The most striking feature of Torch Lake Township is all that blue, blue water to the east and the west of us. It’s a magnet for tourism, development, and seasonal homeowners. Everyone wants to play on it or in it, to walk along it, to just look at it endlessly. Getting to it is the issue.
All of us own the lakes. There’s a steady tension between lakeowners who own waterfront property and lakeowners who don’t. The question is how people who don’t own waterfront property are going to be able to enjoy the lakes they do own. This isn’t an issue only in Torch Lake Township, but all over the lake country.
I’m in favor of maximizing access to the lakes for everyone, which is why I tell people about great parks and nature preserves and boat ramps – and list them in the “Parks and Trails” section over on the right. Today I added three spots to the list, two on Torch Lake and the other on Grand Traverse Bay. More to follow as I explore and photograph. (As always, click on an image for a larger view.)
The first, owned by the Township, is a concrete boat ramp located on N. West Torch Lake Drive south of Barnes Road. Its address, if it had one, would be between 387 and 419. The ramp is in poor repair, and there was some discussion at September’s Township Board meeting about whether and how to bring it up to snuff. The estimated cost exceeds $25,000, which is a fair chunk of change in these times. Is it safe? Should it be closed until it can be repaired? People who have boats in the water will need the ramp to haul them out this fall. Dockworks uses it to pull clients’ boats for storage. Ice fishermen use it to put their shanties out on the ice. Will it deteriorate over the winter and cost more to repair in the spring? Lots of questions but no decisions. The boat ramp at the Day Park needs repairs, too. What are the priorities for scarce tax dollars?
The second, owned by the DNR, is south of Sand Point. The address is 957 N. West Torch Lake Drive (just north of McLachlan), but there’s no sign. A gravel road leads down to Torch Lake, and drops off precipitously at water’s edge. You could put in a kayak or canoe, but I can’t imagine using the spot to launch anything larger. According to the Antrim County Assessor’s Office, the DNR owns 200 feet of lakefront here, but apparently pays no attention to it. One would think it could be made more useful and accessible.
The third is a road-end ramp on Grand Traverse Bay at the end of Creswell Road. It was built by volunteers, including Bill McLachlan and Dick Ellison and a bunch of guys from the volunteer firefighting crew back in the day when everyone pitched in to get things done in the Township. It’s held up remarkably well, all things considered. I don’t know enough about boats to advise you on this, so I suggest you take a look at it before making a plan to put yours in here.
More things to look at:
Torch Lake Views 
Posted on October 3, 2008
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