With the expansion of America into the West, explorers and settlers could hardly believe their eyes when looking upon the Great Plains. What they saw were buffalo, antelope, deer and even bears, roaming the grasslands for as far as the eye could see. In northeastern Colorado, a unique byway leads you through an expanse of what was, and still is, a fascinating landscape.
Begin your road trip in the town of Ault, just north of Greeley, and head east into the Pawnee National Grassland along Colorado Highway 14. This is a dry and hardy stretch of the plains, the result of a rain shadow — an area where rain ceases to fall because passing moisture has been wrung out of the clouds like a sponge by the Rockies to the west. But “dry” doesn’t mean “desolate.” In springtime, unique wildflowers blossom across the grassland.
The route leaves Highway 14 and wanders across the grassland to Pawnee Buttes, two fortress-like mesas that rise seemingly at random from the level land. At 250 feet tall, their appearance on the horizon may seem startling. A hiking trail leads visitors to the geologic wonders, and photographers will delight in the area’s beautiful shadows at dawn and dusk.
From Pawnee Buttes, the route returns to Highway 14 and east to
Sterling along the South Platte River.
Sterling is the largest town in this corner of the state, and the old Overland Trail passes through, a spur of the Oregon Trail that brought miners to the Rockies seeking fortune. Head southwest along I-76 to the charming agricultural town of
Fort Morgan, where swing great Glenn Miller went to high school.
To complete the tour, head north back toward the national grassland on Colorado Highway 52, and either retrace your steps to
Ault, or drive directly on Highway 14.
Total distance: 128 miles
Suggested time: 3 hours
Scenic & Historic Byways Overview
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