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The Pawnee Buttes of Colorado

A part of Colorado that most never see, well off the beaten path.

By Bill ColemanPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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The Pawnee Buttes of Colorado
Photo by Kevin Payan on Unsplash

There is a reason why tourists and native Coloradoans alike are drawn to the mountains-- they are awe-inspiringly beautiful and teeming with fun things to do. That is where we spend most of our vacation time in Colorado. However, on this beautiful day in May, we decided to visit an area where we had never been before-- the Pawnee Buttes. The buttes are a part of the Pawnee National Grasslands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

The Pawnee National Grasslands encompasses 193,000 acres of public land, and the Pawnee Buttes are just a small portion of it. The hour trip to the buttes on Highway 14 from Fort Collins is like no other drive we have ever taken in Colorado.

Once we got past the little town of Ault, we saw very few other cars and very few people. What we saw was short grass prairie--– and more short grass prairie, a world away from the mountains to the west.

Make sure you have a full take of gas before you leave Ault.

To get to the buttes from the main road, we took several dirt roads, occasionally passing a car or a motor home. Each vehicle that we passed kicked up a cloud of thick dust, but we were happy to see the dust. Had it not been for those cars and their dust, we might have questioned whether we were on the right road. Dirt roads crisscross the area-- get on the wrong one and you could drive a long time before you realize you are on the wrong one. There are few highway signs or billboards in the area.

When we finally reached the buttes, we were pleasantly surprised that it was not going to cost us anything to park our car or see the buttes.

From the parking lot, it is a mile and a half to the West Butte and another half mile to the East Butte. We forgot to take water with us, and there was no water anywhere in the area. This was in May, and it was sweltering. Dehydration can be a serious problem here, so remember to take water with you. Other than the heat, the hike was easy. The trails are on rolling land with small slopes. We saw children walking the entire route, having a great time.

The Pawnee Buttes rise to a height of 350 feet. The genesis of their creation began between 70 and 90 million years ago when this area was covered in seawater. Eventually, the surface of the earth began to move, draining the sea. Streams carried sediments, which hardened into sandstone. Approximately 5 million years ago, this area was pushed up. Fast running streams caused severe erosion. The buttes are what did not erode. The tops of the buttes are close to what the rest of the area looked like before the erosion.

Few places in the world have there been more discoveries of vertebrate fossils; over 100 species have been found here.

The area surrounding the buttes was once favored hunting ground for the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Pawnee because grazing animals depended on the native grasses for their survival. Herds of bison as far as the eyes could see grazed there. The buttes served as landmarks for tribal meetings.

Eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey nest in the area, but we did not see any on our visit. Nor did we see any antelope or a rattlesnake, both of which are common in the area. The only wildlife we saw were some small birds.

We took the wrong road soon after we left Pawnee Buttes and drove in the wrong direction for about twenty minutes. If you have time, drive one of these dirt roads for a while and see a part of Colorado that most never see, well off the beaten path.

We enjoyed our trip; we added it to our list of places experienced, but it is one of those places that we will not see again.

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About the Creator

Bill Coleman

Hello! I am a traveler, outdoorsman, and writer.

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