Whether you're looking for a place to retire, raise a family or just get away from the big city, Council Grove, Kansas is a small town rich in history and charm. Council Grove, located at the junction of US Highway 56 and Kansas Highway 177 (map), is known as the birthplace of the Santa Fe Trail as it was last outfitting station before wagon trains headed west.
Because of the role the town played on the Santa Fe Trail, it has been named a National Historic Landmark. In addition, there are many Registered or National Historic points like the Kaw Mission, Hermits Cave, Last Chance Store, the Cottage House Hotel, Farmers and Drovers Bank, the Hays House Restaurant, Seth Hays Home and many more.
Neosha Riverwalk in
downtown Council Grove
The Council Grove Reservoir and City Lake located just north of town provide a variety of recreation from fishing and hunting, camping and picnicking to boating and sightseeing. Covering 3,310 acres, the Council Grove Reservoir is known for its' Crappie fishing, a marina and eight developed camping facilities.
The community of Council Grove has approximately 2,300 people and the entire county of Morris has a population of 6,000. The town itself has a number of specialty shops, basic services and local events like Wah-Shun-Gah Days, the Morris County fair, a Ranch Rodeo and so on. There is a good school system, a swimming pool/ swim club, and several city recreation programs for children. Council Grove also has a golf course with a country club and much more.
We've included a few more pictures from the area to give you an idea of what it's like here in the summer and also a few of the local attractions. For more information, please visit Council Grove.com.
The reservoirs' 500 acre sister lake, the Council Grove City Lake, is located south west of the reservoir. There visitors will find Bass, Walleye, Catfish and Crappie fishing as well as public boat ramps, a beach and picnic areas. It also has several lake cabins and homes.