Ault, CO

Ault is a small town in Weld County, in the agricultural plains of northern Colorado, with a population of approximately 1,800 residents. It sits along U.S. Highway 85 and has the unhurried character of a farming community rooted in the South Platte River valley. The town is best known as a quiet stopover between larger regional centers, and it serves as a convenient base for travelers exploring northern Colorado's open spaces, university towns, and the High Plains. It lies about fifteen minutes north of Greeley and roughly twenty-five minutes east of Fort Collins, with Denver approximately eighty miles to the south.

East of Ault, the Pawnee National Grassland spreads across roughly 190,000 acres of short-grass prairie managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Visitors come for birding, stargazing under famously dark skies, and drives along quiet roads that reveal sweeping views of the Rockies to the west. The grassland is one of the most accessible slices of the western plains in Colorado and a popular destination for those hiking toward the Pawnee Buttes, a pair of sandstone formations rising above the otherwise level terrain.

West of Ault, about a half-hour drive, Fort Collins offers a college-town mix of craft breweries, the historic Old Town district, and the campus of Colorado State University. Visitors can walk the Old Town streets, take in a show at the Lincoln Center, or tour the original home of New Belgium Brewing. The Poudre River Trail, which traces the Cache la Poudre River corridor, also begins in the Fort Collins area and follows one of Colorado's few designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, with walking and biking paths winding through cottonwood groves and riverside parks.

To the south, about fifteen minutes from Ault, Greeley serves as the Weld County seat and anchors the regional dining and shopping scene. The town hosts the Greeley Stampede, one of the country's older professional rodeos, every summer, and the downtown area features attractions like the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. From Greeley, it is also a short drive to the Windsor area, where Windsor Lake provides easy outdoor recreation for families looking to swim, fish, or picnic.

Together, these offerings make Ault a practical base for travelers who want small-town quiet without sacrificing access to the northern Colorado Front Range. The town's central position between Fort Collins and Greeley, paired with its proximity to public lands like the Pawnee National Grassland, gives short-term rental owners a steady audience of road-trippers, university visitors, outdoor enthusiasts, and rodeo travelers looking for an affordable, well-located place to stay.