Little Ski Hill, also called "Payette Lake Ski Area" has been serving skiers since the 1930's when it provided recreation for lumber workers. Located in west central Idaho, about two miles west of McCall, Idaho, this facility is known for year-round activity, not just in ski season. The Payette Lake Run is held the last Sunday in August each year to end the summer season. There are categories for adult and children marathoners, featuring runs and walks of various distances. This is the last scheduled event at Payette Lake until Community Clean Up Day in October when Little Ski Hill starts to get ready for winter.
Summer fun on scenic Payette Lake includes boating, pontoon riding and sailing, plus a fine beach. Trout fishing doesn't get any better than in this crystal-clear alpine lake. A summer concert series is held on Thursday nights, and there are nearby golf courses, mountain-bike trails, and zip-line courses.
Alpine skiing begins the end of December and continues through the middle of March. There's an alpine hill for downhill enthusiasts, complete with T-bar lift services. The summit is nearly 6-thousand feet, and the mountain has over four-hundred vertical feet for scenic and exciting skiing on north facing slopes.
Cross-country skiers are delighted with nearly twenty miles of well-maintained trails. Dogs are allowed on a designated loop, and there's also a biathlon range for shooting, as well as a snowboard hill. Little Ski Hill has the only lighted hills in the vicinity for nighttime skiing and boarding. Payette Lake and Little Ski Hill are magical any time of the year and a favorite of tourists to central Idaho.
