Mitchell County Kansas 9 towns 719 square miles

City, Mitchell County

Glen Elder

The lake town: Waconda Lake and Glen Elder Dam a quarter mile west, the state park on the north shore, the Castle Service Station, and a Statue of Liberty on the square.

Sunset over Waconda Lake from a dock, the sun a line of light on the water
Sunset on Waconda Lake Glen Elder

The place

Glen Elder sits less than a quarter mile from the shores of Waconda Lake, 12 miles west of Beloit on US 24. The lake's name carries the Waconda Springs legend; a replica of the spring stands a half mile north of the shore inside the state park.

Local landmarks

  • Waconda Lake and Glen Elder Dam
  • Glen Elder State Park, 2131 180 Road, with 121 modern campsites
  • The Castle Service Station, built 1926, a National Historic Landmark
  • Waconda Springs replica and Hopewell Church in the park
  • Statue of Liberty in the downtown square
  • Wilson Neff Park, the city square, home of Funday and the chili cook-off

On the calendar

  • Funday and chili cook-off
  • First Day Hike, January 1
The circular pool of the Waconda Springs replica behind its iron rail, the lake beyond
The Waconda Springs replica Glen Elder State Park
Hikers on a grass trail at Glen Elder State Park on the New Year's Day hike
First Day Hike at Glen Elder State Park Glen Elder