Situated along a scenic curve in the South Platte River, rustic Bailey serves up healthy meals and beautiful alpine scenery. Its mountain backdrop lends a particular charm to this sleepy mountain town.
Five acres at self-guided McGraw Park feature several historic structures, including an 1864 log cabin and a one-room schoolhouse from 1894. The park leads to a trail offering another 10 acres for exploration. 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.
If your stomach's begging for a pit stop, the local eateries should satisfy the craving. Whether you stop in Bailey for a quick lunch or a week-long excursion, be on the lookout — a herd of bighorn sheep live in the mountains just outside town.
