The Pawnee Pioneer Trails byway near Sterling includes gravel roads

The Pawnee Pioneer Trails byway is one of the marked scenic drives that ties into Sterling and the Eastern Plains. It is a fine trip, but it is not a quick errand, and it helps to treat it like the rural drive it is.

The route crosses open country between small towns, and some sections, especially out toward the Pawnee Buttes and the national grassland, are unpaved county and gravel roads. After heavy rain or snow, those roads can turn soft and rutted, and some may not be passable at all. Plains weather can also bring sudden wind, hail, or storms with little cover between towns.

So the basics matter more here than on a highway. Start with a full tank, because services are spread far apart. Carry water and a charged phone, watch the sky, and do not count on every gravel road being graded or dry. If the weather looks bad, it is reasonable to turn back.

None of this should scare you off. It is just what driving the open Eastern Plains asks of you.

For the byway route and conditions, check the Colorado Department of Transportation scenic byways pages and, for the grassland roads, the U.S. Forest Service Pawnee National Grassland; use COtrip for current road status.