About Bailey, Colorado

Situated along a scenic curve of the South Platte River, rustic Bailey serves up beautiful alpine scenery, and a backdrop that lends a special charm to this mountain town.

Ann and William Bailey settled a ranch and built a stage station known as Bailey’s Ranch in 1864. The Baileys built a hotel at the station, and the town eventually became known as Bailey. The Denver and South Park Railroad reached Bailey in 1878, and the Bailey Post Office opened on Nov. 20, 1878.

Bailey is located along Route 285 at an elevation of 7756 ft. along the valley of the North Fork of the South Platte River and is one of the largest communities in the Platte Canyon region.

Bailey sits just inside the Lost Creek Wilderness Area in the Pike National Forest, where week-long backpacking trips and day hikes are popular. The logging roads and pack trails crisscrossing the area's hilly terrain are a mountain biker's dream and first-rate fly-fishing opportunities abound.

Fly Fishing, Hiking and Outdoor Enthusiasts
Here is a small sampling of the nearby options available to those seeking outdoor adventures. In addition to parks and hiking trails, your co-host, Don, is an avid fly fisherman and is happy to provide information or assist in arranging guided trips. (Fishing regulations vary by area, so always check them in advance and be aware that it is necessary to purchase a license prior to fishing any Colorado streams.) Call or email us for more information and assistance with planning your visit.)

NEARBY PARKS AND HIKING TRAILS

Flying J Ranch Park
The Ranch, complete with historic runway built by a former airline pilot, lends this park a fitting name.  Healthy meadows, forests, wetlands and streams provide habitat for songbirds, raptors and wintering elk among many species that call this park home.

Pine Valley Ranch Park
A real jewel in the Open Space crown, Pine Valley Ranch offers scenic vistas and recreational opportunities for all. Visitors may enjoy fishing from one of the pond piers, winter ice skating, observatory programs and exploring trails in this southern-most open space park.  Trails also connect to the Pike National Forest for additional recreation.

FISHING in Park County (Bailey Area)
Excerpted from: Fishing in the Park By Rick Kursevich

North Fork of the South Platte: The river is stocked with rainbow, brown and some cutthroat trout during the summer.

Geneva Creek: Some of the trails that hikers use near this creek take them well above timberline, and the views are worth the hard climb to get to them. At the very top, is Guanella Pass at 11,669 feet above sea level.

Square Tops: A wonderful place to fish. The trail into the lakes will take you through high-alpine meadows and in the summer, they are covered with flowers.

Jefferson Lake: Jefferson Lake, elevation 10,687 ft, and covering 125 acres, is located north of the town of Jefferson. The lake is stocked regularly throughout the summer with catchable rainbow.
Jefferson Creek: Runs south out of Jefferson Lake. There are a lot of beaver ponds that hold brook trout. The creek runs through several miles of National Forest land, but is private for a good bit of its length.

Michigan Creek: The creek holds some brook trout, with an average between 8 to 10 inches.
Tarryall Reservoir: Tarryall Reservoir, elevation 9,500 ft, and covering 175 acres, is south of the town of Jefferson. This lake is a popular fishing and camping site. The lake is stocked throughout the summer with rainbows, and some make it through the winter so some good-sized fish, up to 14 to 16 inches, can be caught.

Montgomery Reservoir: An 80-acre lake at an elevation of 10,820 feet. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout, and the best fishing is at the inlet. No boats allowed and fishing season closes in the winter.
Wheeler Lakes: Wheeler Lakes, elevation 12,500 and 12,180 feet, and 4 and 28 acres respectively, both offer good to fair fishing for cutthroat up to 10 inches, with the lower, larger lake being more productive.

Kite and Emma Lakes: These lakes lie in the shadow of Mt. Democrat. Kite Lake, elevation 12,000 feet and covering 6 acres, and Emma Lake, 12,620 feet and 9 acres, are both good to fair for rainbows, but as with all high mountain lakes, they can be moody.

Middle Fork of the South Platte: The Middle Fork of the South Platte starts up by Wheeler Lakes.

Tomahawk State Wildlife Area: Here you can fish the South Platte River south to Spinney Mountain Reservoir. The river at this point is Gold Medal Water and can be fished with flies and lures only. All trout between 12 and 20 inches must be released. There is also a two-trout limit and no more than one fish can be greater than 20 inches.

Antero Reservoir: Antero Reservoir a 1,000-acre lake at an elevation of 8,000 feet, has been one of the most popular lakes to fish through the years.

Spinney Mountain Reservoir: This is one of Colorado's premier fishing spots. The lake, with an elevation of 8,700 feet and covering 2,500 acres, is one of the most popular fishing places throughout the summer. The size and number of different fish available make it so popular.

Gold Medal Water: The stretch of river between Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Elevenmile Reservoir offers some spectacular fishing. Restrictions include using flies and lures only, using one single-point barbless hook, and all fishing is catch and release only. Fish in the five- to seven-pound class are common at different times of the year.

Elevenmile Reservoir: Elevenmile Reservoir, a 3,000-acre lake at an elevation of 8,600 feet, has been producing large fish long before Spinney Mountain Reservoir was ever built. The same holds true today. Big brown trout cruise the shorelines after dark, and anglers sometimes fish all night just to get a chance at one of these monsters. The trout limit is 8, of which no more than two can be over 16 inches. Northern Pike have the same regulations, with a 10-fish limit. You may keep only one pike over 34 inches.

Elevenmile Canyon: Just below Elevenmile Dam is another stretch of the river that offers good fishing. Since 1993, special regulations have set aside 2.5 miles of the river for growing wild trout. So far it has been a success.

Lake George: Lake George downstream from Elevenmile is a privately-owned lake. The river above and below the lake is rated excellent, but the lake itself is only rated fair due to the heavy fishing pressure.

Tributary Creeks: Many smaller creeks feed the forks of the South Platte throughout Park County. These often have amazingly good-sized trout lurking in them for the clever and patient anglers. For those of you who want to get away from the crowd, try the Lost Park Wilderness Area.

Call or email us with your questions about the area, and we’ll make every effort to help plan a fun stay in Bailey and the all-time Rocky Mountain beautiful Park County!