Pawnee Grasslands Willow Creek Loop

A great trail to experience the scenery of the grasslands with great views of the front range on a clear day. There were no challenges or obstacles, some ruts and washouts on the main road bed were easily bypassed. Some of the trail markers have been damaged, pay attention at intersections as there are a lot of two-tracks out there.

Although I did not run this specific trail, the trails I did run on Pawnee Grasslands on December 26 were clear and dry.

We went out to Pawnee Grasslands to get pics and data for a refresh of the trail guide for Willow Creek Loop. My wife, Missy, and our dog, Ranger were riding along so we took our stock Grand Cherokee to be a little more comfortable. Also along in her mildly modded 1977 Plymouth Trailduster (Dusty) was our daughter, Leona, her boyfriend, Steve, and her dog, Mason. We had nice weather except it was a bit windy. The trail was muddy in places from the recent rain but not too bad. There was one spot where the mud made the Grand slip into some deeper ruts and high center. Leona pulled me out easily and we continued without incident. The dogs enjoyed getting out several times and exploring the new sights, sounds and especially smells. Steve was scouting for pronghorns as he has an antelope tag for the fall in the general area. We did see several, although not the very large herds we sometimes encounter. There were also plenty of prairie dogs, a few rabbits and what I think was a badger but I didn’t get a really good look at it as it scurried away. If it was a skunk, it was a very large one. Overall it was a very nice family outing.

Me and my buddies always do this loop after a snowstorm or after a lot of rain, and driving it after the 2 ft of snow we got right before Thanksgiving was a blast! There was lots of drift busting, some getting stuck, and a great chance to test out the Duratracs! Both the Jeep and the Tacoma did great!

Calvary 4-Wheelers took a mid December trip to the Pawnee Grasslands on Saturday, December 16. 2017. Along for the trip were Jon and Katie in Jon's red Cherokee, Karen in her red JK and me in my dark green Cherokee. According to the calendar this was supposed to be a snow wheeling trip but the weather has been very mild this fall and there was no snow to be found. The day was partly cloudy to mostly sunny and would have been quite pleasant if it had not been for a cold, stiff breeze out of the north. We started the day running a couple of short trails on the western edge of the Grasslands in the morning and got to the Willow Creek trailhead a little after noon. We headed down 116 and connected to 241 enjoying the desolate beauty of the short grass prairie and the Willow Creek drainage. As we turned north on 69 we startled a small herd of pronghorns and watched as they raced off to the west. Once they were out of view we made our way north to 671. As we made our way around 671, we encountered another herd of pronghorns that ran off to the south as we turned north toward County Road 120. From County Road 120 we turn south again on 69 but, instead of turning west on 114 to complete the loop, we continued south past the old homestead and exited to the east on 110, heading for Murphy Reservoir.

Life had been piling up on me so I took a day to head to the Pawnee Grasslands for some solitude and thinking time. I drove through fog from Denver to Fort Collins on my way to the grasslands but it lifted by late morning and there was sunshine for a couple hours before it clouded up again. Rain threatened all through the afternoon but nothing more than a few light sprinkles actually fell. After exploring a couple of short tracks I had not done before, I headed to the Willow Creek Loop, opting to start at the end of the track as described. I had expected it to be fairly wet and muddy since there was rain earlier in the week but, except for a few patches here and there, the trail was pretty much dry. There were a few people out along the county roads, mostly target shooters and one rancher rounding up some cattle, but, once I got on the two-track, I had the whole world to myself (except for a few stubborn cows that only reluctantly yielded the right-of-way). I proceeded south on FSR 63 to the junction with FSR 116 and FSR 241. From there I turned right, through the gate and onto FSR 241. I followed FSR 241 along the Willow Creek Drainage and then east along the fence line to FSR 69. From there, rather than turning north to complete the loop, I turned south past the abandoned homestead and exited via FSR 110.