Grampa Bailey's Cabin - Area Attractions

Cabin Ammenities Interior Photos Rental Rates Area Attractions Guest Book
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Lots to Do

Grampa Bailey's Cabin is the perfect lodging choice for a ski vacation with the Discovery Ski Area just five miles from the front door! Don't miss out on the seasonal activities on Georgetown Lake. Just two miles from a public boat launch and park area, boating, fishing, ice fishing, or snowmobiling has never been easier!

National Forests and Wilderness Areas

BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest

The 3.3-million-acre Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest stretches from near Missoula to near Yellowstone National Park, and from near Helena to the Idaho border.

Although this was one of the first areas settled by pioneers in Montana, it remains wild, remote and undiscovered by tourists.

Campers, anglers, hikers, skiers, equestrians, snowmobilers and others enjoy 1,500 miles of trails, 155 high mountain lakes, 1,050 miles of great fishing streams, two wilderness areas, 30 campgrounds, many picnic and boating sites, two downhill ski areas and 250 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. (Copyright L.L. Bean, Park Search)

TrailSource: Your One-Stop Resource for Recreational Trails ($9.99/mo-$29.99/yr Subscription Required) SUBSCRIBE NOW TO INSTANTLY VIEW TRAIL DESCRIPTIONS for mountain biking, hiking, cross country skiing, ATV's, snowboarding, horseback riding, and snowmobiling! Our info on the Deer Lodge in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest includes:

Trail Description
Trailhead Location Map
Current Weather Forecast
Lodging Recommendations
Contact Phone Numbers

Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Area

This Wilderness, which straddles the Continental Divide in the Anaconda Range, has it all in terms of mountain grandeur, whether that entails high and rugged peaks, cirques, U-shaped valleys, or glacial moraines. Sparkling lakes and tumbling streams fed by the icy water running off the snowfields above the timberline enhance the beauty...(read more...)

Amazon.com: Books: Hiking the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness This book is a comprehensive guide to the trails of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness of southwestern Montana. 48 hikes are described in detail in addition to sketch maps and photographs. A 60 mile long segment of the Continental Divide Trail traversing the wilderness is featured. A variety of trails are offered including short day hikes and more extended loops and shuttle hikes are available. This is the only book describing the area. (Copyright amazon.com)

Amazon.com: Books: The Pintlers, Majestic They Stand Historical fiction, down-home reading of a pioneer family settling the west in the 1880's. Photos, unusual documents, anecdotes, and researched history. Western history and place names, Pintler Creek in Washington territory, Anaconda Pintler Wilderness in southwestern Montana. Why the name Pintler? This book will tell the whole story. (Copyright Amazon.com)

Winter Recreation

Discovery Ski Area Discovery Ski Area is known for their light powder, inexpensive prices, uncrowded slopes, delicious food, and friendly atmosphere. The terrain ranges from gentle beginner slopes to extreme skiing on the back side. There are 440 acres of skiable terrain equally divided between beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert slopes. The ski area is located just five miles from the front door of Grampa Bailey's Cabin.

Snowmobile Rentals at the 7 Gables Resort

Fairmont Hot Springs

Fairmont is known throughout the Northwest for its pools. There are two Olympic size swimming pools and two soaking pools, one of each located indoors and outdoors. The pools are fed by a virtually unlimited supply of 155 degree natural hot springs water, cooled to various temperatures for comfort and maximum enjoyment.

Hot Springs were considered medicinal by the Native Americans and many people to this day swear by the healing powers of natural hot springs.

Ghost Towns

Grampa Bailey's Cabin is surrounded by many "old west" ghost towns of yester-year, all within a comfortable drive from the cabin.

Take some time to browse Ghost Towns and History of the American and Canadian Old West, select "Montana" in the combo box under "United States", then view by county. The counties of interest are deer Lodge, Granite, Silver Bow, Beaverhead, and Powell.

Scaring up ghosts in southwestern Montana by Jill Barnes
At the crest of the hill, visitors can still see the posts and cross-piece that were part of the gallows. In the mid-1860s, gold brought all types to the town of Bannack in southwestern Montana, some of whom found their way to the top of the hill with a hangman's noose around their necks. It was a lawless time with more than 100 murders recorded. Such disrespect for the law led to the construction of the Montana Territory's first jail in Bannack. Crooks looking for easy pickin's were everywhere. Even the sheriff, Henry Plummer, was up to no good. He was among the first to meet his end on the very gallows he had ordered built.

Bannack, once home to a few thousand rowdy residents, is now a ghost town. Along with the old mining towns of Nevada City, Virginia City, Garnet and Coolidge, it is a reminder of Montana's wild past. All these towns were once bustling with gold and silver seekers, who filled the saloons, hotels and shops when not digging in the ground. Some also brought their families. Their homes stand alongside other time-worn buildings. Now these ghost towns are tourist attractions, even in winter when the icy cold gives them an added eeriness.

Stand at the center of any of these forgotten cities and listen closely to the howling wind. You may hear the sounds of honky-tonk pianos, or catch a fleeting glimpse of a miner clutching a cache of gold. (read more...)

Golf

Montana's Historic Old Works Golf Course - Anaconda Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, the Old Works Golf Course has been reborn on the site of Anaconda's historic century old copper smelter. The first course ever built on a Federal EPA Superfund site, Nicklaus incorporated many historic relics in his design. With its affordability, course conditioning and friendly service, Old Works is quickly building a reputation as one of the premiere, daily fee golf experiences in the Northwest region.

Old Works Golf Course: Vintage Nicklaus In Historic Anaconda by Andrew Penner, TravelGolf.com Staff Writer
ANACONDA, MT (June 28, 2002) -- Towering over the rustic town of Anaconda, Montana, visible from miles away, is a 585-foot brick smoke stack. It's an impressive structure. A historic symbol of the town's industrial past and the most recognizable landmark in the area. In fact, members of the town actually had to fight to save the stack from demolition in 1985. Now, with its "tower" steadfast in its place, local residents can concentrate on more pressing issues. For many, one such issue revolves around making pars and birdies at the fabulous Old Works Golf Course.

Standing in downtown Anaconda in 1885 and looking onto the nearby hillsides, your eyes would meet a horizon dotted with smoke stacks, mine workings, and smelters.

"Everybody would get up in the morning and look to see if there was smoke coming out of the stack, and if there was, God was in His heaven and all was right with the world and we knew we were going to get a paycheck," says Anaconda historian Bob Vine, when summing up the importance of the stack and the mines.

Today, the mines have all shut down and many locals have a much different routine in the morning. Instead, they look outside to see if the sun is poking through the clouds so they know what to wear to the golf course. (read more...)

Nearby Towns

Anaconda (17 miles)

Anaconda, Montana - a recreation center community in mountainous southwestern Montana. The Continental Divide passes within 5 miles of town, and local Rocky Mountain peaks reach to 10,379 feet. An extraordinary summer or winter vacation opportunity.

Butte (44 miles)

Butte began as a collection of small mining claims, becoming a large and booming mining center during the early 1900s. Butte has been described as "The Richest Hill on Earth" for over 100 years due to the vast wealth of valuable ores lying beneath the surface. Today, Butte is a city in transition to a more diversified economy, including energy research, education, medicine, transportation, tourism and environmental technology.

Butte, Montana - Ireland's Fifth Province by George Everett
To the curious visitor, Butte, Montana may seem somewhat out of place, an industrial city past its prime with the remnants of the nation's first skyscrapers in the middle of the agricultural state of Montana. It's not possible to understand Butte without first looking to Ireland.

Today, the descendants of Sullivans, Shannons, Harringtons, O'Neills Lynchs, Sheas, Driscolls, Dolans, Duggans, and O'Briens still inhabit this island city built on a hill surrounded by a sea of mountains, rivers, and prairie under the big sky of Montana.

In a modern city of less than 40,000, more than a hundred years later you can still find hundreds of Irish surnames in the local phone book - about 100 Sullivan families, 43 listings for Sheas, and 32 O'Neills. (read more...)

Philipsburg (15 miles)

Philipsburg was named after a prominent mining engineer from the Comstock mining region in Nevada. At the time, Philip Deidensheimer was appointed manager of the James Stuart Mill, which later became known as the Hope Mill. Trying to ease the transportation burden, he built a mill where the flat gulch of Camp Creek narrowed above Flint Creek. The road leading to the mill was to become the main street, Broadway, of Philipsburg. Local residents were so grateful to Philip, they voted to name the town after him.

Philipsburg was officially registered as a town in 1867. The town was growing at such an unbelievable rate that it was reported in an August edition of the Montana Post that Philipsburg was "scarcely thirty days old" but growing at a "rate of one house a day." By December of the same year, Philipsburg had a population of about 1500 people.

Philipsburg lies in Southwestern Montana Gold Country. Our community is located in the scenic Flint Creek Valley between two of the most picturesque National Parks, Yellowstone and Glacier. Philipsburg has a rich history in mining and ranching and offers many outdoor attractions .

General Tourist Information

Montana Tourism Information - Gold West Country! Welcome to Gold West Country, the southwestern travel region of Montana filled with evidence of our rough and tumble past. These days, we're a much friendlier place packed with everything that comes to mind when folks dream of Montana: ghost towns, unspoiled wilderness, spectacular views, big ranches, trout-filled rivers and a slow-paced, genuine Montana way of life.

Communities and Attractions in Montana's Gold West Country
Overview of communities and attractions of interest, including hours of operation and contact phone numbers.

Montana Kids: Things to See and Do
In Montana, there are lots of exciting ways to have fun!

With lots of open space, crystal fresh air and a landscape that invites you to explore; Montana is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. There is camping, hiking, fishing or picnicking in Montana's National Parks, Indian Reservations, National Forests, State Parks, or National Wildlife Refuges.

Or, if you enjoy the personal challenge of the "extreme" sports you can pit yourself against the rugged terrain while mountain biking, mountain climbing, whitewater rafting, or when the snow flies swooshing off the mountaintops. Maybe your adventure appetite lies in partaking of the "old west".

In Montana, you can watch cowboys in action at the rodeo, or if you desire something more extraordinary you can join a cattle drive. Montana is rich in culture and there's a lot of cool places to visit, museums, mansions, and archaeology sites. Check out our cool places in Montana Facts section under Travel and Tourism. Well, what are you waiting for??? Jump in and have fun! P.S. See you in Montana!