Photo: Ponderosa RanchWorking ranch
Crawford, Nebraska
Ponderosa Ranch
Pine Ridge cattle and hunting ranch with a weekday stay built around calving and branding.
Hands-on cattle work
- Season
- Spring and fall weeks
- Ages
- Trail rides 6+
What you'll do
- A Monday-to-Friday stay built around roundup, sorting, shots and branding
- Short guided trail rides, sold separately
When to go
- Spring 2026 ranch-work weeks ran March 23 to April 11, around calving and branding
- Fall weeks follow shipping season; dates weren't posted yet
Who it's for
- Small groups: the one cabin sleeps four
- Guests who want to help at the busy times of a cattle year
Good to know
- The ranch-work week is a new program, so confirm details with the ranch
- All meals are included
- The property is also a hunting ranch and sells railfan packages
- Trail riders are limited to 250 lb
Getting there
- Chadron or Alliance, Nebraska, with Rapid City and Denver the larger options.
- Cattle work
- Trail riding
Ride for the brand. No branding required.
- Burned on
- Right shoulder, rib and hip
- On record
- Nebraska Brand Committee (opens in a new tab)To find it:
- Last Name: Lefor