MCCALL, Idaho — One of the challenging aspects of planning a trip to Valley County is prepping the right gear because there are so many activities for people to enjoy during the winter.
The McCall Winter Carnival is just one weekend this year and it falls on the final weekend of February. We will have a team up there for that weekend, but leading up we plan on doing several stories to help people enjoy this winter tradition.
The area around McCall features more than 500 groomed miles to ride snowmobiles, snow bikes and to go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
One of those groomed trails will take people to Burgdorf Hot Springs. This is a true winter bucket list adventure and we did it a few years ago with Steve Liebenthal, who created our Idaho Backroads series.
If you want to trade in the mechanized equipment for the peace and quiet of human-powered activities. Jug Mountain, Ponderosa State Park and Bear Basin all feature places to Nordic ski or snowshoe.
"It’s magical when you go out and get some solitude on the cross-country trails," said Steve Stuebner, an outdoor adventurer who frequently travels up to Valley County.
People can also go skiing and snowboarding as Valley County features two amazing resorts in Brundage and Tamarack.
So if you are thinking of heading up to McCall for the Winter Carnival there should be something everyone in the family can enjoy. McCall offers shopping, restaurants and places to stay. Although if you want lodging for the carnival you might want to act fast.
