Cattle outnumber people for miles around the Double R, a working guest ranch tucked into towering pines between Mullen and Valentine. The cabins are comfortable rather than rustic-punishing — air conditioning, satellite TV, full kitchenettes, gas grills, yard games — and the ranch stays open year-round.
Days are as full as you want them: fish for pike, perch, bass, and bluegill for your evening meal, take a guided ranch tour in a double-seat four-wheeler, paddleboat the lake, tank down the Middle Loup River, or bring your horse (boarding with corral and grazing available for a fee). History lives on the property too — the original homestead, a 1908 sod house, and a restored one-room schoolhouse complete with a circa-1887 piano. And the nights: with zero light pollution, this is one of the best stargazing spots in the country. Book by phone.