Traverse City's Hickory Hills: Hidden Gem or Prime Land for Development?
Discover hidden trails, new amenities, and year-round fun at Traverse City's Hickory Hills
The Hickory Hills Recreation Area in Traverse City, MI faces mounting challenges as it remains one of the city’s most beloved outdoor spaces.
Operational costs are up, infrastructure needs are pressing, and unpredictable weather keeps management guessing every year.
Even with recent upgrades funded by generous local support, keeping this gem open and vibrant has proved difficult for the city’s parks and recreation traverse city team.
This week, city officials turned a corner by unanimously agreeing to bring in North Country Alpine Services to run the park for the upcoming season.
This is a significant move away from traditional management, creating hope for fresh programming and increased financial stability.
The city will keep full ownership of Hickory Hills, with the outside team handling snowmaking, staffing, and seasonal operations for skiing traverse city mi and more.
Locals hope this partnership boosts special events, expands tubing, and finally brings modern upgrades to the area.
Hickory’s advisory committee welcomed the plan, emphasizing that just maintaining the status quo simply isn’t enough anymore.
Ultimately, the goal is to make Hickory Hills a four-season destination for families, visitors, and the full Traverse City community. |
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73 Comments
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Love that Hickory will keep four seasons going soon. Big win.
We go to Hickory year-round. Great spot, deserves better support!
Hope there’s a way to get more school groups involved.
Wonder what new jobs this means for locals. Any word on hiring?
Thank you to everyone keeping this tiny gem alive every year.
I hope the advisory committee actually listens to feedback from the public.
The lodge could use a big facelift, honestly.
Need more restrooms, please! That’s the only thing keeping me from staying longer.
Infrastructure upgrades are a must. Those lifts are ancient!
Upgrades sound expensive, glad there was local funding backing it.
Does this mean longer hours for the hill? That’d be awesome.
Could we get a fall festival at Hickory? Those hills would look amazing.
Exciting to see local support making a difference. Traverse rocks.
Hickory is where my daughter learned to ski, hope it stays family friendly!
Just hoping the city keeps an eye on things. No shortcuts!
Not a fan of outsourcing, but open to see what happens.
Hope this makes the area more accessible for everyone, not just skiers.
Weather keeps getting weirder every winter, can't blame them for changing things up.
Ski patrol folks are always great. Hope they stick around.
I remember when the rope tows were all they had! Wild to see how far it's come.
Please tell me the disc golf course isn’t going anywhere.
The article notes that the city will retain full ownership and aims to make Hickory Hills a year-round destination, so maintaining popular features like the disc golf course will remain a priority.
Will North Country Alpine keep affordable passes? That matters most to locals.
Curious what ‘fresh programming’ actually means. More lessons?
Great question—'fresh programming' could include expanded lesson offerings, new events, and activities designed to engage more community members throughout the entire year.
Hoping for more adaptive sports programs, feels like Hickory could do better there.
Can’t imagine Traverse City without Hickory Hills. Glad it’s here to stay!
Tanya BuehlerI feel the same way! Our winters wouldn’t be the same without it. Glad the city is making sure it sticks around for future generations.
It’s such a community spot, really rooting for this to work.
Wish Hickory stayed less crowded but understand the growth.
The parking lot is a disaster in peak season. Please address that too!
About time city got some help. Hickory deserves better upkeep.
Not a skier, but I walk my dog there all year. Keep the dog-friendly areas!
Let’s just hope for more snow this year, no matter who runs it!
I think the upgrades are overdue. Glad something’s changing!
I hope staff get better support with this change. They work so hard!
My kids need summer camps close to home, and Hickory would be perfect!
Any talk about summer concerts? Would be amazing up there.
There's strong enthusiasm for new uses in every season, and while specific summer concerts haven't been announced yet, increasing special events is definitely part of the long-term vision.
Wonder if this will finally bring summer concerts to Hickory.
Just don’t make it too fancy or we’ll lose the old charm.
Hope they keep the trails open longer! Cross-country is my favorite.
Bring on the upgrades! Can’t wait to see what’s new this season.
Always wished Hickory Hills had better food options, maybe now they will?
Can we please get better parking? Always chaos out there!
Glad they're not selling it off. Too many local parks getting privatized.
Hope this keeps the sled hill going strong. Best part of winter!
What does this mean for the regular staff? I hope they keep the same friendly faces.
Does anyone know if the mountain bike trails will still stay open all summer?
Used to ski there when I was a kid, happy to see they’re trying to keep it going.
Skeptical about outsiders running things, but willing to see how it goes.
Curious what kind of programming North Country Alpine will bring in. Hoping for more beginner classes.
My grandkids love Hickory year round. Great news for families!
Every season I wish they’d do something with mountain biking. Fingers crossed for that.
Every time I go it seems busier. More events could be fun!
Snowmaking really needed with all this weird weather lately. Big yes from me.
Can we get more snacks in the lodge too?
YES to more special events! Last year’s bonfire night was so much fun.
Let’s keep it local. Hope this outside group really listens.
Glad the city keeps ownership. That place is a Traverse City icon.
I remember learning to ski here as a kid. Glad it’s still a Traverse City staple.
Thank you for sharing your memories—Hickory Hills truly is part of Traverse City’s story, and the new partnership aims to keep it thriving for future generations.
Hope prices don’t go up too much now. We love going as a family.
Good move. If it keeps Hickory open, I’m all for it.
I just want them to finally fix the old lifts, fingers crossed!
Long overdue for some upgrades. Bathrooms pls!
Four-season park sounds cool. We need more spring and fall stuff!
Wonder if they’ll raise prices? Skiing already isn’t cheap in TC.
Tubing expansion would be awesome, my kids always want more options.
Hope this means more tubing! The kids love it out there.
Not sure how I feel about an outside group running things, but maybe fresh ideas are good.
Glad to see new ideas coming. Hickory is such a classic spot!
I love Hickory in the winter! Hoping they can add a better sledding hill next.