Set down camp on lush, green lawns and manicured campsites. Drop a line from a picture-worthy fishing pier, or slowly work your way across a no-wake lake inside a boat. Then at the end of the day, sit back with a drink to watch the golden light sink below the glistening lake at your feet.

The flames dance. The coals glow. The wood crackles and pops. The combination of these elements is mesmerizing. It is therapy.

There’s not a time of year when a person can’t find their own little slice of nature so close to the city at Branched Oak SRA near Lincoln.

To observe the night sky, Nebraska’s remote locations are tops. Merritt Reservoir has earned official confirmation of its brilliance after dark.