Pawnee Buttes - Dispersed Camping

A few little pull offs with fire rings - very pretty scenery and nice sunsets / stargazing. No trees obviously because of the grassland, so no shade or wind protection. Wasn’t very cold or super windy when we visited in July. Good stopover if you’re stretching from Missouri or Nebraska to/from Colorado.

Nice views, but a lot of cactus.

Very windy area but nice enough for a quick stop driving though.

You have to drive for several miles on some bumpy roads, but my Ford transit handled it fine. There are a couple spots with fire rings before the main trailhead, and then many options if you keep driving. Really beautiful but verrrry windy. My van rocked me to sleep every night. Overall peaceful and pretty. Also there was an adorably stubborn cow blocking the road on my way out. Really added to the ambiance :-)

It's a decent camp spot. We went on memorial weekend and we were able to find a spot. His Subaru outback made it and we saw sedans get up there just fine.

Cows do use the area and may wander into your site. Cactus are a thing and it can get really windy. Our tent was staked down and we angled it so the side wasn't collapsing on us. Cooking during the wind was nearly impossible but doable with some engineering.

Neighbors were quiet and the terrain made it so that we didn't see who camped in the next spots nearest us.

It's decent if you want to get away for a day or two, wander around at your leisure, and read.

Pit toilet available at the Buttes trailhead.

Verizon service is spotty but I was still able to use maps.

Lots of nice sites with fire pits. There are pit toilets at the trailhead as well. Pretty good Verizon service at most spots. My only complaint is that when I was there it was super windy!

Easy drive to the campground area even towing a trailer. A bit dusty but at the end you can find nice grassy area (after all, it is a National Grasslands). Very windy place (hence the windmills in far distance) but we were lucky to get some breaks in between and set up the trailer to shield us against the wind. Stayed couple of nights and did the hikes to both of the “buttes”. From the second one you can get nice areal views if you climb a bit. It took us 3h in a very easy pace, lots of photo and views stops. It can probably be done in and 1h to 1.30h.

great distance from denver/fort collins if you wanna get away for a couple nights. decent trail and plenty of spots within walking distance of a bathroom. you can see the windmills but i don’t mind!

B

Loved this spot! Stopped on my way east through NE Colorado for the night and watched the sun set over the buttes. Absolutely lovely. Can see the windmills in the distance but I don’t mind that. Found a spot tucked in right off the road. Easy camping and a lovely spot for a night or two.

This place is definitely off the beaten path and so worth it! I managed to get a spot on a cliff overlooking the picnic, bathroom, and trail head area with a great view of the buttes. I could see other campers, which made me feel a bit more comfortable as I was alone, so if anything happened, there were several people within earshot, but far enough away to be alone with nature. Met a fellow traveler as well, and we enjoyed the trail together with our pups. Will definitely come back and stay more than one night to explore the trail more.

We came at the tail end of January to test out our new Airstream. It was very nice and secluded but REALLY windy. Not drop dead gorgeous but a great scene to stay at for a day or two. Wind was fine in the trailer but would be awful to tent camp this time of year. View is very nice and it’s really quiet. We were the only ones that we could see here. Cell service was spotty but still was pretty good. Spaces were clearly visible from the road and were very spacious to park. Roads were a bit bumpy coming in but definitely easy to get through. Would love to come back here in the summer. Picnic area/trailhead looked to be very well maintained.

Multiple dispersed campsites approaching the Pawnee Buttes trailhead from the west and southwest. I camped (rooftop tent) on the bluff overlooking the trailhead parking lot, approached from the south. Chilly at night (10 degrees) but no wind.

Spectacular view of the Pawnee Buttes to the east. Perfect spot to catch sunrise and sunset. This area is also a “dark site,” so on clear, moonless nights the stars / Milky Way are phenomenal.

During winter snow often drifts onto the roads. If snowy, 4-wheel drive / high clearance helpful for accessing some of the dispersed sites.

Trailhead restrooms are open year-round.

Consistent 3 bars 5G (AT&T). 200 Mbps down / 16 Mbps up.

This is an unexpected gem very close to our house where you can't see a tree for miles. It's peaceful and not crowded. Be sure to check the forecast because it can get very windy at times.

I showed up Monday evening. There were two cars in the parking lot, but there were two groups of people coming down the trail also, so by the time I had all my stuff situated to start hiking, I was the only one there. I found an awesome spot inside a ravine (it was very dry so I wasn’t worried about flash floods (still not smart) so wouldn’t do so in the winter) where I was visited by a badger, a porcupine, some antelope and many birds. I also found Mouse Bones so I’m sure there are mice. BUTTE-iful sunset, BUTTE-iful stars, BUTTE-iful sunrise, again everyone left by the time my camp was set up so I was all alone. 10/10 would recommend to campers, bikers, hikers, photographers, bird watchers, and just anyone who loves nature!!!!!🤘🏽

Very remote area, no water, power, tables but absolutely stunning views. I would advise using a motor vehicle usage map to get out to the trail. I used one and had no problem. Our camping neighbor’s said they had a hard time finding the spot with just google maps. Whoever camped before us left some trash but we took it with us when we left. Great night sky’s and good trails all around for hiking. Planning to go back!

Bathrooms and picnic tables available, not too crowded. Great sunsets and sunrises.