Pawnee National Grassland

The Pawnee Grasslands is not really a "site", but rather an area in northeastern Colorado made up of criss-crossed dirt roads connecting to paved highways, particularly Highways 14, running east and west, and Highways 77 and 71 which run north and south. The area is a checkerboard of public BLM lands and private agricultural/energy property. The main feature is the Pawnee Buttes located between Highways 77 and 71, north of Keota, an old ghost town in the area. The Buttes are only accessible via dirt roads, but worth the visit, as are most interesting spots -- dirt roads. There are a few bird viewing drives just off Highway 14, which can be hard to find. The best season is late spring for green and flowers, and dawn and sunsets show off the clouds and light in the area best.

Pawnee National Grassland and the Pawnee Buttes are probably my favorite place in Northeastern Colorado. The area is remote, peaceful, and pretty.

My favorite time to visit is in the late spring; that's when the grass is at it's greenest, some wildflowers are present, and the afternoon weather is dramatic.

The roads can be confusing, so plan ahead. Cell coverage can be spotty, so if you're using your cell phone for navigation then I suggest downloading the map tiles for offline use before you go.

We had a difficult time even finding the Pawnee National Grassland. There was a lot of driving down dirt roads hoping we were heading in the right direction as there isn't a whole lot of signage to indicate you're on the right path. After hours of getting turned around and driving through grasslands we finally arrived to see...grasslands and two small buttes.

My friend was fed up enough by that point that she refused to get out of the car. I took a few pictures and we headed back to Ft. Collins.

I recommend visiting if you feel like going for a mellow drive and keep your expectations low.