Pawnee Buttes are two striking buttes in northeastern Colorado that rise about 300 feet above the plains as isolated remnants of an older High Plains surface. Their form reflects erosion through layers of sedimentary rock, with softer Brule Formation below and harder sandstone and conglomerate above. North Pawnee Creek has carved the surrounding softer ground into badlands at the edge of the Colorado Piedmont. Vegetation shifts with soil and slope, from shortgrass and mixed prairie to sparse clay-barren plant communities. The area is also valued for hiking, birdwatching, seasonal raptor protection, and its appearance in James A. Michener’s 1974 novel Centennial and the 1978 miniseries.