A Reservoir Known For Fishing, Boating, And World-Class Stargazing Lies Tucked In The Nebraska Sandhills

Driving through Nebraska on I-80 gives you access to some pretty fantastic places, like the capital city of Lincoln and Grand Island, with its delightful museums and dramatic annual crane migration. But if you go off the beaten path, you'll find so much more. Nebraska is home to one of the quietest places on Earth, and while Colorado may be home to the tallest dunes in North America, Nebraska has the Nebraska Sandhills, the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere, according to National Geographic. You can't miss the spot in the Sandhills is Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area. The centerpiece of the park is the lake, and it has just about everything you could want in an outdoor adventure getaway spot in the Midwest with fantastic fishing, camping, swimming, boating, and stargazing.

In 1964, the Snake River was dammed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to create Merritt Reservoir. And in doing so, they made a beautiful, nearly 3,000 acre lake with 44 miles of shoreline and lots of coves to explore. It's a particularly popular destination for anglers since it's one of the state's top destinations for fishing, particularly for walleye. Depending on the season, it's also good for northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, muskellunge, large-and small-mouth bass, and more. It's open for fishing year-round; be prepared to ice fish in the middle of winter, but get a license before you head out on the water. If you're new to the area and want some hands on guidance on the best places to fish, Merritt Trading Post runs eight-hour fishing tours.

You can bring in your own boat to launch at one of the five public docks at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area, or you can rent a paddleboat, kayak, canoe, or fully decked out motorized fishing boat from the Merritt Trading Post. There are parts of the lake that restrict speed, so whether you're looking for a relaxed day on the water or a high energy outing water skiing or on a personal watercraft, there's something for you here. And the beaches are a soft sand, making it an ideal spot for swimming, building sand castles, or just soaking up the sun.

If you're on a day trip, you can enjoy a picnic lunch to enjoy on the beach or at one of several picnic spots, some of which have grills. And if you have the gear for a camping retreat, Merritt Reservoir has eight campgrounds with a total of 161 campsites. One-hundred sites have electricity hookups, and they all have a picnic table and a fire pit. Some of the sites require a reservation while others are first come, first served.

Nebraska's Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area is a delightful destination during the day, but just wait until you see it after the sun sets. With its remote location away from any major cities, Merritt Reservoir became a certified International Dark Sky Park in 2022, confirming what people have known for a long time; that the stargazing there is out of this world. It's a place where you can see the Milky Way without the aid of a telescope. Simply look up; that's something that you can't do easily throughout much of the world. In fact, the stargazing conditions are so ideal that on moonless nights, the Milky Way can even cast a shadow, per Visit Nebraska.

Each summer in late July or early August, depending on the timing of the new moon, the Merritt Reservoir hosts the Nebraska Star Party. There's all kinds of activities along with the stargazing over the six day event, like constellation talks, photo contests, day time float trip, and more. While you don't have to go to the star party to get incredible views of the night sky here, it's a fun way to meet other astrophiles.

Merritt Reservoir is about 30 minutes southwest from the town of Valentine, an adventurer's paradise. It's also a part of the Bridges to Buttes Scenic Byway that runs through northwest Nebraska as well as a stop on the Nebraska Astronomy Trail. So it makes for a fantastic getaway on its own as well as a fun road trip stop.