1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die (1,000 Places to See in the United States & Canada Before You) by Patricia Schultz
Author:Patricia Schultz [Schultz, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2016-11-29T05:00:00+00:00
A High-Elevation, High-Spirited Lake and Resort
Payette Lake
McCall, Idaho
High in a basin between the Seven Devils and Salmon Mountain ranges in west-central Idaho, Payette Lake is 5,330 acres of radiantly blue glacial water edged by deep pine and fir forests. Here, at an elevation of 5,000 feet amid craggy Rocky Mountain peaks, the horizons seem broader, the crowds smaller, and the activities less packaged than at other Idaho lake resorts.
The former mill-town of McCall (population 3,000) sits on Payette Lake’s southern shores, a lively, friendly town that’s fronted by marinas, al fresco bars and restaurants, and, June through September, vivid floral displays. Getting out onto the 8-mile-long lake is summer’s main activity, made simple by outfitters with boat and kayak rentals, guided tour-boat cruises, and the sandy beaches at 1,000-acre Ponderosa State Park. Wildlife from the park occasionally strolls onto the greens at the adjacent 27-hole McCall Golf Club, where deer, beavers, foxes, elk, and moose present photogenic course hazards. Summer visitors to Payette Lake also need to be on alert for other, more imaginative forms of wildlife: The lake is rumored to be home to a monster, a kind of American Loch Ness named Sharlie.
McCall receives over 300 inches of snow in winter and within a half hour drive from town are three fine ski resorts with a combined 2,600 skiable acres and vertical drops ranging from 1,800 to 2,800 feet. Nordic skiers can explore over 60 kilometers of groomed cross-country trails, and snowmobilers have access to 20,000 acres of deep-snow backcountry.
The highpoint of the year is McCall’s Winter Carnival, ten days of rowdy, snow-focused revelry that draws over 60,000 people annually. The festival centers on snow and ice sculpture competitions, but packs in all sorts of other activities, including dogsled races, an ice-fishing derby, fireworks displays over frozen Payette Lake, and a raucous Mardi Gras parade followed by a polar plunge into icy lake waters.
The renovated Shore Lodge lives up to its name, fronting the lake at a point where the Payette River gathers its waters and begins its journey south. The lodge’s huge log beams and rock fireplaces instill a feeling of warmth and comfort, and most of the 77 spacious rooms and suites offer dramatic lake and river views. At the lodge’s The Narrows restaurant, refined dining meets the woodsy Northwest with such memorable dishes as grilled elk chops with smoked wild mushrooms and huckleberry compote. For a more casual meal, the Salmon River Brewery is a friendly brewpub with hand-crafted ales, hearty dishes, and an atmospheric location in McCall’s historic train depot.
Where: Payette Lake is 100 miles north of Boise. Tel 800-260-5130 or 208-634-7631; mccallchamber.org. McCall Lake Cruises: Tel 208-634-5253; mccalllakecruises.com. Cost: 90-minute cruise $25. Ponderosa State Park: Tel 208-634-2164; parksandrecreation.idaho.gov. McCall Golf Course: Tel 208-634-7200; mccallgolfclub.com. Cost: 18 holes from $27. When: late May–mid-Oct. Shore Lodge: Tel 800-657-6464 or 208-634-2244; shorelodge.com. Cost: from $229 (off-peak), from $339 (peak); dinner at The Narrows $75. Salmon River Brewery: Tel 208-634-4772; salmonriverbrewery.com. Cost: $22. Best times: 10 days in late Jan–early Feb for McCall Winter Carnival (mccallchamber.
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