Location: Southwest Idaho, north of Boise Length: 112 miles (180.3 km) Time To Allow: 2 days Description/Highlights/Points of Interest The Payette River Scenic Byway meanders and curves through foothills, mountain valleys, canyons, forests and wide-open valleys with expansive vistas. Lake Cascade, with its beauty and wildlife, can be glimpsed around the corners of the mountains and through the "Long Valley" surrounding it, and the view of Payette Lake set among the mountains and trees is a thrill for the first-time traveler. The Byway also affords easy access to rafting, kayaking, camping and fishing. Suggested Itinerary Payette Tour, ID (Two Days) Your tour of the Payette River Scenic Byway begins at the junction of U.S. 95 at New Meadows and runs along Idaho 55 south to Idaho 44 west of Boise. This narrow, winding two-lane road is driveable year-round and is easily accessible from Boise, which is rapidly becoming a major city in the Pacific Northwest. During any time of the year, the valley is a place to visit and enjoy. Local attractions include the Idaho Capitol Building, Old Penitentiary State Historic Site, Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise River Greenbelt and nearby parks along the river and the Idaho Historical Museum. Boise is also home to the highest concentration of Basques in the United States. The Basque Museum and Cultural Center interprets the history of the Basques in Idaho and their old-world origins. Visitors are guided through a historic building, the 1864 Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga house, which was a pioneer family home and later used as a Basque boarding house from 1910 until 1969. The museum includes exhibits, classrooms, archives, a library and a gift shop. Summer invites short float trips on rafts or tubes. During the winter, cross- country and downhill skiing are only 30 minutes away at Bogus Basin Mountain Resort. The Main Payette Rive below the town of Banks offers easy access to rapids of moderate difficulty and is a fine run for boaters with good basic skills. There are good swimming beaches just north of Horseshoe Bend and south of Banks. Lake Cascade is one of Southwestern Idaho's most popular boating and fishing spots. Good boat ramps are located near the town of Cascade and on the west side of the reservoir near Donnelly. Fuel and services, along with restaurants and motels are available in both Cascade and Donnelly. A ski and summer resort community nestled on the shore of Payette Lake, McCall is just a two-hour drive north of Boise. It began as a timber town and is now known as one of Idaho's most popular resorts. It is home to Ponderosa State Park, the U.S. Forest Service Smokejumper Base and the annual Winter Carnival, begun in 1924. Payette Lake offers excellent boating with several sandy beaches and spectacular mountain scenery. North Beach is a popular spot for water skiing. There is a marina and good boat ramps near the town of McCall. For picnicking and swimming, the town has two city parks on the lake. Ponderosa State Park covers most of a 1,000-acre peninsula that juts into Payette Lake near McCall. The scenic overlook at Porcupine Point offers a spectacular view of the lake. The park offers self-guided nature trails, guided walks with park naturalists, evening campfire programs, carriage rides and small boat rentals. The topography ranges from arid sagebrush flats to dense woods. The North Beach Unit has a beach and picnic area. New Meadows is a charming small town northwest of McCall, offering an 18-hole golf course, Zim's Hot Springs Resort and spectacular pastoral views. Rafting on the Salmon River is available just north of New Meadows in the Riggins area. For more information for places along this byway, contact: Basque Museum & Cultural Center Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau Cascade Ranger District McCall Chamber of Commerce