Pawnee Buttes

Pawnee Buttes
Pawnee Buttes and National Grassland
Map of Colorado with Pawnee National Grasslands highlighted in red
Location	Keota, Colorado, Weld County, Colorado, United States
Coordinates	40°49′24″N 103°58′10″W / 40.82333°N 103.96944°W / 40.82333; -103.96944
Elevation	1,594 m (5,230 ft)
Established	United States National Grassland
Operator	United States Forest Service

The Pawnee Buttes are two prominent buttes in northeastern Colorado. The west butte is located within the Pawnee National Grassland, while the east butte is on private land in Weld County. Rising approximately 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding plains, the buttes are erosional remnants left standing in isolation as the surrounding High Plains surface has gradually worn away. The lower portions of the buttes are composed of relatively soft, clay-rich sedimentary rock called the Brule formation. The Brule formation is protected by an overlying layer of sandstone and conglomerate sediments called the Arikaree formation, which are more resistant to weathering.^[1]