Leelanau Conservancy reaches $8 million goal to protect Sugar Loaf
Iconic property hosted popular ski resort 25 years ago
UPDATE, Sept. 26: “We’ve officially reached our $8 million fundraising goal to protect and restore Sugar Loaf!” Leelanau Conservancy executive director Tom Nelson announced today, prior to the Conservancy’s annual Harvest event. Nelson said that more than 1,100 individuals have donated to the campaign, which went public in July.
“This achievement is nothing short of historic,” said Nelson. “And it belongs to all of us. Overwhelming community support has made it possible to reach our $8M goal. We’re thrilled with the support and excitement.”
The Conservancy will continue to welcome donations for Sugar Loaf.
The 285-acre property in the heart of Leelanau County which 25 years ago hosted a popular ski resort will remain closed for now as the Conservancy finalizes the ownership transfer and other necessary processes.
“We anticipate beginning our restoration and recreation efforts in Spring 2026,” said Nelson.
ORIGINAL STORY:
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
Image provided by the Conservancy shows its proposed plan for Sugar Loaf
“French toast.” That was the codename that Leelanau Conservancy executive director Tom Nelson created for the top-secret project, 3.5 years in the making, to acquire Sugar Loaf, and turn the County’s once popular ski resort into a community gathering place.
The Conservancy publicly announced in an email on July 17 that it has the chance to permanently protect the hill and 285-acre property in the heart of Leelanau County and bring this cherished location back to life for the first time in a quarter century. The Conservancy still needs to raise $1.5 million by the end of this year to complete the acquisition.
Once a popular ski resort that brought families together for generations—and once the largest employer in the County—Sugar Loaf has remained closed since 2000, as a rotating door of colorful characters, criminals and real estate moguls promised northern Michiganders they would return the ski hill to its glory days.
“It’s a minor miracle that the news didn’t get out ahead of time,” Nelson told the Sun. About 30 people on the Conservancy’s staff and board of directors kept the project under wraps as they worked under a legal nondisclosure agreement.
“We knew that there was always a risk of inadvertently spilling the project externally. So early on I created a codename for the property just in case there was a conversation going on, and a visitor to the office was right outside the door.
“We were so faithful to using the codename ‘French Toast,’ that saying the words ‘Sugar Loaf’ now feels kind of naughty,” Nelson chuckled.
The Conservancy reported at a donor event two weeks ago, and to the public that evening, that it has raised more than $6 million during a “quiet phase” and seeks another $1.5 million in donations by the end of 2025 to permanently acquire Sugar Loaf, implement an ecological restoration plan, and make it a community gathering place. This twist represents a remarkable rebirth for Sugar Loaf, which has long been the subject of mystery and wild speculation over its ownership and fate.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore a place that holds deep meaning for so many,” said Nelson. “We envision Sugar Loaf as a place where people of all ages and abilities can hike, bike, cross-country ski, play, and reconnect with nature—where conservation and community come together on the mountaintop.”
The news arrived with a bang.
“People are elated,” said Nelson. “So many people have told us they are relieved, excited, and thrilled that this iconic landscape of northern Michigan is going to have a new chapter.”
Since the July 17 announcement, the Conservancy has hauled in more than 230 new monetary donations, totaling $100.000.
“We’ve gotten questions for many years about Sugar Loaf. When the opportunity arose, we jumped at it.”
Albeit with codewords in place.
The identity of the property’s current owner is unknown. The anonymous landowner, identified as a corporation called SPV 45 LLC, and registered in Delaware, acquired the property in 2020 and funded the clean-up of the derelict hotel and abandoned chairlifts and ski hill infrastructure.
According to Nelson, not long after that purchase, the owner’s representative, Leland resident Ross Satterwhite, reached out to the Leelanau Conservancy and invited it to craft a vision for the property that blended conservation, recreation, and environmental stewardship.
“We spent the next year and a half digging into those details and exploring what could be feasible for the site. As those detailed, robust plans came together, the landowner did something truly extraordinary—he generously offered to gift Sugar Loaf to the Conservancy.”
The Conservancy reports that, once the fundraising goal is met, the present owner will donate ownership of approximately 285 acres to the nonprofit, securing its protection and public access forever. The landowner will retain ownership of the currently closed airfield.
“We’ve established a strong, trusting relationship with this landowner,” Nelson added. “They’re not doing it for the notoriety. They’re doing it to do the right thing by the land and the community.”
The Conservancy’s vision for the new Sugar Loaf includes: a publicly accessible trail network for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing; universal access features, including a universal access loop trail for people with restricted mobility; a summit pavilion for scenic views; family-friendly features such as a sledding hill, nature play area, and outdoor gathering space; and ecological restoration to protect native species, reduce erosion, and improve water quality in the Good Harbor Bay Watershed.
“Ownership feels this land should belong to the community. Its goal has always been to see Sugar Loaf preserved and reopened to the public, not developed,” said Satterwhite, who has represented the owners throughout the process. “By placing it in the capable hands of the Leelanau Conservancy, and through the support of its members and the community at large, ownership can ensure that future generations will enjoy Sugar Loaf’s recreation and cherish its views forever. It is an incredibly generous gift to the Conservancy and community.”
Funds will go towards stewardship, trail construction, restoration, and infrastructure to welcome the public back to Sugar Loaf. For now, the property remains closed to public access until the funding goal is met, and the property finds its final home with the Leelanau Conservancy.
The Conservancy asks the public to help raise the necessary funds to secure the donation and bring the vision to life. So far, $6.5 million has been raised; $1.5 million is needed to complete fundraising. Every contribution brings the community one step closer to protecting Sugar Loaf. More than a memory, Sugar Loaf will be a living legacy of conservation and recreation for everyone, forever.
Nelson said the Conservancy expects to take legal ownership of Sugar Loaf early in 2026. He hopes that next summer people can park and walk up to the summit.
The Conservancy has scheduled two community information sessions for the public: Wednesday, July 30, at 6 p.m. at Solon Township Hall, and Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 6 p.m. at Glen Arbor Township Hall.
“We’re interested in hearing the community’s reaction to the vision,” said Nelson. “We put a lot of time and effort into the plans. We want to share more details than we could in an article or a press release. We also want to share the timeline for getting it open to the public.”
