Antrim County (pop. 23,580) is south of Charlevoix County, along Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay.
It was named for County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The 19-mile-long Torch Lake is Michigan’s longest inland lake. It is separated by narrow strips of land from Grand Traverse Bay in the northwest and Elk Lake in the southwest.
YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha, on the east side of the lake, is reportedly the oldest American summer camp that is located on its original site.
The county seat of Antrim County is the village of Bellaire (pop. 1,086).
The Henry Richardi House in Bellaire is now the Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast.
The village of Elk Rapids (pop. 1,642), located between Elk Lake and Grand Traverse Bay, has a 15-foot swan statue in front of the Chamber of Commerce.
At Kewadin, northeast of Elk Rapids, is a rock pyramid honoring Hugh J. Gray, “Dean of Michigan’s Tourist Activity.” It is built with rocks from each of Michigan’s 83 counties.
In the eastern part of Antrim County is Deadman’s Hill Scenic Overlook, where the land drops 400 feet to the Jordan River Valley below.
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I love those short lookouts. It’s great to see the canopy in those vast forests. Great swan and HUGE B&B. Torch Lake is beautiful.