Boyne Highlands

What Boyne Highlands does

The Highlands at Harbor Springs (formerly Boyne Highlands) operates a privately held, four-season mountain resort in Harbor Springs, Michigan, owned by Boyne USA, Inc. (d/b/a Boyne Resorts). Founded in 1963 by Everett Kircher, the resort spans 435 acres of skiable terrain across 55 trails and 8 lifts (transporting 17,800 skiers per hour), with a 552-foot vertical drop — the highest in Michigan's Lower Peninsula — and 93% snowmaking coverage backed by patented proprietary Boyne Snowmaker / Low-E Fan Gun technology that reduces energy consumption by 40%. Summer operations extend the asset base through four championship golf courses (Arthur Hills, Donald Ross Memorial, The Heather, The Moor) plus the 2025-launched Doon Brae par-3 short course, a 30-bay TrackMan-equipped golf range, Michigan's first lift-served mountain bike park with 22 miles of trails, plus zip-lining, horseback riding, 35 km of Nordic trails, and 3.5 km of snowshoe trails.

The business operates a multi-revenue-stream model combining lift tickets and tiered season passes (Silver, Classic, SnowFlex), lodging across 89 renovated Main Lodge rooms, Heather Highlands Inn, and cottage inventory, four-season F&B, ski/golf school and equipment rentals, the BoyneRewards loyalty program spanning 20+ Boyne Resorts properties, and real estate transactions through a long-standing exclusive brokerage relationship with Graham Real Estate. Distribution is omnichannel-direct via owned e-commerce, mobile app (Spotlio-powered), and centralized reservations, supplemented by simultaneous participation in all three major multi-resort pass networks: Ikon Pass (Alterra), Epic Pass (Vail Resorts), and Indy Pass — a trilateral arrangement uncommon among independent resorts. Major capital partners include American Express (Official Payment Card), Coca-Cola (Official Beverage), Helly Hansen (Official Winter Uniform), and GoPro (Official Camera). Customer segments span outdoor-recreation families (primary), affluent second-home buyers via Graham Real Estate, and corporate/wedding groups, with no disclosed corporate-anchor customers or enterprise contracts.

Technology investment has been sustained and capital-intensive across 2020-2025: Main Lodge rebuild (2020), RFID direct-to-lift access (2021), TrackMan Range (2021), The Highlands rebrand (2022), Camelot 6 high-speed bubble chairlift — Midwest's first and fastest 6-person Doppelmayr D-Line (2023), Interconnect triple chair (2024), and Doon Brae par-3 (2025). The resort is privately held, generates no publicly disclosed revenue, and operates with no AI/ML capabilities visible in the source material.

Name

Boyne Highlands

Legal name

Boyne USA, Inc.

Website

https://highlandsharborsprings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Boyne Highlands, operating as The Highlands at Harbor Springs, is a privately held, four-season mountain resort in northern Michigan offering skiing, championship golf, lodging, dining, mountain biking, and real estate under the Boyne Resorts family brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski and Golf Resort / Four-Season Mountain Resort Hospitality

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (713920), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities) (THAAAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ski & Mountain Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAJ), Mountain & Ski Homes (THAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Golf resort services
• Mountain lodging hospitality
• Winter sports recreation
• Outdoor adventure resort

Headquarters

HQ city

Harbor Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lift Tickets and Season Passes: Primary revenue from ski/ride lift tickets (single-day and multi-day) and season passes (Classic, Gold, Silver, Bronze, NoMi, NoMi+ tiers). The Boyne Michigan Pass provides multi-resort access across Boyne Michigan properties.
2. Lodging: On-site lodging accommodations including Main Lodge (newly renovated 89 rooms), Heather Highlands Inn (condo-hotel), cottages, and private real estate properties. Revenue from nightly and multi-night stays for families, couples, and groups.
3. Golf Operations: Revenue from four championship golf courses (Arthur Hills, Donald Ross Memorial, The Heather, The Moor) and Doon Brae par-3 short course. Tee time bookings, golf memberships, and the Boyne Golf Academy with TrackMan Range.
4. Bike Park and Summer Activities: Michigan's first lift-served mountain bike park with 22 miles of trails and lift-served laps. Additional summer activities including zipline tours, horseback riding, hiking, and scenic chairlift rides.
5. Dining and F&B: Resort restaurants and dining venues including Food Market, Slopeside Lounge, The 19th Hole, and catering for events. Dining is offered as both casual and semi-casual resort dining.
6. Ski and Snowboard School: Lessons, equipment rentals, seasonal programs, tuning services, and childcare programs.
7. Real Estate Sales: Graham Real Estate serves as the exclusive real estate broker for The Highlands, selling ski-in/ski-out and golf course properties ranging from one-bedroom condo-hotel units to single-family luxury homes.
8. BoyneRewards Loyalty Program: Members earn one point per dollar on qualifying purchases and redeem points for dining, activities, lodging, lift tickets, season passes, bike park products, rentals, lessons, and tuning. Drives customer retention and repeat spending across all Boyne Resorts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Highlands at Harbor Springs operates a four-season mountain resort in northern Michigan offering downhill skiing and snowboarding on 435 acres with 55 trails, four championship golf courses plus a par-3 short course, lift-served mountain biking, lodging (Main Lodge, Heather Highlands Inn, cottages), multiple dining venues, ski/golf lessons, equipment rentals, spa services, adventure sports, and year-round events. The resort runs its own e-commerce platform, mobile app, and the BoyneRewards loyalty program spanning 20+ Boyne Resorts properties, and also distributes through Ikon Pass, Epic Pass, and Indy Pass multi-resort networks.

Product overview

The Highlands (formerly Boyne Highlands) is a four-season resort offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around skiing/snowboarding, golf, lodging, and outdoor recreation. The resort operates a unified platform of core offerings including 55 ski runs with 8 lifts across 435 acres, four championship golf courses plus a par-3 short course, multiple lodging properties (Main Lodge, Heather Highlands Inn, cottages), and diverse dining options. Supporting services include the BoyneRewards loyalty program (earn/redeem points across all Boyne Resorts), The Highlands Mobile App (developed with Spotlio for real-time resort navigation and geolocation tracking), season passes (Silver, Classic, SnowFlex), lift tickets with various discount programs, ski/golf lessons and equipment rentals, a full-service spa, adventure sports (ziplines, horseback riding, hiking), and real estate opportunities. The resort also hosts year-round events programming from winter concerts and vintage ski races to summer celebrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BoyneRewards: Loyalty program allowing members to earn points on purchases at Boyne Resort properties across the country. Members earn one point per dollar spent on qualifying purchases.
• Boyne Forever Foundation

Products and services

• Skiing & Snowboarding Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 inches average annual snowfall with 93% snowmaking coverage ensures reliable skiing
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American ExpresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Express is the Official Payment Card Partner of The Highlands. Accepting American Express cards provides customers with a preferred payment option at the resort's point-of-sale and online checkout.
• Coca-ColacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoca-Cola is the Official Beverage Partner of Boyne Resorts. Coca-Cola provides a complete lineup of beverages across all Boyne Resorts, keeping guests refreshed on the slopes and throughout the resort properties.
• Helly HansencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHelly Hansen is the Official Winter Uniform Partner for Boyne Resort employees. Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen develops professional-grade outdoor apparel and has been a leader in technical sailing, performance ski apparel, and workwear.
• GoProminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoPro is the Official Camera Partner of The Highlands. The partnership enables guests to capture and share their resort experiences using GoPro cameras.
• Red BullminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRed Bull is a sponsor of The Highlands. Red Bull provides energy and engagement support for resort events and activities.
• Alterra (Ikon Pass)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Highlands accepts the Ikon Pass (offered by Alterra Mountain Company) for lift access. Ikon Pass holders can ski The Highlands as part of their multi-resort pass benefits.
• Epic PasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Highlands accepts the Epic Pass (offered by Vail Resorts) for lift access. Epic Pass holders can use their pass at The Highlands as part of the pass benefits.
• Indy PasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Highlands accepts the Indy Pass for lift access. The Indy Pass provides independent ski resorts with a multi-resort alternative to major pass networks.
• Graham Real EstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGraham Real Estate is the exclusive real estate broker for The Highlands. With a relationship spanning over 50 years, Graham Real Estate specializes in resort properties at The Highlands, offering ski-in/ski-out and golf course properties. Agents Connie O'Neill and Jennifer Miller are the dedicated resort real estate experts.
• Boyne Forever FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoyne Forever Foundation (BFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing environmental stewardship, community vitality, and team member support across all Boyne destinations. The Highlands partners with BFF for charitable giving, in-kind donations, and the annual grant cycle (June 1–30). Mitten Love tickets donate $2 per ticket to BFF.
• SpotliocoreTechnology or IntegrationSpotlio powers The Highlands mobile app with real-time lift/run status, GPS trail maps, weather conditions, push notifications, run tracking, and emergency services contact. Spotlio's geolocation technology is used for on-mountain wayfinding and optional geofenced marketing (requires opt-in).
• AffirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffirm provides buy-now-pay-later flexible payment plans for season pass purchases, allowing customers to lock in winter plans and pay over time.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vail Resorts: Largest U.S. ski resort operator (Vail, Park City, Beaver Creek, etc.) and parent of Mt. Brighton. Sets the multi-pass economic model that The Highlands opts into, and represents the dominant broad incumbent in North American mountain resort operations.

Direct peers

• Mt. Brighton: Michigan ski resort owned and operated by Vail Resorts. Smaller in scale but competes directly in the Michigan ski market with similar lift-served terrain, snowmaking, and lesson programs.
• Big Sky Resort: Sister Boyne Resorts property in Montana. Comparable four-season resort model (ski/golf/lodging/dining) sharing BoyneRewards membership, but at significantly larger destination scale.
• Loon Mountain: Sister Boyne Resorts property in Lincoln, New Hampshire. Compares on four-season operations, lodging, snowmaking, and loyalty integration - serving the New England market under the same parent.
• Boyne Mountain: Sister property within Boyne Resorts located in Boyne Falls, Michigan. Operates an almost-identical four-season ski, golf, lodging, dining, and activities model and shares the BoyneRewards loyalty ecosystem. Most directly comparable peer to The Highlands.
• Nub's Nob: Independent ski resort also located in the Harbor Springs/Petoskey area of Northern Michigan. Competes directly for the same local skier base and weekend destination visits.
• Crystal Mountain: Michigan ski, golf, and lodging resort in Thompsonville. Offers a comparable four-season Midwest resort experience with similar lodging, golf, and winter sports offerings - direct regional competitor.
• Shanty Creek Resorts: Michigan four-season resort in Bellaire offering skiing, multiple golf courses, lodging, and dining. Directly comparable Midwest ski/golf/lodging operation competing for the same regional travel market.

Regional players

• Lutsen Mountains: Minnesota ski resort on Lake Superior. Comparable Midwest ski operation with similar weather exposure and regional travel market - smaller in scale but analogous business model.
• Granite Peak Ski Area: Wisconsin ski area in Wausau. Comparable Midwest ski operation at similar mid-market scale, competing for upper-Midwest regional ski demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@highlandsharborsprings
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighlandsHarborSprings
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandsharborsprings
• TikToktiktok.com/@highlands_harborsprings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boyne-highlands-resort

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boyne Highlands