Recreation

Hiking McCall is too good to be true. With many trailheads near downtown McCall, you can take an early day hike and get back to town for numerous activities in the afternoon.

The heavily forested areas of the McCall region provide the perfect venue for day and overnight hikes and mountain biking. In the late spring the snow melt provides productive habitat for the elusive morel mushroom and huckleberries. Mid summer wildflowers in abundance grace the slopes and meadows.

A must have book is "Hiking and Angling in McCall" by Roger Phillips, a guide to 32 trails, 28 lakes and eight rivers and streams in the McCall area. The book ranks trails from easy to difficult and can be found at area retailers .

Locals do like to hike - check into The McCall Hiking Club at www.mccallhikingclub.org for local insight and activities.

Among our favorite hikes is to Louie Lake - a pristine deep blue lake that sits on the lower slope of Jughandle Mountain at an elevation of 7,004 feet. Duck Lake and Hum Lake are also scenic hikes accessed near Lick Creek Summit. An easy two mile loop with little elevation gain, Duck Lake sits at 6,840 feet. The 1.5 mile Hum Lake trail starts at Duck Lake and climbs to almost 7,800 feet then drops back down to 6,800 feet. The reward is panoramic views of both lakes.

Pearl Lake and Snowslide Lake are also popular among locals. Visit "Fall for McCall" for some recent photos.