Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed

The Elk River is a short river in the Lake Michigan drainage basin of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is only 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length and flows from Elk Lake into Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It forms a waterway and harbor for the municipality of Elk Rapids. Elk Lake is 192 feet (59 m) deep and is a former arm of Lake Michigan. When the larger lake's level dropped, a belt of sediment separated Elk Lake from Grand Traverse Bay, and a short, whitewater river, Elk River, formed to provide drainage for the smaller lake. The Indians named the river Meguzee, in honor of the Anishinaabe name for the bald eagle. In the early 19th century, Euro-American settlers arrived. In 1858, someone discovered a pair of elk antlers in the rapids; the rapids, river, and lake were renamed after the animal. The rapids are quiet now, as a hydroelectric dam has been built. Boats must portage the dam, using adjacent boat ramps. Below the dam, the river opens out into Grand Traverse Bay and forms the harbor of Elk Rapids.

The Island House, sometimes referred to as the Edwin Noble House or the Elk Rapids Island House, is a historic structure located at 300 Isle of Pines Drive in the village of Elk Rapids in the U.S. state of Michigan. Built in 1865 as a private residence by Edwin S. Noble (1838–1922), it was listed as a Michigan State Historic Site on April 24, 1979. Since 1949, the Island House has served as a public library within the Elk Rapids District Library.

The Elk Rapids Township Hall is a former government building located on River Street in Elk Rapids, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The building was refurbished, and as of 2020, the building served as a rental space and performance venue known as HERTH Hall (for Historic Elk Rapids Township Hall).

The Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church is a former church located at 301 Traverse Street in Elk Rapids, Michigan. The building now houses Elk Rapids Area Historical Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

The Hughes House is a house located at 109 Elm Street in Elk Rapids, Michigan. It was built in 1867 as a guest house for travelers going through Elk Rapids via stagecoach or steamboat. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is a well-preserved example of popular vernacular architecture.

Elk Rapids Schools is a public school district in Northern Michigan. In Antrim County, it serves Elk Rapids, Elk Rapids Township, Milton Township, and part of Torch Lake Township. In Kalkaska County, it serves parts of Clearwater Township. In Grand Traverse County, it serves parts of the townships of Acme and Whitewater. It is part of the intermediate school district Northwest Education Services.

Elk Rapids Township is a civil township of Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,521 at the 2020 census. The village of Elk Rapids is located within the township.

Kewadin ( kə-WAY-dən) is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located in Milton Township, Antrim County, and is located on the northern shore of Elk Lake, roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the village of Elk Rapids. As an unincorporated community, Kewadin has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own. However, a post office operates out of the community, with the ZIP Code 49648.

Elk Lake is located in Antrim and Grand Traverse counties in Northern Michigan. The lake is about a one and a half miles (2.4 km) wide and nine miles (14 km) long, and is centered at 44°51′N 85°23′W near the town of Elk Rapids. It has maximum depth of 192 ft (59 m), making it Michigan's second deepest after Torch Lake. It is a popular lake for fishing, featuring lake trout, rock bass, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, ciscoes, brown trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish. Elk Lake lies to the west of the larger Torch Lake, which lies just to the east. It is part of a watershed that begins in northern Antrim County with Intermediate Lake, which is connected by the Intermediate River with Lake Bellaire. The Grass River flows from Lake Bellaire into Clam Lake, which in turn drains into Torch Lake via the short Clam River. Torch Lake is drained by the Torch River, which flows into Lake Skegemog, which opens into Elk Lake. Elk Lake flows through Elk River into the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids. This watershed is popularly known as the Chain of Lakes.

Milton Township is a civil township of Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,355 at the 2020 census.

Chateau Chantal is a winery located on the Old Mission Peninsula, only a few miles north of Traverse City, in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, United States. The chateau sits atop one of the highest points on the Old Mission Peninsula and has views of both East and West arms of Grand Traverse Bay. The winery is a European style chateau on a 64-acre (26 ha) estate. Chantal is in an official American Viticultural Area, one of five in Michigan, a state that specializes in vinifera, hybrid and native grape varieties. The Chateau has a tasting room, an eleven-room bed and breakfast, and a hospitality room where cooking classes and Jazz at Sunset are hosted.

Yuba is a small unincorporated community in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Yuba is a part of Grand Traverse County, and is located in Acme Township along U.S. Highway 31. Yuba rests on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay.