Pawnee National Grassland

Pawnee Buttes rises up from the grassland that shares its name.

The Pawnee National Grassland, 90 miles northeast of Denver in Weld County near Briggsdale, preserves 193,060 acres of expansive grasslands in two units located 30 miles east of Fort Collins and 20 miles northeast of Greeley.

The grassland is criss-crossed by many steep ravines.

The grassland is fairly level, elevations range from 4,900 feet on the prairie to 5,500 feet at the summit of the Pawnee Buttes. Pawnee Buttes is a famous geological feature in this grassland.

The Pawnee National Grassland is intermingled with private and state-owned land, so it is a good idea to purchase a Forest Service map of the Pawnee to be sure you are on public ground.

A self-guided car tour starting in the Crow Valley Recreation Area takes visitors through several distinct bird habitats scattered among old homesteads. There is a camping and picnic area with accessible trails.

Mountain bikes are not permitted on the Pawnee Buttes hiking trail, but are allowed elsewhere. The Pawnee Buttes area cliffs are closed to public access from March 1 to June 30 to protect nesting raptors. However, the hiking trail is open year round.

The Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic Byway passes through the grassland. People ride horses in the grassland, but there are no developed trails.

The grassland was transferred to the U.S. Forest Service from the Soil Conservation Service in 1954. The Conservation Service acquired the prairie during the dust bowl days of the 1930s, and was charged with its rehabilitation. It was designated a National Grassland in 1960.