Protect Potters Point: Help Secure a Great Lakes Legacy

Photo courtesy Sarah Harding, Real Broker, LLC

Along the shores of Lake Huron, there are still places where the landscape looks much as it did hundreds of years ago. Potters Point, located just north of Alpena along Misery Bay, is one of those rare places.

With nearly 8,000 feet of undeveloped shoreline, coastal wetlands, dense forests and sweeping views of Lake Huron, this 41-acre property represents one of Northeast Michigan's most significant remaining opportunities for permanent conservation. Today, Huron Pines is leading a community campaign to protect Potters Point and ensure this remarkable stretch of Great Lakes coastline remains intact for generations to come.

A Rare Opportunity Along Lake Huron

Potters Point is more than a scenic destination, it's an ecologically important landscape that supports the health of Lake Huron and the wildlife that depends on it.

The property contains a rare combination of coastal wetlands, fens and mature forests that provide habitat for species found in few other places throughout the Great Lakes region. Rare plants, including Michigan's state wildflower, the dwarf lake iris, and the ram's head lady's-slipper orchid, thrive here. The property also lies along a major migratory bird corridor, offering critical resting habitat for birds traveling hundreds of miles each spring and fall.

Protecting Potters Point would also complete a nearly continuous ring of conserved land surrounding Misery Bay, helping preserve one of the most intact coastal ecosystems remaining along Lake Huron. Healthy coastal habitats like these improve water quality, support biodiversity, increase climate resilience and provide benefits that extend well beyond the property's boundaries.

Photo courtesy Sarah Harding, Real Broker, LLC

Connecting People to Lake Huron

Protecting natural places also creates opportunities for people to experience and appreciate the Great Lakes.

If permanently protected, Potters Point will become a public nature preserve where visitors can explore one of Northern Michigan's most beautiful shorelines through low-impact recreation and educational opportunities. Whether paddling the quiet waters of Misery Bay, watching migrating birds, photographing native wildflowers or simply enjoying the shoreline, visitors will have the chance to connect with Lake Huron in a meaningful way while the property's sensitive habitats are carefully stewarded for the future.

A Community Effort to Protect the Great Lakes

For more than 50 years, Huron Pines has partnered with communities across Northern Michigan to protect natural resources that benefit wildlife, water quality and people. Potters Point is the latest example of how collaboration can create lasting conservation outcomes.

The campaign has already raised more than $1.3 million toward its $1.52 million goal to acquire and permanently protect the property. Every contribution helps move the project one step closer to becoming a reality.

Opportunities to conserve an undeveloped stretch of Lake Huron shoreline of this size and ecological importance are increasingly rare. Once protected, Potters Point will become part of a growing network of conserved lands that safeguard the health of the Lake Huron watershed while providing lasting benefits for local communities and future generations.

Learn More

Lake Huron is one of the defining features of Northeast Michigan, and protecting places like Potters Point helps ensure its shoreline, wildlife and waters remain healthy for generations to come.

To learn more about the Potters Point campaign or to support Huron Pines' efforts to permanently protect this remarkable property, visit Huron Pines' campaign page and discover how you can help protect this Great Lakes treasure.