The Highlands at Harbor Springs

The Highlands at Harbor Springs is located in northern Michigan, near Harbor Springs, and is operated by Boyne Resorts. This is a classic "Midwest resort" with a lot of local ski culture, good infrastructure and a setup that works just as well for families as for those who want to grind the piste all day.

The resort was previously called Boyne Highlands, but changed its name in December 2021. The story is pretty funny: when the area opened in 1955, it was basically a hill and a rope pull, and the business was slow until Boyne took over in the early 60s. When the Boyne Highlands reopened in 1963, it did so with two three-seater lifts – the first triple-seater lifts in the world – which says something about how early they invested in lift capacity.

Since then, the mountain has been expanded in stages. The Heather lift, a fast four-chair lift, was introduced back in 1990, and in 1995 it expanded into the North Peak area. Most recently, the lift system has been significantly modernized again, including a fast six-seater lift that was installed in 2023 and replaced several older triple lifts. The result is a ski area that still feels genuinely "Michigan", but with better flow in logistics than many other resorts in the region.