Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, Wellington, CO
Located 26 miles north of Fort Collins, the remote Soapstone Prairie (which is part of the Fort Collins Natural Areas program), contains the Lindenmeier Archaeological Site, arguably the world’s most important example of Folsom (Paleo-Indian) cultural occupation. Dating back to around 11,000 years ago, the site was originally excavated by the Smithsonian Institute in the 1930s.
A visitor can expect in-depth interpretive presentations from the site’s specially-trained master naturalists and be able to view the bison of the Laramie Foothills Conservation Herd which are descendants of the Yellowstone National Park herd, notable for its valuable and unique disease-resistant genetics. The Lindenmeier Site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Tourism Information
Hours are dawn to dusk, March 1- November 30.
Soapstone Prairie is closed in December, January and February.
No dogs are allowed.
Accessibility
Visitors Welcome.
Directions
Soapstone Prairie is 25 miles north of Fort Collins, allow about an hour travel time. From North College Ave. in Fort Collins, take Hwy 1/ Terry Lake Road to County Road 15 north (towards Waverly). From CR 15, turn north onto Rawhide Flats Road and continue north to the entrance station. There are nine miles of gravel road that can be dusty, rough and bumpy. Please respect our neighbors and be safe by observing the speed limit. From I-25, take exit 288 (Buckeye Road) west to County Road 15. Go north on CR 15 and turn north onto Rawhide Flats Road. Follow Rawhide Flats Rd to the entrance station. Soapstone Prairie is not accessible via I-25 exit 293 (CR 126/CR 5).
