The grassland is located in the South Platte River basin in remote northern and extreme northeastern Weld County between Greeley and Sterling.

It comprises two parcels totaling 193,060 acres (78,130 ha) largely between State Highway 14 and the Wyoming border.

The town of Grover is located directly between the two large parcels of the grasslands near Crow Creek.

Bird watching is a popular recreational activity for day hikers, especially at the Chalk Bluffs, a raptor nesting site.

Recreational activities on the Pawnee Grasslands have been somewhat curtailed over the last 10 years due to the discovery of extractable oil and natural gas.

There are eleven vegetation zones represented with the most unique being the scarp woodlands on the north face of the buttes.

[5] The wildlife of the grasslands is best represented near the buttes, with pronghorn, deer, bison, prairie dog, coyotes, black-tailed jackrabbit, and numerous rodents.

The best locations for viewing wildflowers are near rocky outcrops or wet potholes, such as are found near the Pawnee Buttes.