Highlands At Harbor Springs: Interconnect Lift Upgrade

The Highlands at Harbor Springs is a ski resort in Northern Michigan located near Harbor Springs, Michigan owned and operated by Boyne Resorts. It was known as Boyne Highlands until December 2021 when the resort announced the name change.

The new Interconnect triple lift will significantly improve the guest experience by providing better accessibility to the North Peak region's intermediate, family-friendly terrain. With a faster ascent and increased capacity, riders will spend a third less time on the lift, allowing them to maximize their skiing and riding experience among the northern end's 14 runs. The new lift also comes with RFID gates that provide direct-to-lift access, and a child- and adaptive-friendly height-adjustable loading carpet. The chairs feature bench-style seating, safety bars, and footrests to ensure added comfort for riders of all ages.

“We are eager to upgrade our Interconnect lift with a new Doppelmayr fixed-grip design to enhance the experience for guests next winter season,” said Mike Chumbler, president and general manager of The Highlands. "With improved speed, efficiency, modern conveniences, and safety features, we are confident that this addition will help build on the overall skiing and riding adventures at The Highlands."

Harbor Highlands ski resort opened in 1955 with one slope and a single rope tow. Other runs and a lodge were added in following seasons, but the resort did not succeed financially and had to close. The resort was purchased by Boyne in the early 1960s, along with an adjoining 2900 acres to the north. It opened as Boyne Highlands in 1963 with two three-person chairlifts, the first triple chairlifts in the world. The current high-speed detachable quad chairlift was installed in 1990. In 1995, the resort expanded in to the North Peak area.[3][4]