THE VILLAGE OF ELK RAPIDS We are committed to providing residents, property owners, business people and visitors with an environment that promotes safe, productive, and happy lives in an efficient and caring manner.  Elk Rapids is located in the southwest corner of Antrim county, bounded by East Grand Traverse Bay to the west, Elk Lake to the east, Bass Lake to the north, and a river, Elk River, runs through it.  The town owes most of its development to man's love of water and water's power.

Boaters, day trippers and sunbathers seek out Elk Rapids' sandy shores, quaint shops and unique restaurants. Although the village covers only one square mile, its forefathers have preserved its most scenic areas and dedicated them to public use areas. Memorial Park and Antrim County Day Park each offer several hundred feet of sandy shoreline for swimming and relaxing along the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay. 

THE TOWNSHIP OF ELK RAPIDS sits on the east shore of the Grand Traverse Bay about 15 miles north of Traverse City and just over 30 miles south of Charlevoix. It is bounded on the east almost entirely by Elk Lake and, in total, is only a little over seven square miles of territory. The incorporated Village of Elk Rapids divides the township in two, the northern section containing most of Bass Lake and Birch Lake within its area. The high lands in the southern portion of the township are covered with fruit orchards and the northern end is mainly forests, lakes and wetlands. Most of the township's shore lands have been developed for residences.

Regionally, the Village of Elk Rapids and the Township are within twenty minutes of Traverse City, the metro hub city of the Grand Traverse area.  Elk Rapids borders Elk Lake, one of the Chain of Lakes of Antrim County, containing 78 miles of navigable waters, and contains the harbor at Elk Rapids Village, which leads directly to the Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan and thereafter to all the Great Lakes and their tributaries.

 

ELK RAPIDS HARBOR & MARINA 
The 212-plus slip harbor is considered one of the best in Michigan, and its proximity to downtown make it a perfect place to tie up for a few hours or for the entire season. Public boat launches on Bass, Birch and Elk lakes and Grand Traverse Bay give anglers endless chances to cast their lines for lake trout, bass, steelhead perch, whitefish and pan fish.
 

Handicapped-accessible piers in the harbor and the boardwalk around Kids Pond are favorite fishing spots for young and old in all seasons.

Elk Rapids is a Beguiling Community, Unique in Small Town Character and Charm