Merritt is a 2,900-acre reservoir 26 miles southwest of Valentine, and its best feature might be what’s above it: the park is a designated International Dark Sky Park, with some of the darkest measured skies in the lower 48. The Nebraska Star Party sets up here every summer for exactly that reason.
By day it’s a fisherman’s lake — walleye, white bass, crappie, deep cold water — with 44 miles of shoreline, boat ramps, and the Merritt Trading Post concession for fuel and rentals. By night it’s one of the few places in the Midwest where the Milky Way casts a shadow.
Cedar Bay has electric campsites; the rest of the lake is mostly primitive and boat-in. Time your visit around the new moon, bring more layers than the forecast suggests, and watch for sand burrs around the campsites.