6 Most Relaxing Nebraska Towns
Nebraska’s most relaxing towns offer a variety of activities grounded in history and small-town culture without skipping out on the wild landscape that makes this state so beautiful. Most experiences found in towns like Chadron or McCook are centered around nature, meaning campers, hunters, and fishers can easily find ways to unplug. However, there’s so much more to the state than that. Travelers can walk in the footsteps of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author in Red Cloud, explore a cowboy museum in Ogallala, or check into a lavish resort in Nebraska City. Regardless of your ideal way of unwinding, there’s an immersive and undeniably enjoyable way of experiencing Nebraska.
Nebraska City
Staying in one of the 140 guest rooms and suites at Lied Lodge is the perfect way to start a trip in Nebraska City. The lodge sits inside a 260-acre working arboretum with a spa and is close to first-class golf courses. From here, it takes about 15 minutes to walk over to the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, which includes the former home of J. Sterling Morton, a politician and newspaper editor. It preserves the original 52-room mansion alongside an arboretum, Italian terraced gardens, and more than 200 varieties of lilacs. All of this is a short drive from the historic downtown, which features The Keeping Room, a fusion of antiques, home décor, and a beloved restaurant and bar. There are also many places where you can explore the outdoors in Nebraska City, including the Riverview State Recreation Area, which sits next to the Missouri River overlooking the state of Iowa. You can also camp at the Riverview Marina State Recreation Area if the fancy Lied Lodge isn’t your way of relaxing.
Ogallala
Ogallala attracts different kinds of travelers who are after vastly different experiences. You absolutely can immerse yourself in full-on Wild West energy, given that this is the “Cowboy Capital of Nebraska.” But on-brand events and cowboy-themed gift shops are really only part of what this place has to offer. Just east of town is Lake McConaughy. Its long shoreline and clear water give you space to swim in the summer months, fish, kayak, or simply walk for hours. The Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala State Recreation Areas provide more than 30,000 acres of water and 100 miles of shoreline with gorgeous white sand beaches. This is also a great place to camp, although there’s a Best Western Plus located in town as well. Speaking of the town, Front Street and the Cowboy Museum take you right into the culture that Ogallala is famous for. Not far away is Second Chapter Brewing, located in the town’s former Goodall City Library building, where you can enjoy a couple of pints of beer. Old-fashioned bars and saloons aside, you can also check out the Mansion on the Hill. The Victorian-style home was built in 1887 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Red Cloud
Red Cloud is really the ideal place to lock yourself into sleepy routines and maybe even focus on writing a good book. At least this is what Willa Cather may have thought. Cather was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and one of the most important American writers of the 20th century, best known for novels like “My Ántonia" and "O Pioneers!” that were directly shaped by her upbringing in this part of Nebraska. The town of Red Cloud preserves that history in unique and tangible ways. Visitors can tour the Willa Cather Childhood Home, a National Historic Landmark, along with six other restored sites tied to her life, all maintained by the National Willa Cather Center and reachable on foot. The 1885 Red Cloud Opera House, where Cather attended performances and gave her high school graduation speech, still hosts small-scale concerts, readings, and exhibits. Visitors can even stay in the place where Cather lived and worked later in life. The Cather Second Home operates as a guest house where multiple rooms can be rented. But it’s not just history here. Visitors can check out restaurants like The Palace Lounge, which has served prime rib for over 35 years, and On the Brix, a wine tasting room on Webster Street.
Valentine
Given its name, it’s no surprise that Valentine has heart-adorned street signs or Valentine’s Day-related events. But this isn’t what makes this Nebraska town ideal for a weekend getaway or even just an afternoon of quiet. The Niobrara National Scenic River runs just outside of town and gives visitors the chance to canoe, kayak, and tube on a federally protected waterway designated as a Quiet Trail in the United States. It also leads past Smith Falls State Park, which is home to the state's largest waterfall. The 1-mile loop Fort Falls Trail runs near the Fort Niobrara Scenic Overlook, and Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge adds miles of gorgeous trails and open land for hiking and birdwatching, especially during migration seasons. In town, Valentine City Park is the place to go, kick back, and maybe play some disc golf. Within a few blocks are a variety of inns, but south of downtown is the Lord Ranch Resort, which provides deluxe cabins in a vast countryside.
Chadron
People often come to Chadron for Fur Trade Days, the annual July festival that marks its origins as a 19th-century fur and hide trading post. But once the crowds thin, Chadron reveals itself as one of Nebraska’s most low-key places to unplug. Chadron State Park, Nebraska’s first state park, covers 972 acres of ponderosa pine forest and follows Chadron Creek through shaded hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails. Just outside of town, the Museum of the Fur Trade, the largest of its kind in the United States, houses more than 6,000 original artifacts that document the daily realities of trappers, traders, and Indigenous nations of the High Plains. Downtown, the Chadron Downtown Historic District offers a quiet, walkable core filled with early railroad-era buildings, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Olde Main Street Inn may be rustic, but it also maintains a heritage designation and offers everyone the comfort a traveler needs at the end of the day.
McCook
While it was once suggested that the High Plains be depopulated, the regional hub of McCook is now a thriving small community that’s propped up by those who unwind best in the outdoors. While many towns in Nebraska are ideal for travelers who’d rather be out in nature than store-hopping, McCook is particularly geared toward those with a propensity for hunting and fishing. Around 15 minutes north of town is Red Willow State Recreation Area on Hugh Butler Lake, where camping ranges from full hookups at Willow View Campground to basic sites you register for yourself at an Iron Ranger locked box. The same area draws anglers chasing walleye, crappie, and northern pike, while surrounding wildlife lands in Red Willow County open up serious pheasant, waterfowl, and deer hunting opportunities. If you drift back into town, Heritage Square’s ten-block walking loop connects the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Sutton House to the Museum of the High Plains, making history something you actually move through, not just read about. When you’re ready to do something low-stakes and outdoorsy, Kelley Park’s nearly six-block layout offers one of the most respected courses in the state. The town is also home to the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites if camping isn’t your thing.
No matter how you prefer to unwind, Nebraska offers towns that make it easy to step away from busy, daily routines. Hike the trails around Chadron State Park, trace the life of author Willa Cather in Red Cloud, cast a line in McCook, or enjoy a stay at Nebraska City’s Lied Lodge. Pack a bag, pick a town, and experience first-hand the outdoor adventures, historic sites, and small-town culture that make these places uniquely restorative.
