Sugar Loaf Scenic Area, a former ski resort in Leelanau County, is making its debut as a public nature preserve over 25 years after its closing.
A grand opening event for the area will be held on Friday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. hosted by the Leelanau Conservancy, the new owners that raised $8 million to reopen Sugar Loaf.
With the reestablishment of Sugar Loaf, there will be some changes. Leelanau Conservancy said that although the original downhill skiing will not be available upon reopening, areas for hiking, biking, sledding, and snowshoeing among other activities will be open to the public.
Leelanau Conservancy Executive Director Tom Nelson said that while they were preparing Sugar Loaf for its reopening, they had a goal of making the area a place where people can better understand nature.
“It’s absolutely critical that people have access to nature and these beautiful spaces because for folks to protect them… they need to be able to touch it, see it, and experience it,” he said.
Leelanau Conservancy’s efforts to bring Sugar Loaf back began in 2024 when they started raising money to reimage the property. Then, the land was donated to the conservancy in 2025 by SPV 45 LLC, the previous owners who choose to remain anonymous.
Following the donation, the conservancy continued to fundraise and eventually reached their $8 million goal in September of 2025.
Nelson said that the support from the community has kept interest in Sugar Loaf alive for over two decades, and that it was crucial to the conservancy’s efforts to make it something new.
“We witnessed a whole community rally around something they love to get behind it and make a dream come true that looked like it might never happen,” he said. “We hope that it is a powerful example that communities can come together and find a way to make amazing things happen.”
The reopening has been a long time coming for the residents of Leelanau County, who saw Sugar Loaf close in 2000 due to financial issues and have watched multiple attempts to bring the resort back fail.
More than 1,000 people have registered for the grand opening event, which will be an open house where guests can explore the new property.
