Things to do in Council Grove, Kansas

Nestled in the Flint Hills alongside the Neosho River, Council Grove received its name on August 10, 1825, when the US Commissioners met with Chiefs of the Great and Little Osage Indian tribes beneath a tree later named the “Council Oak” to sign the first treaty establishing the right-of-way for the famed Santa Fe Trail. In the years following, Council Grove became the pre-eminent rendezvous point for wagon trains heading west.

A town of a little over 2,100 residents, Council Grove proudly boasts its many historic sites, more than 25 of which have attained national recognition. The nearby Council Grove City Lake and Council Grove Federal Reservoir attract fishermen, boaters, and campers from everywhere. The Kaw Mission State Historic Site in Council Grove and the Kaw Nation’s Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park along the Flint Hills Nature Trail tells the story of the Kaw (or Kansa) Indian Tribe, whose reservation was located here from 1847 to 1873.

For more information, check out their website, www.councilgrove.com.