Bailey has trailheads for many experience levels, from gentle family loops to high-elevation routes. Here are several options to research for your trip, roughly easiest to hardest.
Staunton State Park
We wrote a full planning guide for a Bailey-area visit to Staunton State Park.
Reached from US-285 at Shaffers Crossing and Elk Creek Road, Staunton State Park rises from meadows around 8,100 feet to granite terrain above 10,000 feet. Check Colorado Parks and Wildlife's current park information before choosing a route.
- CPW lists Davis Ponds Trail as an easy, 2.3-mile hiking-only route.
- Staunton Ranch Trail is a 3.1-mile multi-use route.
- CPW lists the shortest Elk Falls route as 12 miles round trip, typically four to five hours, with about 1,200 feet of total elevation change.
Entrance fees vary by plate and pass type; check CPW's current fee table. The Lazy V lot can fill early on busy weekends, and parking there is not guaranteed.
Lost Creek Wilderness
Lost Creek Wilderness is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and has multiple trailheads with materially different approach roads. A free self-issued permit is required at the wilderness boundary. Dogs must be physically leashed under the current wilderness order. Check the live forest alerts, named trailhead page, fire restrictions, and road status before choosing a route; no trail accessibility claim has been verified.
Kenosha Pass
Kenosha Pass provides US-285 access to the Colorado Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness routes, and a short observation trail. Developed campground fees and seasons do not establish an area-wide trailhead fee. The Forest Service lists no potable water at the observation site and warns that fall traffic can be heavy. Check the live area page and COtrip; parking, fall color, wildlife, and trail accessibility are not guaranteed.
Into the high country
North of Bailey, trails enter the congressionally designated Mount Evans Wilderness, which contains Mount Blue Sky and Mount Bierstadt. The Forest Service requires dogs to be held on a hand-held leash and posts wilderness group-size and camping and campfire setback rules. Use the current Forest Service map and alerts to choose a route.
Guanella Pass and a 14er
Guanella Pass Scenic Byway is a 24-mile paved seasonal route between Georgetown and Grant. The county says the main road is normally suitable for a standard sedan in summer, while side roads can require high clearance or four-wheel drive. The Bierstadt Trailhead accesses 14,060-foot Mount Bierstadt; Silver Dollar Lake has a separate trailhead farther north, south of Georgetown. The pass generally closes after Thanksgiving and reopens around Memorial Day, but weather can change that schedule. Check the county's current road status, signed parking rules, trail conditions, and weather before choosing a high-country route.
More trails around Bailey
At Pine Valley Ranch Park, the mostly flat, hardened-gravel Pine Lake loop is a shorter option. Jeffco parks operate from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset, and dogs require a physical leash no longer than ten feet. Buck Gulch Trail connects with the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area; consult the current Jeffco map because the route crosses jurisdictions with different regulations. A hardened surface alone does not establish accessibility, so contact the manager for current route-specific information.
You will be starting high and climbing higher, so take it slow your first day, carry water, and use sun protection even when it is cool. Check the current forecast and avoid exposed terrain when thunderstorms threaten. Dog rules vary by land manager: Staunton requires a hand-held leash no longer than six feet, Jeffco Open Space requires a leash no longer than ten feet, and the wilderness areas have their own restraint rules. Check the exact trail's rules and pack out everything you bring.