A New Trail Connection in McCall

Big news for trail lovers, walkers, runners, and bikers in McCall: the Lick Creek Connector Trail (also known as White Pine Heights) easement is officially complete and recorded!

This easement came about from a partnership between Idaho Parks & Recreation, Idaho Department of Lands, the Governor’s Office, and Payette Land Trust. Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the Governor’s Outdoor Recreation Fund, we now have a critical piece in place to connect some of McCall’s most-loved trail systems.

Why It Matters

Safer Pathways, Better Connections

The Lick Creek Connector Trail will link the existing pathways in Ponderosa State Park with the Spring Mountain Path. Instead of biking, running, or walking on a busy roadway, you’ll be able to safely slip into the Park on a  non-motorized trail.

Protecting Access for Generations

Something most people don’t realize is that the “back entrance” to Ponderosa State Park, at the junction of Miles Standish Road and Pilgrim Cove Road,  isn’t actually inside the park. There’s about 1,000 feet of Idaho Department of Lands property.

Since IDL Endowment Land can be sold, access to this route wasn’t guaranteed forever. But with the new Lick Creek Connector Trail easement, public access across that stretch is permanently protected. That means that entrance into the Park will remain open for generations to come.

What’s Next

The easement is done – but next up: building the trail! 

Over the next year, Payette Land Trust will team up with Valley County Pathways, Valley County Recreation, the City of McCall, and other local partners to raise the funds needed for construction. Once complete, the trail will be a safe and scenic way to connect the community to the outdoors.