For more than 50 years, Huron Pines has worked to protect the land, water and wild places that make Northern Michigan special. Today, we’re asking for your help to protect Potters Point before this rare opportunity is lost.
Along the Lake Huron shoreline are some of the most beautiful and important natural areas anywhere, and Potters Point is one of them. By protecting this land forever, we can help keep Misery Bay and the surrounding area between Alpena and Presque Isle clean, healthy and full of life. That means better water quality, more wildlife and a place for families to explore and enjoy for generations.
With a community campaign now underway to raise $1.52 million for permanent protection, we are encouraged by the strong early support this project has already received. But, projects like this depend on people who care about Northeast Michigan as much as you do. Your gift will help ensure Potters Point is protected forever.
I invite you to learn more about Potters Point and to consider making a gift to help protect it. Together, we can protect this special place and enjoy it for years to come.
Brad Jensen Executive Director
An aerial view of Potters Point, surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Huron.
About Huron Pines
Huron Pines is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting Northern Michigan’s natural resources for the benefit of wildlife, water quality and people. Since 1973, we have worked alongside community and conservation partners across Northeast Michigan to achieve lasting results.
This legacy of conservation does more than benefit the environment — it improves quality of life, strengthens local economies and fosters deep pride in the places we call home. Our work spans three core areas: protecting land and critical habitats, restoring waterways and building community. With offices in Gaylord and Alpena, we serve all of Northeast Michigan and the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Our approach is rooted in relationships and collaboration. We bring together scientific expertise, local knowledge and diverse perspectives to solve complex conservation challenges and achieve enduring results. Whether reconnecting rivers, conserving sensitive ecosystems or helping communities build a more resilient future, we show up as trusted partners and hands-on problem solvers.
Photo courtesy Sarah Harding, Real Broker, LLC
Potters Point
Thunder Bay
Potters Point is a 41-acre property just north of Alpena with nearly 8,000 feet of undeveloped Lake Huron shoreline and ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. It is one of the last places along Lake Huron where coastal wetlands, fens and dense forests exist together largely undisturbed — making it one of the most ecologically significant parcels in Northeast Michigan. Protecting it would open one of the most scenic stretches of coastline in Northern Michigan to the public forever. The property’s easy roadside access makes it a natural entry point to Misery Bay, an ideal destination for paddling, bird watching and enjoying the Lake Huron shoreline. As a permanently protected nature preserve, Potters Point will be carefully stewarded to balance public enjoyment with the health of the ecosystem, offering low-impact recreation and guided educational experiences for all to enjoy. Securing this property would also complete a connected ring of protected land around nearly the entire bay, making it one of the most intact Great Lakes coastal systems in the region.
The rare combination of habitats supports an extraordinary range of native plants, including the dwarf lake iris, Michigan’s state wildflower, and the ram’s head lady’s-slipper, one of North America’s rarest orchids. The property also sits along a major migratory flyway, offering critical resting ground for birds traveling hundreds of miles each spring and fall. Nearly 100 bird species were recorded in a single day at North Point Nature Preserve, a Huron Pines property just down the coastline.
Alpena
A view east toward the open waters of Misery Bay.
Photo courtesy Sarah Harding, Real Broker, LLC
With your support, we can:
• Protect 41 acres of Lake Huron shoreline forever — including 7,800 feet of undeveloped coast.
• Create a new public nature preserve along one of Northern Michigan’s most beautiful coastlines.
• Safeguard critical habitat for rare plants and thousands of migratory birds.
• Keep Misery Bay connected, strengthening a larger landscape of protected lands.
• Provide a place to explore, learn and connect with nature.
There are moments in conservation when everything aligns — when an irreplaceable property becomes available, when we have the expertise and partnerships to protect and steward it responsibly, and when a community of committed supporters can come together to make something extraordinary happen.
This is one of those moments, and your gift will make this possible.
$1,520,000
$500,000 $1,000,000
At the Edge of the World
Stand at the tip of Potters Point and look out across Misery Bay. Here, just north of Alpena, you truly feel at the edge of the world. The panoramic view of refuge islands, pristine wetlands and miles of rugged Lake Huron shoreline offers a glimpse of how this region looked before development transformed so much of the Great Lakes coast.
This 41-acre property represents something increasingly rare in Northern Michigan — intact coastal wilderness with nearly 8,000 feet of shoreline harboring ecosystems and species found nowhere else on Earth. It’s a landscape that tells the story of the Great Lakes as they were meant to be experienced: wild, resilient and breathtakingly alive.
Today, this irreplaceable property is privately owned and for sale.
The future of Potters Point starts with you.
Your gift today puts us one step closer to protecting this remarkable place for generations to come.
