Two Buttes (Prowers County HP)

Two Buttes (Prowers County HP)

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 37.65967°N / 102.54235°W
Additional Information County: Prowers County
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 4711 ft / 1436 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Two ButtesThe base of Two Buttes.


Rising out of the plains of southeastern Colorado stands Two Buttes, the highest point in Prowers County, about 30 miles SSE from Lamar, Colorado and 27 miles west of the Kansas state line. The formation is a twin-summited hill that rises about 300 feet above the surrounding flatness. The south summit is about 30 feet higher than the north summit, which is separated by a 100 yard-long saddle. Located only a couple miles from US HWY 287/385, it offers the only real uphill hiking for many miles, yet most likely the only people to climb it are county highpointers and perhaps some locals. At 4,711 feet, it is the 5th lowest Colorado County highpoint, yet most likely the most interesting one of Eastern Colorado, with it not being merely a "flat" highpoint. The views from the summits are very expansive, because there is absolutely nothing surrounding it except farmland. The white grain silos in the town of Pritchett, located about 35 miles southwest can be seen on a clear day. Bagging Two Buttes is a very worthwhile activity to do while in this seldom visited area of Colorado. The vegetation on Two Buttes consists of typical high plains grasses and yucca plants.

Two Buttes has the honor of being the lowest elevation peak in Colorado that has a SummitPost page, at least for now.

Getting There

US Highway 287/385 is located a couple miles west of Two Buttes, which makes access pretty simple. From the corner of Main and Olive Streets (which is US 50, US 287, and US 385) in Lamar, Colorado (population 8,800), drive about 29.4 miles south on HWY 287/385 to Country Road B.5 (CR-B.5), where Two Buttes will be clearly visible. This intersection is located 18 miles north of the smaller town of Springfield, CO (population 1,500). Turn east on CR-B.5 and go 3.9 miles. Bear right onto CR-12 and travel .6 miles (4.5 miles from the highway) to a small dirt pull out in front of a fence on the left. There is a place to hop the fence here.

Hike uphill and ascend 300 feet to the summit. Base to summit time should take 5-15 minutes.

Red Tape

This is most likely private property, yet a lack of signage and evidence of other hikers suggests that access is not an issue here. This is most likely a "party spot" for Springfield locals, which is evidenced by some trash on the summit. Of course you already know this, but please don't litter and keep the place clean. Pick up one beer bottle before heading back to the car

Looking west to the Wind FarmView from the summit.

Camping

No formal camping in the area, but the trailhead is dirtbag-friendly. Motels are located in Lamar or Springfield.

External Links

-Peakbagger entry

-A couple trip reports

-Summit panorama