Pawnee Grasslands: New Raymer Loop

Sprawling across the plains northeast of Greeley, Colorado, the Pawnee Grasslands are crisscrossed by a network of gravel county roads and 2-track dirt Forest Service Roads. These easy roads offer an alternative to the usual mountain ‘wheeling of the Colorado Rockies, especially from late fall to early spring when many of the mountain trails are snowed in. This route meanders its way up and down several small ridges on the eastern side of the Grasslands providing sweeping views of the vast prairie from the tops of several of them. You also pass a couple of picturesque windmills and several oil extraction facilities. You will likely see many species of birds as the Grasslands are an internationally known bird-watching destination. Antelope and prairie dogs are also common and occasionally you will see mule deer, coyotes, rabbits, and other wildlife. New Raymer Loop makes an excellent snow-wheeling destination when there has been a storm on the plains since it is open year-round and there are no shelf roads or major obstacles that would make for a dangerous situation in the snow.