Michigan's Former Ski Hill Is Now A Year-Round Playground With One Of The State's Most Stunning Views
Michigan is home to many unique attractions, from Hell, Michigan, known for its devilish name, to the "Keweenaw vortex," the Upper Peninsula's own "Area 51." In Northern Michigan's Boyne City, a former ski hill has been transformed into a recreation area with one of the state's most stunning views.
As Michigan news site MLive recounts, the land that is now Avalanche Preserve Recreation Area was designed as a park for winter sports in 1948, featuring a steep ski hill as well as more gentle slopes. After changing hands several times, it was purchased by Everett Kircher, who also founded the nearby Boyne Mountain ski resort. In 1977, Kircher deeded the land to the city's Nature Conservancy with one big condition: No downhill skiing allowed (after all, that would make it a competitor with Boyne Mountain ski resort).
With a population of under 4,000 people, Boyne City is an underrated city with an award-winning Main Street and friendly lakeside charm. Avalanche Preserve Recreation Area is part of what makes it so unique.
What to do at Avalanche Preserve Recreation Area
The 300-plus-acre recreation area offers several activities, but it's perhaps best known for its former ski hill-turned-observation point. The hill now features over 400 steps (either 437 or 462, depending on how you count them) to the top, where visitors can enjoy stunning panoramic views of Lake Charlevoix. There are several benches placed along the staircase if you need a break on your way up. "I visit Avalanche every time I come home to Boyne City. The stair climb is worth every step when you get to the top and see the gorgeous blue water of Lake Charlevoix," writes one TripAdvisor reviewer, adding that the recreation area is "Northern Michigan splendor at its finest."
Along with the hill, the recreation area offers opportunities for trails for hiking and biking, as well as a disc golf course and archery range. In the winter months, ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling are popular. One Google reviewer calls it "A Pure Michigan Classic."