Your Own Private Idaho

The mountain town of McCall offers natural beauty and outdoor adventure without crowds.

A Former gold-mining and logging town on the shores of Idaho’s Payette Lake, McCall has long been to Boise what Tahoe is to the Bay Area: a mountain retreat for all seasons—except without the hellish Tahoe traffic.

In the winter, visitors can ski at Tamarack and Brundage, the area’s two resorts. In the summer, the lake is a paradise for sailing, speedboating, waterskiing, and swimming. Fly-fishing, hiking, white-water rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, and mountain biking are also big draws.

The landscape surrounding McCall, about two hours north of Boise, is a place for pure quiet. The population is small, leaving the roads clear and the wildlife unfettered. This is the place to sink into natural hot springs; hike amid birds, butterflies, and wildflowers; or just sit by the lake.

What to do

Boats docked in front of Whitetail Club and Resort

Courtesy of Whitetail Club and Resort

The McCall area is home to many lakes and to some wonderful rivers for white-water rafting, including the Salmon and the Snake. The personable, earthy, and professional guides at Hells Canyon Raft will see you through the white water of either one. The staff makes a picnic for you on sandy river banks where you still might spot the occasional drifter panning for gold. You can choose raft trips in which you paddle and those in which you’re just a passenger. River runs from class one to class four are available. Hells Canyon Raft, (800) 523-6502, www.hellscanyonraft.com, one-day tours from $85 per person, including lunch.

As you’ll learn when you take a fly-fishing class from Angela Withers, it’s not all in the wrist. This and other myths will be debunked by the Katie Couric look-alike who works at McCall Angler, a fishing supply shop. Withers points out that fishing doesn’t get much easier than in McCall. “The fish aren’t pressured, and they’re more likely to bite on your fly,” she says. McCall Angler, 305 E. Park St., McCall, (208) 634-4004, www.mccallanglers.com, classes range from two hours ($59) to day-long guided trips ($395–$450).

Idaho’s long, snowy winters and rainy springs have a silver lining—the woods are a luscious green in the summer, and the mountains gush with streams, creeks, and springs, including natural hot springs. Gold Fork Hot Springs is the most developed of the hot springs in the area, with six paved pools ranging in temperature from cool to hot. The alkaline, mineral-rich waters that fill the pools come straight out of the mountainside, and each week the baths are completely drained and cleaned.

Gold Fork isn’t the only option. Burgdorf Hot Springs, a local favorite, is rustic but offers night soaks. Elk have been known to settle peacefully in the big meadow directly across from the springs after dark—it’s a sight of great beauty. Gold Fork Hot Springs, 1026 Gold Fork Rd., Donnelly, (208) 890-8730, $8 per person, towel and bathing suit rentals available; Burgdorf Hot Springs, off Warren Wagon Rd., (208) 636-3036, $5.30 per person.

The other advantage to the snowy winters in these parts is the skiing. Both Tamarack Resort and Brundage Mountain Resort offer a wide variety of winter sports. Tamarack is a full-service resort with its own lodging options, spa, and high-end restaurant, Morels. Tamarack Resort, 311 Village Dr., Tamarack, (208) 325-1000, www.tamarackidaho.com; Brundage Mountain Resort, 3890 Goose Lake Rd., McCall, (800) 888-7544, www.brundage.com.

Where to Stay

Mountain biking at Brundage Moutain Resort.

Courtesy of Brundage Mountain Resort

Whitetail Club and Resort, a 1948 lakefront lodge, makes a comfortable base from which to enjoy the region. Spacious suites with terraces and lake views are affordable, and children are welcome. The decor is a little flowery, but the beds are soft and comfortable. The grounds include a beach, a swimming pool, and two hot tubs. Resort staff can help you schedule boat tours of the lake, waterskiing, and other activities. Whitetail Club and Resort, 501 West Lake St., McCall, (800) 657-6464, www.whitetailclub.com, suites from $200 a night.

Three treatment rooms at the Whitetail Resort’s Waterblue Spa are available for facials, body treatments, and massages. Rebecca Endter and her husband, Darin Bolyard, administer the treatments, which range from hot-stone and deep-tissue massages to cucumber-mint body wraps. Both are experienced massage therapists and use Eminence Organic products in their treatments. Waterblue Spa, 501 West Lake St., McCall, (208) 630-3129, 60-minute spa treatments from $85.

Where to Eat

Panseared scallops with pickled onions and crisp potato pancakes at Morels.

Courtesy of Sherri Harkin/ Tamarack Resort

Morels, at Tamarack Resort, offers upscale mountain cuisine utilizing wild fish and game from the area. Executive chef Gary Kucy makes Forager’s chicken—morel mushroom stuffed–chicken served with a sherry shallot reduction and mashed Idaho potatoes with herbs. Enjoy the dramatic views of Lake Cascade, and don’t miss the trout filled with spinach, artichokes, and Dungeness crab. Morels, 75 Arling Center Ct., (208) 325-1013, entrées $25–$65.

Rupert’s, a casual restaurant in the downtown Hotel McCall, opened in summer 2007. The owners are dedicated to using local ingredients and simple, tasty recipes. Come here for upscale comfort food such as grilled chicken sandwiches with sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, taco salad spiked with fresh cilantro and fried tortilla strips, and house-made peach pie in the summer. The decor is kitsch free, and the restaurant has great lake views from both its dining room and its deck. Rupert’s, 1101 N. Third St., McCall, (208) 634-8105, entrées $15–$20.

Narrows, the fine-dining restaurant at Whitetail, has a new executive chef, Ian Fulton, who arrived just this spring. His menu makes use of the local bounty: Idaho potatoes, wild trout and salmon, and knockout beef from Northwest ranches. Narrows, 501 West Lake St., McCall, (208) 634-2244, entrées $20–$30.

The Pancake and Christmas House is a local favorite for lumberjack-style breakfasts. On the menu you’ll find enormous cinnamon rolls, Those Potatoes—hash browns topped with cheese—and eggs any way you like them. The Pancake and Christmas House, 209 N. Third St., McCall, (208) 634-5849, entrées under $10.

Getting There

Southwest flies daily between Oakland and Boise (fares are roughly $290, round-trip). From the airport, rent a four-wheel drive car, or hire a driver through Whitetail ($200 each way for a seven-passenger Suburban). McCall is two and a half hours north of Boise on Highway 55. 

Courtesy of Hotel McCall