A ski resort that sat abandoned for a quarter-century on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula is finally getting new life — just not as a ski resort. Sugar Loaf, which shut its lifts for good in 2000, is being reshaped into a roughly 285-acre public recreation park after the Leelanau Conservancy hit an $8 million fundraising goal for the project.
A Community Effort Years in the Making
The transformation has been in the works for years, and plans for Sugar Loaf's future do not include reopening it as a traditional ski resort. Instead, the conservancy set out to raise $8 million to buy and develop the long-abandoned property, and as reported by Yahoo, more than 1,000 public donors contributed toward that goal. The site sits between Lime Lake and Little Traverse Lake on the Leelanau Peninsula, often described as the pinkie finger of Michigan's mitten, per the same account.
The fundraising threshold was reached before the deadline, clearing the way for the property to change hands. Per a report from schaubteam.com, SPV 45 LLC — the private ownership group that acquired Sugar Loaf in 2020 — had offered to gift the property to the conservancy once a development plan was in place and the necessary funds were secured. A separate account from glenarborsun.com states that Jeff Katofsky acquired Sugar Loaf back in 2016, so the exact ownership timeline is not fully settled across available reporting.
What's Planned for the 285 Acres
The acquisition covers approximately 285 acres, and the vision for the land looks nothing like the old downhill operation. The proposed park includes bike and pedestrian trails, an ascent stepway, pavilions, viewing benches, a nature play area, a sledding hill and a demonstration garden, the Yahoo report notes. A separate account from Yahoo Finance describes a publicly accessible trail network built for hiking, biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, along with a summit pavilion and family-friendly features.
That framing marks a sharp departure from an earlier proposal. A 2020 redevelopment application, detailed by glenarborsun.com, had floated a roughly 250-room hotel along with limited downhill skiing, pools, tennis courts, hiking trails and equestrian facilities. The newer plan described by schaubteam.com explicitly states the site will not reopen as a traditional ski resort, instead becoming a year-round public park, according to taylorbrownrealtor.com.
When Will the Public Get In?
Exactly when visitors will be able to walk the property remains unclear, with different reports pointing to different timelines. Yahoo reported that Sugar Loaf is slated to open in the spring of 2026, while taylorbrownrealtor.com reported that portions of the property could potentially reopen to the public before the end of 2026, with phased public access expected to continue through 2027. For now, schaubteam.com notes that the property remains closed to the public while fundraising and planning continue.
One point of agreement across accounts: the Leelanau Conservancy closed on the former Sugar Loaf Resort property in March following the $8 million campaign, according to taylorbrownrealtor.com. That milestone appears to be fueling ripple effects beyond the park's boundaries. The same report notes that Cedar's median home price sits around $320,000, compared with roughly $715,000 across Leelanau County, and that Cedar land listings that would have lingered on the market in 2024 are now moving faster, with builder interest picking up for smaller infill lots inside the village.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Ski Area Revivals
Sugar Loaf's second act echoes other long-dormant ski areas with plans for a new purpose elsewhere in North America. A listing on liftblog.com notes that one of North America's largest lost ski areas could reopen under a plan submitted to the Province of Alberta. For Leelanau County residents who watched Sugar Loaf sit idle for 26 years, the conservancy's fundraising success marks the clearest sign yet that the property's second chapter is finally underway.
