The Cascade Lakes area of central Oregon became part of the Cascade Range Forest Reserve in 1893. In 1905, these public lands were transferred to the newly formed United States Forest Service. In 1906, Elk Lake was named by Roy Harvey, a Forest Service ranger. The Elk Lake area became part of the Deschutes National Forest in 1908. A primitive road was built from Bend to Elk Lake in 1920. The road helped make Elk Lake a popular recreation site where summer visitors enjoyed boating, fishing, and swimming. To accommodate the growing number of visitors, Elk Lake Lodge was built in 1922. Two years later, a post office was opened at Elk Lake.