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| Bailey
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Avg Rating:
Current Rating
Total Votes:
no votes
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Run Length
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10.5 miles
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Average Gradient
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85 fpm
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Difficulty
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Class V-
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Recommended Flow
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>250 cfs
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River
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South Platte River, North Fork
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Location
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Bailey, Colorado, United States
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Author
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Brian Adkins
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Current Flow & Weather
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| 335 cfs |  |  | 67° |
Weather Forecast | | For BAILEY, 80421 |
| | Today |  | | Hi: 67° | |
| Lo: 38° | | A Few Clouds |
| | Friday |  | | Hi: 74° | |
| Lo: 43° | | Partly Cloudy |
| | Saturday | | | Hi: 74° | |
| Lo: 46° | | Partly Cloudy |
| | Sunday | | | Hi: 81° | |
| Lo: 49° | | Partly Cloudy |
| | Monday | | | Hi: 76° | |
| Lo: 42° | | Partly Cloudy |
| | Tuesday | | | Hi: 66° | |
| Lo: 45° | | Partly Cloudy |
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Drainage
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South Platte
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Elevation
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7710ft to 6825ft
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The general nature of Bailey is "easy" creeking in a beautiful forested wilderness canyon. Bailey is somewhat remote, low-volume, tight and technical. The three class V rapids are difficult to recognize, so your first run should be with a Bailey veteran.
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 is river right from Four Falls to "The Steeps" section, from Super Max to the take-out it is on river left. From the put-in there is about 4 miles of mellow II/III before Four-Falls, the first major rapid (class IV+, V if you run the first drop). Four Falls is located on private property. 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 urinate in the river, if necessary, and pack out what you pack in. Sounds reasonable. Most of us will want to portage 1st fall, so we can't afford to lose access here!
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 3 miles from Four Falls to Deer Creek the river drops 441 feet! After Deer Creek 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.
There are several trees down across the river below Supermax, but at this time you can squeek by them. There is a large river wide tree down below Deer Creek rapid, mandatory portage.
Flow Information:
- Low: 150 - 300 cfs
- Med: 300 - 600 cfs
- High: 600+ cfs
Gauge Information:
The main gauge used for Bailey indicates the flow at the put in (Current Level above). The following link provides the take out gauge reading: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/uv/?site_no=06706400&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
Video Clips:
- Deer Creek & Four Falls by Troy Hartman
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Supermax!
Paddler:Brian Adkins
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| Disclaimer |
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Show Large Images
| | Put-In
Drive to the town of Bailey on Hwy. 285. Turn left and park immediately behind Sulley's Tavern, right next to the river, is public parking. This is a better put-in than the one at the bridge 1/4 mile downstream because you don't have to trespass. But at either put-in only leave one car because parking is limited, and the take-out parking is immense. The two culverts under the bridge have plenty of room even at high water. | | | Dream Home (Mile 4.0) Class III
After ducking under a really low bridge, there is a stunning home river left. This is the end of the long boring II/III paddle in. From here it's continuous Class III boulder gardens until Four Falls. |  | Four Falls (Mile 4.3) Class V-
Proceed with caution through the Class III, and get out river right as soon as you see the cliff on river left. Eddy options are scarce in this stretch, and the closer you get to the drop the harder it is to eddy out. The 1st Fall (V+) is very scary. You should portage right and seal launch into the pool at the base, it's way more fun than getting gripped over a dinky four foot ledge. 2nd falls has a big hole itchin' to stand you on your stern. The sweet line is get speed up left to right across the tongue and boof into the tight space between the hole and the pyramid rock on the right. There is no pool above 3rd fall so charge right and catch the eddy at the top. From here you can ferry over to the center channel or boof hard left in the right channel. There is a slight pool before 4th fall, a simple ledge. Run it right down the middle, a boof left would help but not critical. | | | Steepness 1 (The Notch) (Mile 4.5) Class IV+
A collective name for the fun continuous stretch between The Notch and Steepness 2. You can generally run it all right down the middle. It's pushy and steep but doesn't really have any big holes hiding behind the horizon lines. |  | Steepness 2 (Mile 4.8) Class IV+
This one has a wicked pin spot, but if you let it, the current will push you away from it. The entrance zigs left then right, then let the current push you far left again. There is a rock jumble in the middle of the rapid just below. From here on just keep it straight to punch the holes in the bottom. | | | The Steeps (Mile 5.0) Class IV
"The Steeps" continue in a III+/IV- fashion for about a 1/2 mile and dump you in a wide and shallow II/III stretch. |  | Super Max (Mile 5.5) Class V+
A twisting, surging, pounding, beautiful rapid! Super Max is a Colorado classic that no gnarr aficionado should miss! Look out for the small rock cairn river left 100 feet before the entrance drop, this is your take-out eddy. At normal flows, up to 500cfs, you can eddy hop down 3 distinct sections: the entrance, hourglass, and run out,. Bad runs on Super Max are very entertaining, it usually starts with a missed eddy above the hourglass, then getting flipped by the undercut, and then trying to roll in the run out (not pretty). Fortunately the undercut is not too dangerous, and the holes at the bottom will only pummel you for a minute or two;-) Super Max at high water, greater than 600cfs, all the eddy's disappear, the undercut disappears, and the holes at the bottom become massive. If you put in below the undercut and run the bottom 1/2 you have not run Super Max, you have run Tampax! | | | Trash Can (Mile 6.0) Class IV+
This is the steepest rapid in a long stretch of pushy III/IV. Trash Can has an ugly jumble of rocks in the center and a slightly undercut wall on the right. These hazards cause more injuries than any other rapid in Bailey. Running into either is not fun. When you see a horizon line, go left and all will be well. | | | Big Flake O' Rock (Mile 6.8) Class III+
Lookout for a 100' tall flake of rock leaning against a cliff. After this there is about 50 yards of pushy Class III leading into a big river left eddy, if you miss this eddy you'll survive but you will be gripped! | | | Deer Creek Rapid (Mile 6.8) Class V-
Eddy out on the left and scout. Boof center right through the entrance drop and then try to stay upright and in the main flow through the rest. It boats easy, but will bust your head right open if you get upside down. | | | Uppercut Undercut (Mile 7.5) Class IV
This is one of many narrow bedrock slots in the lower section, but this one pushes you into a neck high undercut. Boof to the right for best results. | | | Mystery Eddy (Mile 8.5) Class IV
This is a cool little rapid. The current splits around a boulder halfway down, with the left channel somewhat hidden. If you boof left into this channel you will find yourself in a large hidden eddy. The move looks like a magic trick from upstream! This is the last fun rapid, steel yourself for 2 miles of boring flat water. | | | Take-Out
Pine Valley Open Space is one of the best takeouts I've ever seen. Lot of good scenery, fishing, hiking, biking, and picnic area to keep the shuttle bunnies occupied. Huge public parking lot right next to the river with no fees, wow! |
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