Destination Showcase: McCall, Idaho [Updated for 2024]

You’ve seen what Boise has to offer here, but what else lies within a short trip from Idaho's capital city? Our next must-see location was McCall, a quick two-hour jaunt north from downtown Boise. We packed up the car and headed on a beautiful drive through the canyon in Boise National Forest. The whole drive is outstanding, with views of the Payette River and the rolling hills outside of Boise that slowly transition into a true taste of the Rocky Mountains.

McCall may look like a tourist town at first impression with its antique storefronts, but there’s so much more to McCall than fudge shops and pristine views of Payette Lake. If you thought the riding scene in Boise looked all-time, McCall has a completely different style of riding and so much more to offer to the state of Idaho and the world of cycling.


The vibe in McCall felt very quaint and welcoming, even though we (or at least myself) were far from locals. We stayed at the Scandia Inn–a Scandinavian-renovated drive-in motel that totally fit the bill. I mean, come on, they have a waffle truck out front on Saturdays. McCall felt very much like the Pacific Northwest with its pine trees and wet climate, so naturally we knew this was going to be a blast.





Our first stop in McCall was Jug Mountain Ranch. In my opinion, Jug Mountain Ranch alone makes the drive up to McCall worthwhile. Located about 15 minutes outside of McCall, Jug is a mini-paradise built on private golf course land. In the Ponderosa forest lies 17 miles of trail with maintenance supported by the Clubhouse Restaurant and Bar just down the road. Now, 17 miles total might sound underwhelming until you realize that these trails felt like a private lift-access bike park.

An easy pedal to the top via fire road leads you to trails of all skill levels, from beginners looking for a fun and flowy descent to expert riding with massive wood features, rock gaps, and pure speed.


My personal favorite was Berm and Ernie, a blue trail that was full of flow and, you guessed it, berms.






This was Braydon's playground. He had all of the lines, hucks, and flow dialed.



If you’re looking for something a bit more tame, head to the top of Jug to ride around the stunning Jug Creek Reservoir.


The Shoreline Trail was an absolute blast. We were all on mid-travel enduro bikes, and the constant up and down of this loop was actually pretty refreshing. It’s chock full of fast loam (we got absolutely amazing conditions with some rain that rolled in right before we arrived), some long meandering wooden bridges over streams, smooth rock gardens, and even some roots. This loop had it all, and it’s a great way to get some mileage in between downhill laps.


A couple other notable mentions are Exfoliator, a jump trail with big wood features and rocks, and Vandalay, a nice, easy blue.


Jug Mountain biking trails





The next day we visited Goose Creek in the morning just northwest of the Brundage Mountain Resort trails. Braydon and Anthony were making fun of my jaw-dropped response to the approach while we drove up through the clouds. Being from Colorado, I’m not used to low clouds, but I think that these photos speak for themselves. I had the window down and my camera out practically the whole ride as we had received another awesome evening shower the evening before.


This is where I first noticed how similar Idaho felt to the Pacific Northwest: damp dirt with just the right consistency and grip, and air with just the slightest bit of chill to it. This geographical realization was partly due to my own stupidity given its close proximity to Washington and Canada, but you never really hear anyone talk about Idaho this way, so I needed to do it some justice.

I've spent my fair share of time in the PNW but either without a bike or during the intense wildfires and drought of Crankworx 2018, so unfortunately I've never truly experienced the feeling of the world-famous pristine dirt. It's incredible to finally understand what I've been missing out on all of these years living in Colorado.


Goose Creek was a must if you’re looking for a mini adventure. The ride started out with a pretty large river crossing before it started descending back below the clouds.


At each turn before we got deep into the ponderosas was another textbook view with wet rocks and clouds dissipating as the sun rolled in.


As we got lower in elevation, the rocks became more intermittent and were replaced with roots and fresh loam.


We didn’t see any mountain bikers or hikers on this 12-mile out-and-back ride and boy did everyone else miss out. As you approach the “end” of the ride, you get to a beautiful bridge going over, you guessed it, Goose Creek.


At this junction, it’s definitely more of a river, as this area has multiple decent-sized waterfalls and pretty heavy water flow. You can actually access the same road we used to get to the trailhead and utilize it as a shuttle location if you’ve got a willing soul to take you back to the top. This would be a blast to shuttle because it’s definitely a long, tough climb after already experiencing a solid six miles of riding. Unless you're Braydon (and even he had a few times off of the bike), expect to hike a good portion of the technical riding.


After a pretty intense mileage and elevation accumulation over the past 24 hours, we were relieved to learn our last two zones were more on the mellow side.








That same evening we checked out Ponderosa State Park, which sits on the peninsula that rests inside Payette Lake. This area was perfect for a post-ride, well, ride. The most technical trail here rates as a blue, but holy moly it was a blast. Truly, you come here to get some mileage in and check out the views when you reach the high point, which coincides with the tip of the peninsula. You can rack up eight unique miles here, and it’s perfect for the whole family. The green trails feel a bit more like bike paths, but if you sneak onto Huckleberry Bay Loop, you’ll actually catch some nice singletrack with some fast, snappy turns.



Trust me when I say that the view alone is worth the effort.

We got a solid final night of rest in McCall so that we could get up bright and early for a sunrise lap at the Payette Rim Trail.


Ponderosa State Park mountain biking trails






Another six-mile long trail, this one meanders through what I’d call foothills right alongside the Payette Lake. As you ride north, the sun rises right over the lake and creates some amazing light. Payette Rim Trail can be as fast as you want to make it or as relaxing as any Sunday stroll.


No extreme elevation gain, mileage that you determine–a perfect trail for your hardtail or short-travel trail bike. We were lucky to experience the fall foliage and light amongst the dirt that was miraculously maintaining its composure from the storm a few days earlier.

This area is perfect for yet another easy ride with the family or a post-ride lap before dark. You can also connect this area to a multitude of other zones, extending along Payette Lake, a quick pedal down the dirt road to Brundage, and also even closer to Bear Basin, which is potentially the easiest access to mountain biking you can get out of McCall. We only checked out Bear Basin for a quick test, but this is another great area right off the main road that you can get your tires dirty and get some cardio in.






Well, Idaho, you stole my heart and potentially my next travel plans. It’s just close enough to a lot of cycling hot spots for a road trip, so don’t think twice if it’s on your list. I’ve had the pleasure to check out a lot of unique riding spots I wouldn’t normally think of in the past couple of years, and Idaho is officially at the top of my list. The progressive way that they have been developing ample riding that is both safe and pushing boundaries made me envious. I hope that other areas can learn from what is happening in both Boise and McCall.






McCall mountain biking trails

Jug Mountain, Ponderosa State Park

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