Following the resort\u2019s closure in 2000, it continued to hop from owner to owner.\u00a0<\/strong>Its lodging building, along with all outbuildings and amenities, including all skiing facilities, were torn down between 2021 and 2022. The resort was nearly fully returned to its natural state, with the only thing left standing being the runway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Importantly, the resort had been acquired in 2020 by an LLC called SPV 445, whose owners were anonymous for multiple years. <\/strong>According to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leelanauticker.com\/news\/leelanau-conservancy-takes-ownership-of-sugar-loaf-identifies-long-anonymous-property-donors\/\">The Leelanau Ticker<\/a><\/em>, the LLC turned out to be a subsidiary of the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation. The Ball family has ties to Sugar Loaf that date back to the ski resort\u2019s earliest days and funded the demolition of the resort\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Last summer, the Leelanau Conservancy announced SPV 445\u2019s plan to gift the Sugar Loaf property to the conservancy, under the requirement that it raise $8 million for its plan.\u00a0<\/strong>The Conservancy reached that goal in September, and the ownership was transferred.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation, donors, partners, and supporters, the mountain will now be stewarded for the benefit of the community and the natural environment forever,\u201d the Conservancy wrote.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>With ownership acquired and $8 million raised, the Conservancy transformed the land into a mecca of Michigan\u2019s natural environment. <\/strong>The Conservancy\u2019s plan for the land included:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>A publicly accessible trail network for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.<\/li>\n<li>Universal access features include a universal access loop trail for people with restricted mobility.<\/li>\n<li>A summit pavilion for scenic views.<\/li>\n<li>Family-friendly features include a sledding hill, a nature play area, and an outdoor gathering space.<\/li>\n<li>Ecological restoration to protect native species, reduce erosion, and improve water quality in the Good Harbor Bay Watershed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>With the plan now complete and a grand opening date set, northern Michiganders can celebrate the rebirth of Sugar Loaf as an area full of scenic views, recreation, and conservation. <\/strong>Visitors to the scenic area on October 9 can enjoy the mountain\u2019s views, trails, as well as take the opportunity to chat with staff. Michigan\u2019s fall is in full swing. Soon, the leaves will begin to change, turning the area into a beautiful, painting-like panorama of vibrant color. So, for Michiganders looking for a place to spend a fall day taking in incredible views, the Sugar Loaf Scenic Area\u2019s grand opening could not be a better option.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_366804\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-366804\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-366804 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFWAQMAAADDjL7PAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20KP6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAICvAWw2AAGuqiyBAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"342\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=640%2C342&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=300%2C160&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=1200%2C641&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=768%2C410&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=1536%2C820&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=600%2C320&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-max-width=\"640\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"342\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-366804\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/The_proposed_plan_for_Sugar_Loaf.jpeg?resize=640%2C342&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"342\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-366804\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sugar Loaf plan. | Credit: Leelanau Conservancy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The historic Sugar Loaf Resort in Michigan is now set to reopen as the Sugar Loaf Scenic Area on October 9, 2026. | Credit: Leelanau Conservancy A beloved Michigan resort is finally set to reopen as a public parkland.\u00a0 After years of waiting, the newly refurbished Sugar Loaf Scenic Area in Cedar, Michigan, will finally [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-2170515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2170515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170515\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2170515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2170515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2170515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}