Pawnee Buttes - Grover, CO - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Northeast of Keota, 14 miles across the prairie, rise the PAWNEE BUTTES, limestone cliffs fretted by wind and rain, which from a distance resemble an eerie ship sailing on the hazy blue expanse. Their chief interest is the remains of animal life found in their strata. Some catastrophe of the Pliocene and Miocene ages caught innumerable plains animals here. An ancient sea laid over their remains a covering of mud and sand which in the course of centuries turned to limestone. Pawnee Buttes are known to scientists throughout the world. As early as 1875 Professors Cope and Marsh of Yale University were engaged in studying the fossilized remains of a prehistoric horse and camel found here.

Excerpt from Colorado: A Guide to the Highest State, 1941

Rising 300 feet out of the surrounding landscape, these two large bluffs are the most recognizable landmarks in the Pawnee National Grassland (see WMH6P8). A 1.5 mile trail leads to the base of the west butte and can be accessed year-round. However, certain areas are closed from March 1 – June 30 to protect nesting raptors. The buttes are especially striking in late evening or after a recent rainstorm. Parking and restrooms are located at the trailhead (see WMH8N6).