Ponderosa Ranch, our 3300 acre Nebraska working cattle ranch, is located 70 miles south of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our ranch boasts of a rugged beauty in its diversity; spectacular views in every direction, open rolling grass meadows, steep hills, ridges studded with Ponderosa pine trees, canyons with Green Ash, Hackberry and Cottonwood lining the creek bottoms.

This makes a challenging terrain for the hunter or horseback rider but  a haven for mule deer and Merriam turkey. This same terrain provides excellent opportunities for archery, muzzleloader and rifle hunters. 

Working ranch vacations

We offer guests the opportunity to be a cowboy or a cowgirl for a day or a week: to ride and fully experience ranch life on a scenic, timbered high-country Nebraska working cattle ranch. We offer a relaxed atmosphere, solitude for those who desire it, ranch broke quarter horses, comfortable, cozy, clean cabins, beautiful country and wide open spaces!

You decide what day of the week to arrive and to leave, and how long you want to stay. Rustic lodging, meals served family style, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, fresh air, star-gazing, a serene and peaceful retreat from the urban hustle and bustle...You will come as a guest and leave feeling like part of our family. We strive to provide rural down home hospitality for our vacation and adventure seeking guests! Come immerse yourself deeply in a vanishing lifestyle, and see why cattlemen and pioneers made Nebraska their destination long ago....

Because our ranch is a working cattle ranch we do require that guests have some prior riding experience.  We do not ride nose to tail, but spread out when the terrain allows and you need to be able to control your horse at a trot or canter outside of an arena if you wish to work with the cattle or help move cattle.  Our guest horses are gentle quarter horses. You are welcome to bring your own horses.

We can custom tailor your riding and vacation time to match your experience level and desires. We can do pleasure riding only, with the speed set by you, if you do not feel comfortable working with the cattle. You will have our undivided attention as we only take small groups of 5 people or less, which helps guarantee a top-notch experience. If you are unsure about your experience level being adequate, please contact us and we can talk about it! Your safety is very important to us as we strive to make this the ultimate horseback riding vacation for you and your friends or family. If you have a special request, please don't hesitate to let us know. 

If you wish to have the working ranch experience, you will ride, help round up and drive the cattle herd of 200 cows and calves, plus bulls, to new pastures. Also join us as we ride through the herd daily to check on them, checking fences, water, and minerals. Experience the thrill of bonding with your horse through the adventure of working together to accomplish daily ranch tasks.

In May we normally round up the herd for branding and vaccinating the calves. In June we put the bulls out to pasture and sort them off and bring them home in August. We round up the herd again for vaccinating calves around Labor Day. We repeat this process again in the fall for weaning and selling the calves and pregnancy testing the cows. We sort off the cows who aren’t pregnant and haul to our local livestock auction. Then the rest of the herd goes back out to pasture until we run out of grass or it starts snowing. They will be moved closer to home then for feeding hay during the snowy season and calving season in the spring. Then the cycle repeats itself.

Other tasks that go on through out the year on our working ranch are checking water, filling salt and mineral bins, gathering strays, fixing fence, doctoring sick cows or calves.  Also maintenance and improvement projects on our tack, well/water system, buildings, equipment, etc., trimming hooves on the horses, spraying weeds....We have about 200 acres of alfalfa that we hay for winter feed.

Bring your binoculars and camera...enjoy seeing all the wonderful wildlife and spring wildflowers on the  ranch: mule deer, white tail deer, wild turkey, coyotes, eagles and hawks, porcupines, raccoons, and many others.   Even elk and mountain lion have been seen on our Nebraska working ranch. If you wish to explore the ranch on foot or mountain bike we can provide a ranch map showing logging roads and other landmarks.