SOUTHWEST IDAHO SOUTHWEST GIVE IN TO NATURALNATURAL ATTRACTIONS | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO 70 Lake Cascade Traveling in southwest Idaho is like packing lots of super-fun vacations into one. You can hike through evergreen forests to remote alpine lakes or spy ante- lope roaming the high-country desert—or in just minutes, move from bustling city life to farmlands and fruit orchards. It’s the kind of place where you start your morning with a pint of local berries from a downtown farmers market, hit the trails or the whitewater, and head back in plenty of time to grab a bite and watch a Shake- speare performance. Definitely seek out local Idaho food and wines—both are receiving the same high acclaim that the region’s recreational offerings have long enjoyed. In fact, southwest Idaho’s ideal grape-growing conditions have led to the designation of two American Viticultural Areas—so put a winery tour on your short list. Plan to spend time in Boise, Idaho’s capital city, for a lively arts and culture scene, river and foothills fun, and Boise State University games. Boise’s also a central hub for day trips to scenic spots like McCall, Cascade, and Idaho City to the north—and Silver City, sand dunes, and the world’s most dense concentration of nesting birds of prey just to the south. For more about southwest Idaho, go to visitidaho.org/southwest Follow Visit Idaho on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media channels. visitidaho.org | 71 #VisitIdaho SOUTHWEST IDAHO SOUTHWEST ‹ COMPLIMENTARY GOOSEBUMPS INCLUDED Shore Lodge, McCall Rhodes Skate Park VALLEY & ADAMS COUNTY roll into the small town of Cambridge, the southern gateway to Hells Canyon, When one of the main roads through North America’s deepest river gorge. an entire region is a national scenic From Cambridge, go west on Highway byway, you know you’re somewhere 71 and connect with the 22-mile Hells special. That’s the case here, where Canyon Scenic Byway for one of the Idaho State Highway 55 doubles as most stunning drives around. You’ll the Payette River Scenic Byway, a curve along the Snake River, below route that takes you past dramatic picturesque cliffs, atop high desert whitewater, farmland, and meadows ridges, and past Oxbow and Hells and through high-walled, forested Canyon reservoirs before arriving at canyons. Its northern tip begins in Hells Canyon Dam. If you’re up for New Meadows, where—just two miles action, book a rafting or jet boat trip north along Route 95—you can stand with an experienced outfitter. on the 45th parallel halfway between Natural Hot Springs, the North Pole and the equator. While Should you choose Idaho State High- near Atlanta you’re here, tee off at MeadowCreek way 55 from New Meadows, you’ll be Golf Resort, where the course winds welcomed by the mountain resort town through meadows and towering pines of McCall. McCall sits quietly on the and delivers a view of Granite Mountain shores of Payette Lake, and it’s one of to the northeast. Zims Hot Springs is a those casual places you love to visit all favorite destination for locals—relax in year round. In summer, you can water the 104-degree soaking tub, and let the and jet ski, canoe, kayak, and sail the kids splash away in the slightly cooler lake, or just hang out and play on one Olympic-size pool. of the city’s sandy beaches. Keep an eye out for resident lake monster Sharlie At New Meadows, you’ll hit a fork in the when you take a scenic jaunt with road, and each way leads to awesome McCall Lake Cruises; the sunset cruise adventures. (We recommend trying is a pretty spectacular way to spend both!) If you take US 95 south, you’ll an evening. Since you’re on vacation, treat yourself to a sunny afternoon on | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO 72 Follow Visit Idaho on all your favorite social media channels. #VisitIdaho the greens—you’ve got your choice of If you’re feeling extra adventurous, the challenging Jug Mountain Ranch take a zip-line tour high above course, three scenic courses at the Tamarack Resort, on the west side of McCall Golf Club, and for guests of Lake Cascade near the small town of Shore Lodge, the Whitetail Club. If Donnelly. Up the adrenaline by riding you like to camp, reserve a spot or the single-track or downhill trails in cabin at Ponderosa State Park and Tamarack’s Bike Park, which is lift- play the days away within its 1,500 served on weekends. You’ll definitely acres. The park has a beach and deserve a long, mineral-rich soak under boat launch area, and you can rent the pines at Gold Fork Hot Springs. kayaks to paddle Payette Lake. End Come winter, stir it up in the open your afternoon with mouthwatering, McCall Winter Carnival meadows near the southern end of mountain-sized scoops from Ice Cream Cascade Reservoir, with some of the Alley downtown. best snowmobiling around, or hit Mid-July, head to the tiny nearby town Tamarack Resort for a relaxed alpine, of Roseberry for its annual Summer cross-country, or snowshoe experience. Music Festival—two days of happy music on a general-store lawn. In the IDAHO CITY July-August time frame, enjoy classical Idaho City is a classic Old West town. chamber music and jazz concerts Back in its heyday—gold was discov- during McCall’s SummerFest. ered here in 1862—it was actually the In winter, hit Brundage Mountain Pacific Northwest’s biggest city, home Resort’s 1,500 acres of ski and to thousands of miners and a center of snowboard terrain. At the Activity regional commerce. You’ll be able to Barn, Brundage’s tubing hill just south imagine what mining life was like here of McCall, you and your kids can race as you walk its wooden sidewalks past down 700 feet of pure awesome. Idaho’s first newspaper building, an old They might also enjoy the smaller, jail, a general store, and other rustic T-bar-served Little Ski Hill, off Idaho buildings. Explore artifacts in the Boise State Highway 55 a few miles from Basin Museum, browse antique stores, town. If you’ve got strong ankles, lace and relax with a huckleberry ice cream up for some laps around the rink at cone or a cold beverage in a saloon the Manchester Ice and Event Centre right out of the 1860s. in downtown McCall, open year-round. Downtown Boise And, no matter what, bundle up for BOISE McCall’s Winter Carnival in late January Boise used to be one of the West’s and early February, a fun week of snow best-kept secrets—now, it seems to be sculptures, snow bike races, and lots a permanent fixture on “Best Cities” of family fun. lists. You’ll find a mix of beautiful South of McCall is Lake Cascade, a scenery, easily accessible outdoor spot popular among boating, fishing, recreation, abundant culture, and and camping fans. Claim a site along friendly residents. the shore within Lake Cascade State Park, and head out for a day on the water. Visit Kelly’s Whitewater Park, just south of Cascade, to spend the day Idaho City kayaking or paddleboarding. REGIONAL INFO ‹ LARGEST CITY BOISE Population: 223,154 ‹ REGIONAL CLIMATE Summer Average High: 87° Winter Average High: 40° Annual Precipitation: 12" ‹ ELEVATION Highest: 10,582' (Elk Peak) Lowest: 1,468' (Snake River) Boise SOUTHWEST IDAHO SOUTHWEST REGIONAL MAP ‹ ENJOY OUR ROADSIDE DISTRACTIONS Hells Canyon 95 Dam Ponderosa State Park A New B Yellow Pine A Meadows Payette Lake Hells Canyon ‹ EXPLORE IDAHO PARKS! Scenic Byway McCall Donnelly ‹ Bruneau Dunes State Park 71 Council ‹ Eagle Island State Park C Warm Lake ‹ Lake Cascade State Park Brownlee Reservoir ‹ Lucky Peak State Park Cascade Cambridge Lake Cascade ‹ Ponderosa State Park State Park Lake Cascade ‹ Three Island Crossing State Park Rest Area Payette River Scenic Byway 95 Payette River B SCENIC DRIVES Weiser Garden Lowman C 55 Valley Lower Payette River Ponderosa Pine ‹ Hells Canyon Scenic Byway Scenic Byway Heritage Byway D A 208-549-4200 Payette Wildlife Canyon 52 Scenic Byway ‹ Payette River Scenic Byway B 208-634-0700 Emmett E Horseshoe Atlanta Bend ‹ Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway Rest Area Idaho City C 208-727-5013 Eagle Island D 21 State Park ‹ Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway Caldwell Eagle Lucky D Boise Peak Featherville 208-462-3241 Res. Arrowrock Res. ‹ Lower Payette River Heritage Byway E Nampa Lucky Peak 208-642-2362 Meridian State Park Anderson Pine Ranch Res. ‹ Snake River Canyon Scenic Byway Main F Snake River Oregon 208-454-0087 Canyon Scenic F Trail Back Byway Western I 20 G Heritage Country ‹ Western Heritage Historic Byway Historic Byway G 208-922-9254 95 Byway Snake River ‹ Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway H 208-384-3300 Murphy Snake River Mountain Birds of Prey Home ‹ Main Oregon Trail Back Country Byway I 67 208-384-3300 Grand CJ Strike Jordan View Reservoir 78 Glenns 84 For additional information, Ferry Valley Silver go to visitidaho.org/things-to-do/ City Bruneau Three Island state-parks-byways Crossing State Park H Bruneau Dunes Owyhee Uplands State Park SKI AREAS Back Country Byway 51 A ‹ Brundage Mountain Resort brundage.com B ‹ Payette Lakes—Little Ski Hill littleskihill.org C ‹ Tamarack Resort tamarackidaho.com D ‹ Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area | OFFICIAL IDAHO STATE TRAVEL GUIDE TRAVEL | OFFICIAL STATE IDAHO bogusbasin.org 51 74 skiidaho.us Boise’s historic buildings are a beauti- you can access it in many of the ful backdrop for downtown boutiques, riverfront parks; walk, jog, and bike ‹ ENJOY OUR ROADSIDE DISTRACTIONS eclectic eateries, breweries, home and along its banks on the 25-mile Green- gift shops, and more.