The History of Calamus Outfitters

Calamus Outfitters owner Bruce Switzer on the Switzer ranch with his trusty dog Credit: Joel Sartore
Calamus Outfitters is a family owned business providing outdoor recreational activities for people of all ages. Activities such as bird watching, upland bird hunting, deer hunting, tubing, tanking and swimming in the Calamus river, horseback riding and photography are available for your enjoyment.

A fourth generation cattle operation, Calamus Outfitters is located on the Switzer Ranch, and it is located in the north central Nebraska Sandhills. Blessed with abundant native grasses and ample underground and surface water, the Switzer ranch is truly located in "God's Cow Country".

Calamus Outfitters is a working cattle ranch located in the Nebraska Sandhills Credit: Michael Forsberg
The ranch is ran as a cow/calf operation providing our guests with trail rides through the rolling Sandhills to view cattle, wildlife and native flora. Adam & Teresa and Bruce & Sue Ann will show you a real working cattle ranch, complete with Sandhills hospitality and comfortable accommodations.

Come for an hour trail ride, or bring your own horse and ride the hills for a relaxing vacation. We look forward to providing you and your family and friends with many recreational opportunities in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills.

Cowboy boots worn by a genuine cowboy on our Nebraska ranch Credit: Joel Sartore
As a true working cattle ranch, there is no shortage of events, scenery and memories reminiscent of the Old West, operated the way it used to be-hard work, sweat, and genuine Nebraska character. Whether it is rounding up cattle on horseback, or fixing barbed-wire fence lines, you will get a glimpse of the way a ranch is run by genuine cowboys.

Calamus Outfitters will also give you the opportunity to experience other great things that happen on our ranch, like learning more about horses, how to train them and how they work with cowboys on the ranch. You will see what a cattle round-up is like, and how to feed livestock. At the end of the day, a great heapin' of vittles and grub will be served for your enjoyment!

A beautiful sunset on the Switzer Ranch at the end of the day at Calamus Outfitters
Calamus Outfitters has developed riding trails on the ranch for outstanding horseback riding opportunities on our Nebraska ranch. We have great horseback riding trails set amongst the natural and ruggedly beautiful Nebraska landscape, with many different species of native Nebraska wildlife and wildflowers to see.

We also provide horseback riding lessons for those who have never rode a horse before or if it has been some time in between rides. If you are looking to learn more about horses and proper handling of them, you may want to takes some of our horsemanship lessonsh. We also have an indoor riding arena for your use, and you are more than welcome to bring your own horse.

A campfire in the early evening being enjoyed by kids and adults alike
Calamus Outfitters is located in the beautiful Calamus River basin in north central Nebraska. This winding river is a great way to cool down during the heat of a Nebraska summer.

Because the Calamus River runs through the Switzer ranch, we have access to provide for your total family enjoyment great river canoeing adventures, along with river tanking and river tubing.