South Platte, North Fork — 01. Bailey to Pine

Bailey Canyon is one of the most excellent runs in Colorado and should be taken seriously. The general nature is Class IV-V creeking in a committing wilderness canyon. Bailey is remote, tight, and technical, and surrounded by private property at the beginning and end of the canyon, making it very difficult to hike out of. The three Class V rapids are tough to recognize, so your first run should be guided by a Bailey veteran. At flows above 600 cfs, the rapids get significantly more pushy through this tight canyon. Please be very aware of private property on this run. The first 4+ miles run through private property on both sides until you get to the First Falls portage and private property begins again shortly after Deer Creek rapid. Please respect private property through here and absolutely do not defacate, camp, or build campfires on private property. No matter where you are - pack it in, pack it out. If you do get seriously injured and need to hike out before or after the canyon, please be very respectful of private property owners. There is a historic narrow gauge railroad grade that parallels the river providing a perfect scouting trail for all the rapids. One of the bridges you duck under dates from 1886! The trail on the old railroad grade changes sides of the river. From Four Falls to The Steeps section the trail is on river right, from Super Max to the take-out it is on river left. After four miles of mellow Class II/III is Four-Falls, the first significant rapid (Class V, V+ if you run the first drop). Public property begins directly above Four Falls. The landowners have been tolerant of paddlers in the past, but they have complained about paddlers urinating on the trail and leaving behind their broken boats. They have asked us to pee in the river, if necessary, and pack out what you pack in. We can't afford to lose access here on this awesome run! The mile after Four Falls is collectively dubbed 'The Steeps', with numerous class III, IV, and IV+ rapids. This section can be very stressful for Bailey virgins, as Bailey veterans usually don't want to scout it! In the three miles from Four Falls to Deer Creek, the river drops 441 feet! After Deer Creek private property begins again and the significant gradient is over, but there are still 4+ miles with scattered Class III and IV rapids. This is far and away the most beautiful part of the run, so it's a great time to lean back, relax, and admire the granite domes and bedrock rapids. A fire raged through this section in 2000. Shuttle directions: The put-in is reached from Hwy. 285 mile 222.2 (at the east side of Bailey) where you turn onto Hwy. 68.  After turning south on Hwy 68, you will see a feed store, liquor store and some businesses.  The put in is behind these businesses and is called McGraw Park.  A new parking lot is being constructed for park access that is to the left (downstream) of these stores.  Current parking (limited) is available to the right of the businesses by the old footbridge.  Do not park in the store parking spots out front or the irate feed store operator will try to have you towed.  Kayakers used to use a put in downstream at a bridge with culverts.  The landowners no longer want kayakers using their property to put in, so please use the put in at the town of Bailey.  Note that there are two culverts which are navigable under the bridge about a ¼ mile downstream of the takeout.  Be careful of wood at the culverts. These are also some of the best eddy lines on the river if you're in a slice boat. Again, the first four miles flow through private property and there are a lot of fishermen who pay $$$ for the privilege of fishing here. Please help maintain good relations with these landowners so we all can avoid any conflict. To reach the take-out, turn south off Hwy. 205 at mile 229 onto Pine Valley Rd. Follow this road 5.9 miles and then take a right on Crystal Lake Rd. This road ends in 1.3 miles at Pine Valley Ranch Park which is about as good as a takeout as you could ask for, with a huge paved parking lot right next to the river with no fees to pay. If you're a fun hog bring your mountain bike as there are a lot of trails here. Run time is between 3-5 hours. The shuttle is 30 minutes one way on paved roads. Check out Mike Albrecht's pics of Bailey. For more information on Bailey, check out Whitewater of the Southern Rockies, The New Testament.