Pawnee Grasslands Murphy Reservoir

Definitely in the different wheeling for Colorado. Trail is easy as billed and when dry really only need 2 wheel and some clearance.

I didn’t do the full trail, but I did start a waypoint #9 and finished at waypoint #14. This trip was on June 1, 2021 and the grasses were just starting to turn green. Great view of the front range mountains. The trail was dry and easily passable from WP #9 to WP #14.

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

Pretty fun and quiet alternative to the usual mountain trails. Did the section between CR 14 and CR96 only. Go early in the day to avoid any storms this time of the year.

Trail is open but I do not recommend going alone. Many of the trails have very deep drifts and the off-shoot trails have some deep ruts combined with drifts = stuck and nothing to set as a winch anchor. It's a beautiful area with a lot to offer. Winter seems like a fun time but you should have some additional vehicles.

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 ran a few other trails including the Willow Creek Loop in the morning and early afternoon and arrived at the end of the Murphy Reservoir trail mid afternoon intending to run it opposite of the direction it is written. Even though it was only mid afternoon, because of the time of year, the sun was already getting low in the sky. We passed the windmill gate and headed on down past the reservoir which was about half full (pretty high for this time of year). We made the jog past the Bird Tour kiosk on County Road 96 and turned south on 607. The lowering sun was now shining in our eyes as we made our way south and west. As we neared the end (beginning?) of the trail, we took a little time to explore the old Atlas Missile site before heading to Highway 14 and driving off into the sunset.

I ran Murphy Reservoir on September 30, 2017 as part of day on the Pawnee Grasslands enjoying some solitude and thinking time. I ran the trail backwards from the described route, starting on County Road 100 and finishing at the old Atlas Missile silo and State Highway 14. There was fog and then sunshine earlier in the day but, by the time I got to Murphy Reservoir, it had clouded up again and was threatening to rain. With rain earlier in the week, I expected the trail to be wet and muddy but, besides a few places here and there, it was mostly dry. The rain did leave its effects, however, as I have never seen the Grasslands so green. Murphy Reservoir was the fullest I have ever seen, as well, backing up over the trail on the northwest end.