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Pioneering Plains

Marked by waves of plains, grassland and shallow canyons, these lands are full of traditional character, a pioneering spirit and 100-year-old farms. Slow things down here to relish an authentic and memorable vacation.

Pioneering Plains
Cities in This Region
The sun is setting across Colorado's eastern plains with heavy clouds on a blue sky and a lone windmill.
Pawnee Pioneer Trails Scenic & Historic Byway
A person sits on a white horse while four people in cowboy hats sit on blue metal railing at the 4th of July Rodeo in Brush.
4th of July Rodeo in Brush
A historical school room with wooden desks and a old stove and a teacher's desk at the Overland Trail Museum.
Overland Trail Museum in Sterling
A monument that has a person riding a horse sits atop a base that says "Pony Express" sits under a blue sky at golden hour.
Pony Express Monument in Julesburg
The Pawnee Buttes are bathed in golden light at sunset.
Pawnee Buttes
A close up of a detailed, painted silver carousel horse at the Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington
Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington
The rocky shore of the lake at North Sterling State Park sits under a sunny blue sky.
North Sterling State Park
The yellow brick Julesburg Depot Museum sits under a cloudy blue sky with green grass and a flagpole with an American flag blowing in the wind out front.
Depot Museum in Julesburg
A red wooden building sits on green grass with green-leafed trees in the background at Grover Depot Museum
Grover Depot Museum

Travelers looking to hit the refresh button, to rediscover their sense of adventure and to slow their pace will find joy in the trailblazing history of this region. It’s as unspoiled and friendly as the West can get. Locals are in-touch with their hard-earned roots making each small town in the region highly authentic.

After the Louisiana Purchase, pioneers flocked to Colorado by the thousands, traversing the land in covered wagons, finding the plains a place to farm. Learn about those pioneers at the Overland Trail Museum, once the most traveled road in America in Sterling, and drive across tracks laid by early railroad pioneers.

Today’s farming looks more like the Yuma Irrigation Research Farm where you can learn about government tested methods of soil conservation. Or spot wind farms near Holyoke, the white propellers towering over the rolling lands.

Experience the Mountain Plover Festival in Karval, celebrating a unique bird of the region. Or go bird-watching in Limon’s wetlands area. Spot mule deer, coyote and pronghorns (antelope) near the twin 300-foot-tall Pawnee Buttes in Pawnee National Grassland. Hunt deer, quail and turkeys near Wray. Cheer on rodeo riders at the Brush Rodeo held every July. Ride hand carved wooden horses, giraffes and lions while whirling to the music of a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ on the 1905 Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington.

The Pioneering Plains will teach you about the life of those early trailblazers against backdrops of picturesque vistas, star-filled skies (no light pollution out here) and the sweetest of people. As the grasses sway in a gentle breeze, take a deep breath of that fresh air and stop thinking for a minute. This part of the state is all about getting back to your roots, exploring human nature and just spending time with one another. Each town brings something to the table, all you have to do is sit down and listen.

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