Other Area Attractions

Calamus Outfitters – The Switzer Ranch is the home of Calamus Outfitters.  Located in the Calamus River basin, the river runs through the ranch providing access to tanking, tubing, kayaking and canoeing.  Calamus Outfitters also offer guided Greater Prairie-Chicken and Sharp-tailed Grouse lek tours during the spring courting season.  You can also plan Sandhill’s Ranch Habitat Ecotours on the Switzer Ranch for a truly unique view of the beautiful Nebraska landscape.  You will find the Switzers to be great hosts.  Their tubing/tanking trips down the Calamus River are very popular and you will want to book your trip in advance.  Address:  83720 Valley View Ave, Burwell, NE 68823; phone:  (308) 346-4697; e-mail:  hbswitzer@nctc.net. www.calamusoutfitters.com

Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park is a state park located six miles southeast of Burwell, preserving a typical U.S. Army cavalry outpost of the late 19th century. Fort Hartsuff was active from 1874 to 1881. Among its surviving original structures are the post headquarters, enlisted men’s barracks, officers’ quarters, commanding officer’s quarters, and post hospital; other buildings have been reconstructed.  -- Wikipedia 

Fort Hartsuff is typical of Plains infantry outposts. It stood as a buffer between settlers and Native Americans, and to protect the Pawnee from the war-like Sioux in the North Loup River Valley from 1874 to 1881. Because the main fort buildings were constructed of a lime/concrete mixture, many have survived. Acquired as a historical park in 1961, it has been restored as it was when soldiers patrolled the North Loup and Cedar river valleys and pioneered a new trail to the Black Hills gold fields in the 1870s. – Outdoor Nebraska.  Address:  82034 Fort Avenue, Burwell. 

As a State Historical Park, you will need a park permit for entry.  Please refer to the permit information found in the section on Calamus Lake.

Dowse Sod House -- The William R. Dowse House, more commonly known as the Dowse Sod House, is a sod house in Custer County in the central portion of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. It was built in 1900 and occupied until 1959. After a long period of neglect, it was restored beginning in about 1981, and opened as a museum in 1982. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as "an excellent example of the sod house phenomenon," and as one of the few surviving sod houses in Nebraska.  -- Wikipedia 

The Dowse Sod house is furnished with period pieces and even the original plow which cut the soil.  It is about a 40-minute drive from Burwell.  Address:  80560 Oak Grove Rd., Comstock, NE, 68828; Phone:  (308) 215-0365

Antiquing in Sargent --  Nearby Sargent, Nebraska, (population 525) is the self-styled “Antique Capitol of Nebraska” with some 13 stores featuring different types of antiques.  https://nebraskantiques.com/  Be sure to call ahead for store hours.

Visit nearby Taylor – Just 20 minutes to the west is the little village of Taylor (population 186).  The city park is located at the center of the village with a nice shaded area for picnics.  Visitors will note the “villagers” which are scattered about.  These are life-size paintings depicting historic figures from the community.  The “villagers” are the creation of Marah Sandoz who also operates Marah’s Treasures a gift shop on the south side of the village square. https://visitnebraska.com/taylor