Mccall Area - Backpack, Camp, Canoe, Cross Country Ski, Hike, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Sled, Snowshoe, and Swim near McCall, Idaho
McCall,Idaho
44.99714, -115.948
10.4 miles NE of McCall, Idaho
GPS: 44°59'49.7"N 115°56'52.8"W
Maps | Directions
State: Idaho

Lakes Rivers Trails Wildflowers

Backpack, Camp, Canoe, Cross Country Ski, Hike, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Sled, Snowshoe, and Swim

McCall is a beautiful resort town located in western Idaho, two hours north of Boise. It's feautures a multitude of activity of activities in both the Winter and Summer months, including: swimming, hiking, camping, biking, kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding.  

Summer Activities:

  • Beautiful and cold swimming holes in the forests around McCall. For details...Courtesy of swimmingholes.org
  • Box Lake Trail: this is an moderate - advanced, 7 mile, out-and-back trail. The first hour or so of the trail has steep terrain. The trail leads to an isolated lake with gorgeous views. This trail is dog friendly.
  • Pondersosa State Park: just east of the Payette Lake, Ponderosa State Park features a myriad of an activities. There are hikes for all skill levels; some of the most well-known are Meadow Marsh trail, Lily Marsh trail, both are shorter trails, great for families with children. The Ponderosa State Park Big Loop is a more moderate trail that spans 6 miles in its entirety. The park also has several mountain biking trails such as the Peninsula biking trail, Fox Run biking trail, and Huckleberry Bay biking trail. On some of these trails you can find huckleberry bushes that are free for the picking. Additionally, there are many places to camp and picnic within the park.
  • Payette Lake: a beautiful spot to swim, boat, kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or sit and enjoy the scenery. 

Winter Activities:

  • Ponderosa State Park: the trails in this park transition from hiking trails in Summer to nordic skiiing and snowshoeing trails in Winter. 
  • McCall Winter Carnival: 
    During Carnival, enjoy famous snow sculptures, Torchlight and Mardi Gras Parades, live music, daily events spanning everything from comedy shows to art auctions, snowbike races to the Monster Dog Pull and much more. Courtesy of mccallchamber.org
659 Edited by kworthen

Never modify trail features. Ride trails when they're dry enough that you won't leave ruts. Speak up when you see others on the trail and always yield to hikers, horses, and others coming uphill. Always ride on the established trail.

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Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.

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  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel & camp on durable surfaces
  3. Dispose of waste properly
  4. Leave what you find
  5. Minimize campfire impacts
  6. Respect wildlife
  7. Be considerate of other visitors

Directions

From McCall, Idaho

  1. Head west on Rio Vista Blvd toward Yolanda Way (0.4 mi)
  2. Turn right onto Rowland St (0.2 mi)
  3. Turn right onto Lakeside Ave (0.1 mi)
  4. Turn right onto W Lake St (1.1 mi)
  5. W Lake St turns right and becomes N 3rd St (344 ft)
  6. Turn left onto Railroad Ave (0.2 mi)
  7. Slight right onto Pine St (0.1 mi)
  8. Merge onto Lenora St (0.1 mi)
  9. Turn left onto Davis Ave (0.7 mi)
  10. Turn right onto Lick Creek Rd
    Destination will be on the right
    (13.8 mi)
or

From McCall:

SNOWSLIDE [SNOW]: Granite outcropping in very picturesque area that forms a pool with water clear and cold. To get here from McCall: Go north on Davis street then east (right) on Lick Creek Rd. Drive about 13 miles on Lick Creek Rd. (becomes dirt) past the Black Lee Creek trailhead on the left. Before you come to the Snowslide Lake trailhead on the right, look at the stream on the right for a granite outcropping with a pool below. LAT, LON lat=44.99714, lon=-115.94800(source: DeLorme) (accuracy:approximate)
LINK TO GOOGLE MAP. Not verified. Pretty confident. Updated 10/4/04.

KNOX [KNOX]: Wide stream, full of pools with sandy bottoms and grassy places for picnicking. Near Warm Lake east of Cascade. To get here from McCall, go south on RT 55 to Cascade. Turn east (left) on Warm Lake Rd. - FR 22. Just before you reach Warm Lake, turn north (left) on a single lane, paved road along the South Fork of the Salmon River. Turn here and park right away. There is an embankment above the road away from the river. Walk up this hill and cross a wood fence around a meadow at Knox Ranch, a historic mining settlement. Walk south down a hill, away from the meadow to a wide stream, full of pools with sandy bottoms and grassy places for picnicking. LAT, LON lat=44.6649, lon=-115.6973(source: DeLorme) (accuracy:approximate)
LINK TO GOOGLE MAP. Not verified. Pretty confident. Updated 10/4/04. Courtesy of swimmingholes.org

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Guest Review/Comments

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jamiegarrard

5/4/18 12:47 pm
McCall is so beautiful and perfect during the summer. The small town feel and the water is a refreshing feeling and helps set everything right.
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Payette Lake added by kworthen Payette Lake added by kworthen
Box Lake added by kworthen Box Lake added by kworthen McCall in Winter courtesy of Charles Knowles McCall in Winter courtesy of Charles Knowles↗ Ice Sculpture at McCall Winter Carnival courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture Ice Sculpture at McCall Winter Carnival courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture ↗

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