About this campground
The Pawnee Buttes are located in the northeast corner of Weld County, Colorado, approximately 13 miles south of the Wyoming border. A predominant geologic feature within the Pawnee National Grassland, the Buttes rise 300 feet above the prairie. A 1.5 mile trail leads hikers to the first Butte. The second Butte is on private land. If there is a gate, leave it the same way you found it. As the rock is crumbling sandstone, climbing on the Buttes is not recommended. Take a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water, as temperatures may top one hundred degrees in July and August. Please do not disturb any hawks and falcons nesting in the rocky cliffs. The Pawnee Buttes trail is open year round; however, there is a nearby closure annually from March 1 – June 30 to protect any nesting raptors. To clearly understand what is closed, check this map. Please stay on the main trail during this time as adults may desert their eggs or young birds if disturbed.
Getting there
Trailhead lat and long: 40.808015, -103.990222
Activities
- AUTO TOURING
- HIKING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Crow Valley Recreation AreaArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG21 mi
- Pawnee Bird TourArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG21 mi
- CROW VALLEYArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG22 mi
- Lee and Dorothy Rhodes Farm Implement MuseumArapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG22 mi
- Filter Plant River Access Point (Put-In)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG66 mi
- Bridges River Access Point (Take-Out #2)Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee NG67 mi
Explore more Colorado camping
Pawnee Buttes Trailhead doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Colorado campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse Colorado camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.