🥾 ActiveWeekend · from Boise, ID

McCall: Payette Lake, Mountain Trails & River Float

McCall is the most complete mountain town accessible from Boise in under two hours — a small city of 3,000 at 5,020 feet elevation on the south shore of Payette Lake, a 2,400-acre alpine lake in the Long Valley Ponderosa pine forest. The lake and the mountains surrounding it give McCall its character: summer kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and swimming directly from downtown; mountain biking and hiking on trails climbing into the West Mountains above town; and the Payette River below the lake for whitewater on the drive home. This is the Idaho the Treasure Valley residents escape to when they need elevation and cold water, and it earns its reputation fully.

Day 1 — McCall: Payette Lake kayaking, Ponderosa State Park hiking, mountain airDay 2 — Payette River: South Fork whitewater near Banks on the return to Boise
Day 1 — McCall

Day 1 — McCall

🚗 1 hr 45 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Boise, ID → McCall, ID
1 hr 45 min8:00 AM → 9:45 AM
Ponderosa State Park — McCall
Ponderosa State Park — McCall
★ 4.8
A 1,500-acre state park on a peninsula jutting into Payette Lake — a forest of old-growth Ponderosa pines with hiking trails along the lake shore, a rocky north peninsula viewpoint, and a beach on the southern end. The Meadow Marsh boardwalk and the North Canyon trail loop are the two best moderate hikes; the viewpoint at the north tip of the peninsula looks back down the full length of Payette Lake.
9:45 AM📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Payette Lake — McCall City Beach
Payette Lake — McCall City Beach
★ 4.8
The public beach at the south end of Payette Lake in downtown McCall — kayak and paddleboard rentals operate from the beach, and the water is cold and clear at 5,020 feet elevation. The beach fronts the McCall waterfront park with restaurants and cafes within a two-minute walk for lunch.
10:45 AM📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Brundage Mountain — McCall
Brundage Mountain — McCall
★ 4.5
The ski mountain above McCall runs summer mountain biking and hiking through June to September — lift-accessed trails descend through open alpine meadows and lodgepole pine forest with Payette Lake visible below. The 7,640-foot summit offers the widest view of the Long Valley and the surrounding mountain ranges.
12:00 PM📍 See location
🌙
Evening
Shore Lodge
Shore Lodge
★ 4.5
The landmark resort on Payette Lake — a full-service lodge on the water with private dock access, a spa, and a restaurant with lake views. The best accommodation in McCall and the natural center of the lake experience.
5:00 PM📍 See location
Day 2 — Payette River

Day 2 — Payette River

🚗 1 hr 35 min driving📍 2 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
McCall → Banks, ID — Payette River
45 min8:00 AM → 8:45 AM
South Fork Payette River — Banks to Beehive
South Fork Payette River — Banks to Beehive
★ 4.6
The 6-mile Banks to Beehive section of the South Fork Payette is Class II-III — continuous rapids in a canyon of granite and Idaho black cottonwood, with several named rapids that build in intensity through the run. Commercial outfitters at Banks run morning half-day trips; the afternoon float returns to Banks in time for a lunch stop before the drive to Boise.
8:45 AM📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Longhorn Bar & Grill — Banks
Longhorn Bar & Grill — Banks
★ 4.4
The post-float bar at the North and South Fork Payette confluence — burgers, beer, and a river view from the porch. The river community institution for every Boise-area outfitter trip.
9:45 AM📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Banks, ID → Boise, ID
50 min12:00 PM → 12:50 PM
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