Bailey Mountain Trail #1109

The trail is steep and rugged from the Baily Cabin Trail down to the upper Chetco Wild and Scenic River at Carter Creek and downstream to Slide Creek. From Little Chetco River up to Baily Mountain, the trail is no longer visible or passable. The Bailey Mountain trail is located in the heart of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

Along the trail, close to Bailey Mountain, the rare endemic Kalmiopsis leacheana, for which the wilderness was named, grows in abundance. The spring rhododendron, azaleas, and lupines create a vibrant colorful display.

From Bailey Mountain to Carter Creek, it is 2.1 miles with a 2,000 foot descent. There is one major river crossing involving knee-deep water at Blake's Bar, between Carter Creek and Slide Creek. Additionally, the old road up to Chetco Pass is in very poor condition.

Current Conditions

Visitors to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness should be advised that trail conditions may vary, depending on the level of maintenance performed in the years after the Biscuit (2002), Chetco Bar (2017) and Klondike (2018) Fires. Due to the scales of these fires, and the rugged and remote conditions in the Kalmiopsis, trail work, while ongoing, has not been performed on all the trails within the fire perimeters. Visitors may find downed trees across the trails, dense vegetation where shrubs have grown in after the fire, and unmarked trail junctions in some places. Please check with the Gold Beach or Wild Rivers Ranger Districts before your visit for trail conditions. Additionally, you can visit the Siskiyou Mountain Club's page, a local group who performs much of the trail maintenance in wilderness areas.