![]() The park includes a 250-acre ATV riding area, with dedicated campsites for ATVers as well as equestrians. Adventurous campers can try rock climbing, horseback riding, and kayaking. Kids will enjoy the swimming beach, pool, mini-golf course, multiple playgrounds, and nature programs. The forests, lakes, sandstone cliffs, and caves of this beautiful state park and adjacent wildlife management area attract families and adventure seekers alike. This state park, comprising more than 8,000 acres, is notable for an interesting reason-its caves were the hideout of the infamous outlaws Jesse James and Belle Starr. Robbers Cave State ParkĤ575 Northwest 1024th Avenue, Wilburton, OK 74578 421, making it a convenient stopover in a beautiful and peaceful natural setting. Natural Falls State Park is just off of U.S. ![]() The park’s campground includes paved, level sites with partial or full hookups, a dump station, playground, restrooms, and gift shops. Enjoy the beauty of the dense forest with over 4 miles of hiking trails and nature paths. Viewing platforms and an observation deck with seating provide easy access to admire the falls. A 77-foot waterfall cascades dramatically over rock formations, creating an oasis in the narrow, forested valley. Located near the Oklahoma-Arkansas border in the scenic Ozark Highlands is one of Oklahoma’s most stunning natural wonders. Lakeview Lodge and an 18-hole golf course add to the resort-like amenities of this state park. RV sites are nestled among the trees in two different campgrounds, with paved pads and partial hookups. Located in the mountainous region of southeastern Oklahoma at the shores of Broken Bow Lake and Mountain Fork River, Beavers Bend is as picturesque and peaceful as it is adventuresome. Hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, river floating, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities are popular at this sprawling state park. In 1994, the church was moved 15 miles to its present location as the first step toward the Waconda Heritage Village Association’s goal of creating a "living" museum dedicated to pioneer heritage and Native American lore.Įngaging stories about Waconda Springs and Hopewell Church can be found on the city of Glen Elder official website at and on the Kansas State Historical Society website at Campgrounds Beavers Bend State ParkĤ350 South Highway 259A, Broken Bow, OK 74728īeavers Bend State Park is an ideal place for out-of-state visitors to enjoy the incredible outdoor recreational opportunities in Oklahoma. ![]() The church congregation eventually dwindled and it was forced to close its doors in 1989 after 113 years of service. A number of changes occurred over the subsequent century. ![]() It took two years to build the church and the first congregation met in the new building on February 22, 1876. It took as much as two weeks to receive a load of lumber. Lumber had to be shipped in, but the nearest railroad terminal was 80 miles away in Greenleaf. By July 1876, the group had grown too large to meet in homes, so in August 1876 they decided to build a 24’ x 40’ frame structure with a six-foot vestibule at one end.īuilding the church was quite a challenge. It was built by a dedicated congregation that was established in March1876 and met in private homes. The church was originally located south of Beloit and was completed in 1878 at the cost of $1,200. Rubble from the demolition was piled into Waconda Springs before the lake filled.Īlso at Glen Elder, travelers can visit the historic Hopewell Church. ![]() Although it saw a variety of uses in its lifetime, the sanitarium stood until it was razed in the early 1960s to make way for the lake. Gradually, more and more non-native people began to migrate to the area and beginning in 1884, the Waconda Springs Sanitarium was built over a ten-year period. However, the first recorded visit by a non-native occurred in 1806, when General Zebulon Pike (for whom Pike’s Peak is named) altered his route to Colorado to visit the springs. In 1767, the first non-native person is said to have visited the springs. Kanza tribe members reportedly called the springs, “Wakonda,” meaning “Great Spirit.” Waconda Springs was a sacred, ceremonial gathering place for many of the Native American tribes that lived in the central plains, including Pawnee, Wichita, Kaw, Kiowa, Sioux, Arapaho, Comanche, the Miami, Crow, Cheyenne, Arapaho and others. The spring’s pool was said to be 50 feet in diameter, 15 feet deep and rich in a variety of minerals. The resulting lake covered what once was an active mineral spring called Waconda Springs. Bureau of Reclamation began building the lake’s dam across the Solomon River in 1964, and it was completed in 1968. As part of a flood control effort, the U.S. The park is located on the northern shore of Glen Elder Reservoir, which is also called Waconda Lake. The Waconda Springs Replica at Glen Elder State Park pays tribute to an ill-fated site of Kansas geology and Native American history. ![]()
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