History Area Information

Area Information

For over a century, people have sought McCall and Payette Lake for their natural beauty. “Little Lake Tahoe” they have called the community for its resort-like feel and mountain slopes of ponderosa pine rising above the lake. At an elevation of 5,000 feet, McCall hosts outdoor activities year-round among its high mountain lakes and streams: skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, boating, fishing, as well as the simple appreciation of nature for those seeking a slower rhythm.

McCall is “upbeat, upscale rural,” a picturesque town with flower baskets hanging outside its shops and restaurants. For golf enthusiasts, there is the 27-hole McCall Municipal Golf Course and the excellent Meadow Creek Golf Resort in nearby New Meadows. In 2003, the Manchester Ice & Event Centre opened for year-around ice skating and hockey. McCall is also known as the artistic center of Western Idaho with its galleries and theater, a place to enjoy during the night as well as the day. McCall’s annual Winter Carnival is a popular gathering to celebrate the season as a community.

One might mistake McCall for an isolated mountain community, but the nearby airport allows visitors and residents alike to easily come and go. Also, Cambridge is only an hour’s drive by car, and another hour will get you to Boise. The local economy here in McCall and neighboring New Meadows, Donnelly, and Cascade is supported by tourism, recreation, logging, ranching, retail, food service, medical service at the local hospital, forest service and other government work, and positions in the McCall-Donnelly school district, among others. Properties here range from bare land to high-end log homes on Payette Lake, with a variety of homes, vacation properties, and acreage in between.