Paddle Antrim is pleased to announce that the Village of Elk Rapids has approved a final design and engineering report for improvements to Elk Rapids Rotary Park.
Elk Rapids is the end of the 100+ mile Chain of Lakes Water Trail which travels through 12 lakes and interconnected rivers and can serve as both the beginning and end of many paddling adventures. Rotary Park is the main trailhead for the Village of Elk Rapids on the water trail, providing access to the village amenities for paddlers. Improvements to Rotary Park were identified in their 2017 recreation survey. Suggested improvements included a universal kayak launch, restrooms and running water.
In 2019, Paddle Antrim and the Village of Elk Rapids began working on a design concept thanks to generous support from the Elk Skegemog Lakes Association, the Grand Traverse Community Foundation FOCUS Fund of Antrim County, Elk Rapids Rotary Club, Village of Elk Rapids and in-kind support from the Gourdie-Frasier and Associates and the Disability Network of Northwest Michigan. In July 2020 a design engineering concept was presented to the Village and made available for public input. Based on the input received from the community a final design and engineering report was approved by the Village Council in March of 2021.
“This was a big milestone for the project and we are very excited to move to the next phase,” said Deana Jerdee, executive director of Paddle Antrim. “We have already seen a lot of enthusiasm and support from the community and we look forward to that continuing enthusiasm as we work to raise the funds necessary to make this plan a reality.”