There are no significant population centers in the township; the nearest towns are Arcadia to the south, Benzonia to the northeast, and Elberta to the northwest.

[3] For a very brief period in the early 1890s, a town called Watervale 44°33′13″N 86°12′52″W / 44.55361°N 86.21444°W / 44.55361; -86.21444 was inhabited in the township along Lower Herring Lake.

The town participated in the sawmill boom that brought a period of prosperity to northern Michigan.

The township's economy is heavily agricultural, with apples and cherries two prominent crops.

Just north of the township's southern border is Inspiration Point, a high headland overlooking Lake Michigan where a platform has been built atop the bluff.

The point is a popular lookout and is a prominent stop along the scenic route of Highway 22.

23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.