Bailey’s Palomar Resort

My honest review…
We rented the Walnut cabin for one night while we were attending a wedding on Palomar Mountain. The owner/​manager was very nice and returned my calls quickly. The 100 year old cabin is set in the woods in a beautiful area. Nice patio table and outside area.
Unfortunately we did not feel that the cabin has been maintained as well as it could. The living room and dining room are fine and the kitchen is well equipped. The master bedroom is fine but the second bedroom has a bed that is held up with cinder blocks so my guess is that the owners have never slept on this bed. The shower is gross and has very poor water pressure. The side wooden deck is an accident waiting to happen and is cordoned off but should be repaired. The master bedroom is up 4 steep stairs and is very dangerous if you need to get up at night. We left a light on in the living room.
My real compliant was the price. It is advertised at $ 185 a night but that is for two people. Additional adults were $ 45 EACH. Then there is the $ 45 CLEANING FEE and there is an envelope for tips for the house cleaners. All they needed to do was change the sheets and towels. The cabin was perfectly clean when we left.
Since we were attending a wedding and knew we would be leaving the event late at night we did not want to drive down the mountains at night. There really aren’t a lot of places to rent so I felt that we didn’t really have much choice, however I would not stay here again. Just too expensive.

Solid place for a decent price. My only issue is that there is nothing to do on the grounds. No swimming or good hiking. That being said the cabins are more than adequate. Although there are some nasty spider webs in Butternut. The whole cabin could use a good cleaning with Lysol. The back porch is awesome and the staff was helpful. They replaced a lightbulb upon check in. The cabin even included an old VHS VCR with some movies which was a nice touch. I think they should have given us a better rate for our last night considering the entire property was empty. But oh well.
Not much to do in the surrounding environs. Probably more fun to visit when there is snow on the ground. Quiet and a good place to really get away from it all.

Really awesome sweet little cabins that are cozy and well-​decorated. I stayed in the butternut cabin, I think that’s what it was called, and it was incredible. At first I thought it may be too small, but it’s perfect for two people. The people are also super nice, we left our laptop charger and they sent it back no charge.
You have to keep in mind it is a really rugged place, so if you enjoy the outdoors you will enjoy your stay.

I love this place and can’t get enough. The people are wonderful, the cabins are gorgeous (looks like a little B&B), and if you enjoy nature this is a GREAT place! Love the deer, the wild turkeys and the apple trees and raspberry bushes the deer feed from. You actually get to see the stars from here. So beautiful! Nice place for a getaway, anything from a romantic escape to a wedding or family reunion. The barn is the perfect nostalgic setting for a wedding reception and the meadow is wonderful for ceremonies. So many possibilities!

NOTE: I did not stay here. My experience is with their customer service and reservation system.
I filled out their form asking for a quote on certain dates for an anniversary. I was happy to find out they had an opening of my somewhat short notice request. However, when I got the reply, the quote was only for two nights, when I had asked for a span of 4 nights. After the back and forth email to clarify the days I finally get a quote. During the back and forth with the emails. I got a a call from an unknown number, which I don’t answer theses days, and don’t get a voice mail. I later figured out it was their number so I answered the phone the next time I got a call, however I was in the middle of shooting a paintball event (Literally on field, game going and I answered the phone to make sure I made contact this time.) I was told they are on site and if they don’t answer, leave a message. I did, and got a reply a few hours later which I happened to not be near my phone at the time. We played phone tag which ended in an email that said they no longer had an opening for the cottage.
I’m sure the place is nice judging from the other reviews once you get there, and I love Palomar Mountain, but they need to update their reservation system… or at least answer their phones.

I found this place completely by accident when searching something else on google maps just after I got engaged — and boy am I glad that I did!
My husband and I just got married there last weekend and the whole experience was amazing! Our guests could not stop talking about how incredible a setting Bailey’s is and how nice Brad and Terri were. We are so grateful to them for helping our wedding weekend run smoothly and for sharing their wonderful property with us.
I have no doubt that we will return to Bailey’s for years to come to enjoy the cabins, luxury camping sites, and serene atmosphere of the mountain! Whether you are looking for a unique place to get married or just an escape from the city, this place is perfect!

This place is definitely a hidden Gem. Secluded and beautiful. This was our first time up here. The history of Baileys is amazing. The cabin was great, very homey and romantic.
Lots of hiking and beautiful views, but thats really it. There is only 1 restaurant and 1 convenience store on the mountain. Wish there would have been a town up there with more to do.

My first trip to Palomar State park so I googled around to see what there was to do besides camp and see the awesome observatory.
Number 3 on the list was the Bailey’s Resort.
What a surprise! We were checking out various campsites and Bailey’s was on the list.
Parking was limited so I pulled into an open area next to an old store. Turns out its a museum/​wedding place. Guests who stay here use it as well.
So while I’m peering in through the window at this cool store up comes the owner Brad Bailey. I thought maybe I was not supposed to be there and was about to be reprimanded for parking where I did.
Brad proceeded to give us a special tour of this amazing store filled with antiques and memorabilia.
What a great end to a very special trip to Palomar State Park!
A big thank you to Brad and I hope to spend a night or two at your beautiful resort/​campground.

Talk about finding a diamond in the rough! Was looking for a SoCal destination to «get away» from hectic work week, and a friend recommended this resort at Palomar Mountain, which is north east of San Diego. I’d heard of the area before — mainly because of the Observatory that is nearby– but I had never heard about Baileys.
And what a place. Bailey’s Resort has been a family-​owned business for 125 years — the place is still run by Brad and Terri Bailey. It is a collection of charming, rustic cabins, along with some permanent tent cabins, and a big house (called the Bailey House) that is used for larger gatherings and weddings.
The first thing you realize after driving up a curving mountain road to get there, is how REMOTE it is. It is NOTHING like the nearby San Gorgonio Mountains, where Arrowhead and Big Bear resort towns are large and heavily populated. There is NOTHING up on top of Palomar Mountain — including no cell phone service — which really helps you escape the grind. We went in October with warm days and chilly nights. The closest amenity is a 10 minute drive to a small general store and restaurant. The nearest TOWN is down the mountain!
And as for the resort itself — –the only reason I am giving it 4 stars is so not to let anyone think this is a posh, amenity filled resort. Instead, you are staying in rustic cabins that are very nicely appointed, clean and comfy, but nothing too fancy. Check out their website for good pictures and descriptions of each cabin, but know that this is a place for hiking and serenity. Bring your own food to cook in the kitchens or barbeques — they supply all the wood for the fireplaces/​iron stoves/​firepits. Plenty of hiking around the resort itself, or drive a little up the road for MANY trails or to visit the amazing Palomar Observatory. We stayed in the quaint Applewood Cabin, with its cozy loft and brought our two dogs.
Clean air. Quiet. Wildlife. Beauty. We will be returning to Bailey’s for many more years — looking forward to trying out every season!
Here’s the website:

Can’t wait for the 4^th of July weekend to get here so we can get back up to Bailey’s Palomar Resort. Earlier this month we took a ride from the beach up the mountain for a for a change of scenery and events… We are glad we did… We were told about a Barn Sale going on up there @ the resort. Well your in luck it’s happening again 4^th of July weekend (6^th & 7^th). The whole thing was a blast with all the unique friendly vendors selling their goods and great live music and of course the great pulled pork food they had (that BBQ Sauce).. We had and will have another great time @ the Barn Sale … Shopping relaxing meeting new friends, eating (that BBQ Sauce), and just a nice mountain get a way, Heck we are going back after that to go camping…
Thank you Bailey Family for a good time… We should mention that they have a 3 story beautiful B & B Home that is over 100 years old a camp ground with cabins.
We recommend this resort to anyone…

I can’t believe more people don’t know about this place considering it’s rich history (you have to read the book about the Bailey family, Palomar Mountain, and all the characters that have inhabited the mountain). We are big fans of this property and tell all our friends they need to come for a visit. If you come once you will be hooked! It is truly one of our favorite places to go in San Diego County and we plan to visit for years to come. Come and you won’t be disappointed!

Man, I wish I would give this place 6 stars because it was absolutely amazing! My boyfriend and I found this place on Google (thankfully!) and decided to book our stay for a nice romantic weekend getaway. The owner, Brad Bailey greeted us when we arrived and showed us to our cabin (The Applewood) and explained to us everything we needed to know about the cabin.
When we entered the cabin I was amazed at how much thought went into putting these cabins together (special lotions, kitchen utensils, movies, cards, blankets etc.). About half of the cabins have been redone making them solid contenders for most any «luxury» hotel. When you go to a cabin in the woods, you’re probably thinking of all the home necessities you need to bring? Well, not at this place! They have it all covered.
It’s fairly secluded and the 20 mile or so hike up the mountain (going from 1,000ft to 5,500ft) isn’t something you’ll probably make very often while staying here. They have a café and a general store 1.3 miles away called Mother’s Kitchen which is very tasty restaurant and will keep you satisfied. They have a few other eating places and a casino when you get to down the mountain, FYI.
No cell service (which is a added bonus to this place!) but they do have free wi-​fi (no password needed to hook up).
The price is well worth it and I think you get a third night free when you book two (it may be a seasonal special). Next trip, I would upgrade to a bigger cabin, especially since I know how nice these places are now; it would be worth it.

Pristine, beautiful, mountain forest setting at 5500 feet! Bailey’s Palomar Resort is our favorite mountain weekend getaway resort and we have stayed here many weekends since we found it 4 years ago. We have joined their private camping club and had wonderful quiet and peaceful weekends camping here. We love hiking around on the 60 acre private property, watch deer, wild turkey’s and feed peanuts to Blue Jay’s. Being from Germany I had missed the seasons living in Southern California but no more. We visit Bailey’s every season and it is beautiful in the summer with ferns and warm star filled nights around the campfire, in fall the forest changes into beautiful fall colors and you can pick apples off 100 year old apple trees. Great time for hiking the trails in the close by State Park or in the National Forest. In winter we got to hike in snow, sled and the historic lovingly restored cabins are very cozy and comfortable. It was wonderful sitting in front of the big fireplace and the cabins have everything provided we needed for a great weekend. And new as of this Summer they now also offer a luxury campsite. Camp Kestrel is wonderful, it is located in a very private and beautiful spot on the property overlooking the forest. We arrived to a nice bed inside the canvas safari tent with soft bedding and blankets. Cute interior design touches everywhere. The tent is on top of a nice wooden platform with chairs positioned to watch the sunset over the forest. There is a cute little outdoor kitchen area with sink, running Mountain Spring Water, propane stove and BBQ. It is fully stocked with kitchen items needed. Next to the outdoor kitchen is a screened gazebo with picnic table and next to that there is the campfire pit with wood provided. They also provide, lanterns, flashlights and tiki torches that can be lit in the evening. There was even a board game provided for some fun. The luxury camp has a very romantic ambiance for a couple! We played Boccie and Horseshoes across from the tent at the little setup with boccie balls and horse hoes provided for everyone to play. Currently you use a clean shared bathhouse with flush toilet and cold shower which is just a short walk away. However, a private bathhouse is under construction which is located right at Camp Kestrel which will make the next visit even more comfortable and it looks like it will be nice. Besides the cabins, luxury camp and private camping club the resort also offers the large Bailey House which I have had the pleasure to stay in. It is perfect for a large family or group and very nice. Can’t wait to stay at this beautiful mountain resort again soon and can highly recommend it to everyone looking for a peaceful getaway.