Plants of North Sterling State Park

North Sterling State Park is located on the high plains of northeast Colorado in Logan County, 12 miles north of the town of Sterling and 20 miles south of the Nebraska border. The Pawnee National Grasslands are 20 miles to the west and the Chimney Canyons bluffs are just north of the park. The North Sterling State Parks contains 1,500 acres of land and 2,895 surface acres of water when the North Sterling Reservoir is at capacity. Elevation of the park ranges from 4,065 to 4,138 feet. The park lies in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, receiving less than fifteen inches of annual precipitation. The combination of low precipitation, low humidity and relatively flat topography has created a shortgrass prairie ecosystem. Other habitats include disturbed rangeland, rabbitbrush/grass mix, cottonwood, willow, sedge, and herbaceous riparian. Additional moisture from the reservoir has created wetland and riparian communities that support a greater abundance of plant and animal species than normally would be found in the region. less ↑