Lake Afton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Afton |
|
|---|---|
 Lake Afton
Location in Kansas
Lake Afton
Location in the United States
|
|
|
|
| Location | Sedgwick County, Kansas |
| Coordinates | 37°36′41″N 97°37′38″W / 37.61139°N 97.62722°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Built | 1941 |
| First flooded | 1945 |
| Surface area | 258-acre (104 ha) |
| Settlements | Goddard, Schulte, Garden Plain, Viola |
Lake Afton is a fun, man-made lake in Sedgwick County, Kansas. It covers about 258-acre (104 ha) of water. The lake is part of a bigger area called Lake Afton Park, which is about 720-acre (2.9 km2) in size. You can find it near the towns of Goddard, Garden Plain, Schulte, and Viola. It's a great place for outdoor activities!
History of Lake Afton
Building the dam for Lake Afton started on December 29, 1939. Workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built it. The WPA was a government program during the Great Depression. It helped people find jobs by building things like roads and parks. The dam was finished in 1941. Lake Afton officially opened to the public in 1945.
Later, in April 1960, a building for young people, called the Sedgwick County Boys Detention Home, was built in the park.
In the late 1970s, the Lake Afton Public Observatory was built. It's on the north side of MacArthur Road within the park. This observatory is a place where people can look at stars and planets!
Finding Lake Afton
Lake Afton is located at 24600 W 39th St S. This address is in the western part of Sedgwick County. It's east of where Viola Road (also known as 263rd St W) and MacArthur Road (39th St S) meet. MacArthur Road is about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the main highways U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 400.
Here are some general ways to get there:
- From Goddard: Drive west on U.S. Route 54, then south on Viola Road, and finally east on MacArthur Road.
- From Garden Plain: Go east on U.S. Route 54, then south on Viola Road, and east on MacArthur Road.
- From Schulte (near K-42): Head west on MacArthur Road.
- From Viola (near K-42): Go north on Viola Road, then east on MacArthur Road.
