Editing Benzie County, Michigan (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|860|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|320|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|540|sqmi}} (63%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_26.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113024015/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_26.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 19, 2014 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files }}</ref> It is the smallest county in Michigan by land area.

Benzie County is located in the northwest of the [[Lower Peninsula of Michigan|Lower Peninsula]], in the "little finger" position of the mitten-shaped peninsula and is considered to be part of the [[Northern Michigan]] region.  [[Lake Michigan]] is to the west, [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] and the [[Leelanau Peninsula]] are to the north. [[Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grand Traverse County]] and [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]] are to the east. [[Wexford County, Michigan|Wexford County]] is to the southeast and [[Manistee County, Michigan|Manistee County]] to the south. The [[Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore]] extends into the northwest portion of the county. [[Crystal Lake (Benzie County, Michigan)|Crystal Lake]] is a prominent physical feature of the area. The [[Platte River (Michigan)|Platte River]] rises out of a lake district around [[Lake Ann, Michigan|Lake Ann]] in the northeast of the county and flows southwest and the northwest into [[Big Platte Lake]] before emptying into Lake Michigan at Platte River Point. The [[Betsie River]] rises in neighboring Grand Traverse County, flowing southwest across the southeast corner of the county into Manistee County, where it bends northwest until just south of Benzonia where it receives the outflow of Crystal Lake and then flows mostly west through Elberta and Frankfort and into Lake Michigan.

Portions of the [[Pere Marquette State Forest]] lie within the county and offer several trails including a {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} route along the Betsie River and a {{convert|5.8|mi|km|adj=on}} trail near Lake Ann. There are state forest campgrounds at Platte River and Lake Ann. The [[Betsie River State Game Area]] is located just east of Elberta. {{convert|50|mi|km}} of the Betsie River is a state-designated Natural River from Grass Lake, just west of the Grand Traverse County line, to its inlet into Lake Betsie just east of Elberta. The natural and scenic richness of the area has made it a host to a variety of conservation, education, and recreation programs, including [[Crystalaire]], the [[Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy]], and others.

===Major highways===
* {{jct|state=MI|US|31}} enters the county from the south, passes through [[Benzonia, Michigan|Benzonia]] and [[Beulah, Michigan|Beulah]] on the south end of Crystal Lake before turning to exit the county to the east.
* {{jct|state=MI|M|22}} traverses the western edge of the county, providing a scenic drive along the shore of Lake Michigan.
* {{jct|state=MI|M|115}} enters the county from the south, angling northwest, and merges with US 31 for a couple of miles until Benzonia where M-115 continues west to end in [[Frankfort, Michigan|Frankfort]].
Previously, an additional highway, [[M-168 (Michigan highway)|M-168]], ran in the village of [[Elberta, Michigan|Elberta]], serving the former [[Ann Arbor Railroad (1895–1976)|Ann Arbor Railroad]] ferry docks. The route was handed back to local control in 2012.<ref name="MoU">{{cite web |author=Staff |date=April 24, 2012 |title=Contract Number 2012-0366 |url=http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/greatlakesroads/message/16786 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105161909/http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/greatlakesroads/message/16786 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 5, 2013 |url-access=registration |access-date=May 7, 2012 |publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation}}<!--Patrick Allen is an MDOT employee and member of the forum, reposting the contents of the contract verbatim.--></ref>

===Adjacent counties===
'''By land'''
* [[Leelanau County, Michigan|Leelanau County]] - north
* [[Grand Traverse County, Michigan|Grand Traverse County]] - east
* [[Manistee County, Michigan|Manistee County]] - south
* [[Wexford County, Michigan|Wexford County]] - adjacent at the southeast corner

'''By water'''
* [[Door County, Wisconsin]] - northwest across Lake Michigan
* [[Kewaunee County, Wisconsin]] - southwest across Lake Michigan