Reviews of Ponderosa State Park (Tourist Attraction)

Bob C

Ok, but trails outside town are far better

Holly Lambert

Great views, but bring your bug spray!

Hector Arroyo

Was such a great place to stay......

Tony Keife

Best state park in Idaho.

Jeffrey Baker

Absolutely beautiful this fall

Dennis Sleeper

Lots of great trails for all ages and skills with breathtaking scenery and wildlife.

Candice Devedzic

Excellent stroller friendly walking trails and beautiful views. Perfect for kids. Well worth the stop if you're in town. Also, as a bonus the bathrooms have flush toilets and hot water to wash your hands, this was unexpected and so great!

Krystal Giessen

One could say I pretty much live here. Love the place! Great trails and clean facilities. I do wish people would follow the leash laws but that's not the fault of the staff.

Cameron Lowe

Beautiful place for my first bicycle ride in 30 years

Robert Hale

Great place to see Idaho beauty.

Dave Ramsay

Fun trail ride around the Ponderosa Peninsula.

Craig Baker

As always, great place.

Fins Feathers and Fur

5$ for a day pass fishing wasn't bad at the boat ramp. June 2019

Rossi Newcomb

Great visit. Beautiful campgrounds.

Joel Gerhart

Easy access. Mellow fun trails.

Ricardo Magallon

Great park so much to do like swimming the payette lake and biking they have hiking trails and cabins for rent or RV spots love how peaceful it is here the 5 dollar entrance fee is definitely worth it. Good place to go to cool down and enjoy nature I have come here. Over 3 times and still enjoy hiking the trails all the way to the tip of the peninsula o would recommend taking some mosquito spray though there is a lot of them skitters.

Tracy Freeman

Great camping, great boat launch, great beach and great bike and walking trails. Lots of wildlife walks through your campground every day.

tmax557

Excellent place to stay with clean bathrooms!

Lisa Murphy

Loved the beach area! My boys had a great time !

Wade Dorrell

Giant park. Great beach. Lots of family-friendly bike trails. Close to town.

Bob Huber

Rode what they call mountain bike trails around the peninsula. Worst trails ever! If you introduce a new mountain biker to singletrak riding on these trails they will hate mountain biking. Don't do it!

Madeleine Sappington

An amazing place to spend the day!!!

John Mills

Great camp grounds, hiking & mountain biking trails. Big lake with boat launch. Can get crowded during prime summertime.

Neil Payne

Beautiful place to camp for RV's and tents. On the lake with swimming, fishing and picnicking. RV sites are well spaced with lots of "elbow" room.

Kelley Morton

We biked around the park and really enjoyed the scenery. The trails were not especially well marked and we had to fuddle around a bit. A map from the visitor center helped a lot, although the staff were not super-engaged.

Cynthia Calderon

I had never seen Ponderosa trees in person. This was my first time, and I'm 61! They are spectacular!!!! The park has rental cabins, the park sells firewood, they also have a school for children learning about science. There's a very nice beach and volleyball net. Enjoy!

Joshua Benavidez-Holmes

This deserves 5 stars but the prices for camping at the park are ridiculous but very beautiful park and lake

Nicolas Van Tomme

We arrived at 9.15 at the visitor center and a paper was on the door saying out for lunch until 10.30 a bit strange when the visitor center opens at. The park itself is small and has a little Wildlife around like deer, squirrels and birds. The osprey view point is probably the best part. But no osprey around.

Paul Nichols

Very roomy park (lawn area) with scattered picnic tables. Sandy beaches are clean, shallow, and cordoned off with roped-connected buoys - great for small child safety. Lots of shade trees throughout. Yes, there are restrooms. Several areas are a distance walk from parking - suggest coolers with wheels!

Logan Affleck

One of the most well-maintained parks in Idaho. As popularity in McCall continues to grow, the state and staff show their maintenance muscle. Every year, the park implements major improvements to areas that need repair or optimization. The park offers a plethora of areas to explore including beaches, forests, waterways, biking and walking paths. Frequent education programs directed for adults and children are offered (usually) for free. There's a scenic overlook which can be hiked, biked, or driven to. Park staff are kind and are often local residents who will gladly point you in the right direction. Ponderosa has access to most of the peninsula, so you are welcome to explore most areas and enjoy the far-but-not-too-far from home relaxation. The park's proximity to McCall makes it work even better. This means you have the ability to camp without having to worry about packing everything. A 5 minute drive will take you into town and you can grab a few groceries or a bite to eat. Other attractions include a Marina and several equipment rentals, as well as an ice rink and a strip mall.

Joe Petersen

First time visiting. We were lucky and got the last spot and was right next to the river. It rained that night and was great. Beautiful. See picture.

Lou Jerome

Nice park with lots of hiking and biking outings. Also huckleberries!

Jim Vogelpohl

Clean green grass by visitors center nice ropes in area for all 2 swim. Spacious for size rv.s and tents...

Nick M

Beautiful lake, boating ramp was nice and had trailer parking nearby. Highly recommend getting the Idaho state parks passport at the dmv if you intend to visit many state parks while in Idaho, it pays for itself in just 2 visits.

Sergei V. Dickstein

Relaxing and enjoying!

Marcus Hall

Great location with lots to do. Mountain Bike trails galore. Awesome lake and North Beach was great.

Robert Stiers

Nice park. Well maintained. Has power water and sewer. Nice helpful staff!

Charles Rayhorn

Nice place to hike. Very scenic.

Quinn Gardner

A lot of fun stuff to do here . We always play the beach. And drive around the point

Paige Nielebeck

I love everything about this park! I have been coming here since a kid! Well maintained and lots of places to explore! Great places for swimming, hiking, camping, biking, walking, etc!

Robert Brenchley

Simply beautiful, stunning scenery.

Gayle Roege

Love this park. The beauty, the wonderful pine scent, and lakeshore are an amazing respite just a bike ride awayfrom town!

Ron Withers

It's an ideal location by the lake and surrounded by one of the most beautiful places in the world. The stars at night are breathtaking.

Isladar Aberasturi

Nature... 5 dollar parking without the state park pass. Plenty of restrooms for the kids who consistently have to go. A decent designated swimming area, and a bunch of RV parking or cabin rentals available for weekend stays up at McCall.

Cody Julian

Great places for our dog to run around free after being cooped up in the apartment all day

Roy Cossairt

Beautiful showpiece of natural surroundings. 3 stars because I feel they should demonstrate what a well managed Forest can look like when sick trees are removed and thinning is used along with keeping the forest floor healthy. It should be a shining example of what mankind CAN do to help nature thrive... Especially with the University of Idaho having an extension in the park. Lots of infested trees and downfall laying around. And now learning a part of the park is being turned over to a private organization for use in a less than transparent deal.

Kathy Bonham

Great place with lots of things to do. Only down side is phone service is poor.

Chris Barlow

Had a lot of fun with the family. Will definitely come back to visit again.

Dawn Tuek

A real treasure for camping, hiking, biking or water sports for all ages.

Chad P

Great state park to camp at with hiking and bike trails. Close by Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) trails.

Heidi Ingram Grigg

This place is gorgeous! It's close to all McCall has to offer, the beach side lake access, nice biking trails throughout the park, and memorable places for a picnic. The facilities aren't as well taken care of in the camping area, but it's more from age rather than cleanliness. Going on the biking trail you can find lesser used beach areas with blocked off swimming areas. Go explore and see what you can find! We went in July and found huckleberries around camp, and lots of deer to watch.

John Brede

Just Beautiful. Great place to Kayak.

RJ Keating

Beautiful park with lots of hiking/biking trails, minutes from downtown McCall.

Kirsten Wilson

The park is quiet for being so close to town. The campsites are spaced enough apart to provide some privacy. The sites have electric and sewer. The dump station is easy to get in and out of.

Suzie Burman

Went on a lovely hike and did some bird watching.

Becky Johnstone

Quit here this time of year. No water at times due to cold weather. Had to.change sites to find one with running water.

Valerie Galbraith

We have a timeshare nearby and we have explored the hiking trails and played on the beaches. It's a beautiful place to go. If you want to camp here, call early in the year. It fills up fast.

Robert Brown

Awesome place, bring your bug spray

Ronald May

Great campground, unfortunately too many people know about it.....packed all the time....The RV campground was full by Noon on Friday. Then a damn charter school shows up.....out of control kids everywhere.

Patricia Chaidez

Absolutely wonderful and beautiful all at the same time! We encountered this little guy on our bike ride through Ponderosa State park in McCall Idaho. Mama was lounging nearby

Nox K

I would say the best hidden park in McCall

Umair Yaqub

Visited in late summer. Beautiful park with good views of the lake. Well maintained hiking and biking trails. The peak point (Osprey Cliff) can be accessed by hike, bike or car. There is a $5 fee from which annual Idaho State Parks pass-holders are exempt. Several locations for camping and beach access are available. The park is a 5-10 min drive from the town of McCall.

Sergey Sagan

Expensive but has RV hookups. Not camping but glamping. What other Idaho campground has RV hookups and on premises shower? Can get a bit crowded but still always nice.

Justin Marostica

My favorite place for a trail run.

Kristina Randall

This place was amazing! They have onsite bathrooms and showers. Many camp sites within the park. Different choices on small, or large. The beach was nice. There are docks for boats and such. My family had a blast here for something reasonably priced. Make sure to bring flashlights and such because the only lights are around the bathroom areas. Wildlife passes through a lot. Also, don't keep shoes outside the tent because the local fox, or trash panda will steal your footwear. (Happened to a friend). The town is lovely with many places to shop and eat. Totally worth the drive and would surely visit again!

Carl Spackler

It's neat, but it's always kinda the same. Since I was a kid.

Jacob Thiessen

Love the McCall area. We had a ton of fun paddle boarding on the North side were there is a small inlet, but there are picnic areas all over and some nice boating if you don't mind the cold water

Tim Brown

Beautiful Place. Big park.

upnorth&outofdip

Some trails are a little over grown but when you are on the main paths it was gorgeous. Great views and not too crowded.

Jason Martinez

Terrific place to relax

Shad

Great place to camp. Clean bathrooms and showers. They have a little sand beach for kiddos.

Silas Brand

expensive as hell. Black mold in showers most of the year. Crowded.... Don't go here

Russ Kurkov

Very beautiful and spacious park with easy access to the lake.

Teresa Crawford

Such a beautiful place!!

Chris Dillman

Great place with showers, flush toilets, and gobs of trails. Young lady at the visitor center was super friendly!

Eagle A

Wonderful, clean campground. Lots to keep you busy. Hiking, biking, and swimming in cold water....decent separation of campsites.

Nataliya Kochubey

Great hiking trails and swimming

Marilyn Cruson

Camp was clean. Water was good, electric worked.

Keri Best

Awesome campground. Fun hiking trails from 1-4 miles long, showers, large bathrooms ,and well thaken care of camp sites. Great entrance greeting. The visitors center staff seemed grouchy and seemed put out by any questions though. Fun beach access but keep in mind the water level was high so the beach by the campsites in blackberry loop had a high water level so it was almost non existent. We had to drive back up to the visitors center with our paddle boards and toddler to use that beach. We boarded our dog based off others reviews but I'd say bring them. Only the beach by the visitors center doesn't allow dogs. It was also obvious no one else follows the rules and tons of dogs were off leash and wondering everywhere.

James Williams

Beautiful state park highly recommend paddle boarding through the area

Vin Wells

Beautiful park. Great for camping, hiking, and mtn biking!

Sara Frich

Fantastic place. We always go during the off season as we don't like enjoying nature with 5,000 other people.

Phil Carney

Best State Park in S Central Idaho. Any season is great here. Love it!

Karol Conly

Saw five dear laying in the meadow. The park is absolutely beautiful and the view is stunning.

Ben Sievers

Not overly crowded or noisey. Lots of campers but still a favorite place to go. Plenty of hiking and bike trails!

Scott Miller

Wonderful morning of Nordic skiing with my nieces and sister-in-law

Sarah Bibby

Well maintained, mostly closed during early spring. Still a lot of snow here!

christyne wynn

My friend and I stayed at one of the cabins after a wedding we went to in the park. Everything was great! The views and the cabin space were awesome.

Ryan Obray

There really aren't many places you can actually go wrong with in McCall. Ponderosa State Park is a really nice, family friendly place that is ideal for spending a day at the beach. It's not nearly as crowded as the park on the South end and has good shade to boot. From a visibility standpoint, it's not the very best spot for watching fireworks on the 4th of July but it's a whole lot less of a zoo than the other options (parking is easy and getting in and out quickly is easier if you play you cards right by taking the back roads out).

thom hatch

Beautiful and quiet. Also conveniently located. Ride your bike to town or on one of the great trails in the area. The payette lake is right next door. There are good bathrooms and showers. Hard to beat this campground.

Denise Signorelli

Lots of campsites. Cabins to rent. Sandy beaches. Deer. Mountain biking. Hiking. What's not to like?

Ryan Bjornberg

State parks have an amazing beauty to them. The wildlife as well as the amazing plants bring an amazing atmosphere to the place. Definitely a good place to bring kids on a nice sunny day to go play around in the grass and just appreciate nature as a whole.

Real DC13

Clean and peaceful.

Malina Malina

Amazing and peaceful place! Excellent for camping! Beautiful for traveling! Only best memories we got in that place. They taking very good care of a place. It’s clean and definitely worth to visit.

J Rad

Overcrowded and very little privacy. The scenery is the only saving grace.

Anessa Arnold

Ponderosa is one of my favorite places to camp. Beautiful trails to hike or ride my bike.

David Root

Good clean camp ground Very large Nearby lake. Can swim. Lots of trails Hot water in clean shower. RV hook ups in every site

Geneva Ohlsen

Beautiful and peaceful! Very nice shower rooms!

Jolene Sterling

When 66 teenagers move in around you filling up 12 campsites....we had prepaid for a week (300$+) not a great memory and will not be back.

David Cruson

Nice, well maintained park sercices

Mandie Richardson

This place is a great place to bike and hike. So many types of trails to choose from. Not to mention the beautiful lake.

Larry Suenaga-Bassett

Camp overall was clean and fairly quiet after 10pm. Camp hosts didn’t seam like they really payed much attention. Bathrooms and showers worked, nice hot water, clean beach and ample walking trails.

Steven Bryan

A scenic and quiet campground. Highly recommended!

Tanner Grant

Awesome camping, beach and amenities. Lots of wild life!

Abror Komiljonov

Good place to swimming

Sonja Hambridge

The lake is magnificent and has a nice little sandy beach. Trails are also beautiful, but beware of mosquitoes along the marshy trail! We hiked the first weekend in June and mosquitoes were out in full force. Otherwise this park is awesome.

Yvonne Hart

Ponderosa is one of the best parks in Idaho. There are wonderful hiking trails and opportunity for biking. A peaceful place with lots of wildlife and close enough to town to walk or bike.

Andrew Moore

Nice park with decent facilities. Lots of picknic tables, a volleyball net in good condition, bathrooms and ample parking. The park was clean, trash free and well kept.

Curtis Haynes

Loved it! Lots of fun hiking places.

Amanda Barry

This is my favorite state park. There is so much beauty. They offer swimming holes in the lake, to keep civilians safe from the boats. It is beautiful. I would spend every day here if I could.

Mardell Davidson

Beautiful park with picnic tables along the shore. It also has great beach area's.

Toby Mouser

Beautiful park, great place to watch the sun set.

Eric Winter

A great little getaway in small town McCall...

Nepal Plummer

Beautiful park with amazing camping, hiking, and mountain biking.

Justus Alger

McCall and surrounding areas is a must visit for a quick vacation. Most cabin rentals are cheaper than hotels. Jetski rental is available if needed.

Jennifer Pidduck

Beautiful park! Campsites are nicely maintained. Lake is amazing. Our kids loved swimming in the water. Best way to cool off!

Frank Schmitt

Absolutely beautiful! I go there every summer on Cycle rides.

Greg T

Very nice lake, also very busy

George Pafundi - Silvercreek Realty Group

Quiet, private, all hookups worked.

Touhidul Islam

This park is a serene place that can inhale your sufferings and loneliness. Full of good vibes and refreshing weather can dilute the frustration in a few seconds. There are places to do camping and fishing. The mesmerizing wind and shining sun can be a lifetime moment that you will never forget. We hiked a little bit to roam around the payette lake.

colebolebole

Very good place to camp beautiful surroundings car parking in camp spots.

Melissa Misailidis

It is so beautiful up there

Ashley Steelefalcon

We go here to walk and play with our toddler all the time. Beautiful state park with great facilities. Always love enjoying nature here!

Jordan Allen

Incredible place for a family adventure

Jim Meldrum

By far, top 3 favorite parks of mine. Between the trails, the wildlife, the lake, fishing, hucklberry picking, and the amazing trees it a great park. Plan way ahead if you want to camp here. Make reservasations as they are usually full.

Steven Reames

Best state park on the State of Idaho. Camping, biking, boating, swimming, hiking in the summer. Cross country skiing in the winter.

Grayson Gersten

Love the beach area, amazing space where kids can explore and be independent.

Jessica Thomsen

Beautiful place to take one of the many hiking trails.

Richard Chmielewski

Nice day, spring flowers. Birds singing

Troy Hayes

Love Ponderosa State Park! Something for everyone!

Cynthia Hayton

Great place to go walk or spend day near town. Beautiful scenery, well maintained trails. Good use better markings. $5.00 entry fee for day. Take insect repellent. Mosquitoes ate us alive. Look forward to returning (with big spray).

Joshua Pearson

Beautiful place to have a picnic and enjoy the views. Be sure to make the entire loop drive so you can see the viewpoint above the lake. That is so worth it!

Jason Hewitt

Nice area to get away from larger city population

Ricky Magallon

Great park so much to do like swimming the payette lake and biking they have hiking trails and cabins for rent or RV spots love how peaceful it is here the 5 dollar entrance fee is definitely worth it. Good place to go to cool down and enjoy nature I have come here. Over 3 times and still enjoy hiking the trails all the way to the tip of the peninsula o would recommend taking some mosquito spray though there is a lot of them skitters.

Tamara Reames

Years of family memories here.. Always a new and scenic adventure.

Austin Byrd

We went kayaking there and we had a blast! Other than the miscommunication on how to get there, it was good! We enjoyed our self's for 4 hours and the people there were amazing!

B Lyn

Wonderful get away

E.P. McDonough

Located at the waist of Payette Lake with access to the lake and the Narrows. Great views from Porcupine Point and several campgrounds to choose from. Get your reservation in early because the campgrounds go quickly once the window opens up.

Brinda Caldwell

Wonderful park -- beautiful! Trails for walking and cycling. The lake is gorgeous, perfect for sailing. Even has a beach! Lots of areas for camping, too.

Grant Hansen

Always have fun

Benjamin Devedzic

Really pretty. Worth a day of exploring

David Kapp

Even though the weather has been great, and trails everywhere are open, the park is still pretty much closed, except for one area. Doesnt have that online anywhere, so we paid to go in, for nothing. Pretty lame.

Scott Walker

This state park is located at the North side of McCall Idaho, on the East side of Payette Lake. The fee for a one day pass is only $5. The trails vary from very easy and flat with paved surface to intermediate with lots of up and down with varied terrain. Wear hiking boots if you plan to use the intermediate trails. The views and scenery are spectacular. Plenty of wildlife: we saw a large variety of birds, lots of red wing blackbirds, a fox, and deer. The drive into the park was the only negative: the roads were rough with a lot of deep potholes. We were in the park in late May, so road crews had been through repairing winter damage. This park is well worth the drive; huge pine trees, views of the mountains and the lake. If you are in the McCall area, take advantage of this excellent park.

Winifred Meier-Oakes

Wonderful walking trails and fantastic views from Osprey Cliff.

Amy Strebe

So many fun activities! Hiking, swimming at Payette lake, trails for walking, pet friendly (be sure to clean up after your pet!) huckleberry picking in Aug., camping and much more! A really nice park with lots of wooded areas, it's hard to imagine when in the park that the city on McCall is just a few minutes away.

Liz Foley

A gorgeous state park. There are a large number of camping sites and many places to access the lake. They also have a selection of cabins available to rent but you have to reserve early as they book quickly. We stayed in one of the 2 bedroom cabins and it was cleaner and better equipped than the condo we rented earlier in our stay at McCall. They have quiet hours from 10pm to 7am that they enforce. There are hiking trails, walking trails and bike trails. All the restroom/shower facilities appeared to be very clean and well maintained. The view from our cabin was amazing with a stunning sunset over the lake. I will return!

Richard Weathers

Rode our bikes and the lake, nice 20 Mile ride

Kerry Albright

Beautiful park, great hikes, beaches and scenic views.

Michael White

Can't say enough, this our vacation destination even though we live right in McCall. Can always find a nice quiet place to sit by the lake.

Bart Mower

Beautiful. Great hikes for the family b

Matt Hill

We have come here every year as a family for several years. This is a great campground, roomy, nice, clean facilities. 5 stars

세계도시이야기. World City Story

It is so wonderful place

Courtney R.

Great place to go camping with the family! It was our first time to McCall and we were so glad we decided to camp here. Easy access to the lake. Well kept grounds and roomy sites.

Blue diamond Kadie

It is wonderful. So peaceful and relaxing, it's so beautiful and fun to explore 5 stars of course. I recommend for a fun and relaxing vacation.

Brenden S

Really beautiful park with lots of nice trails

Brian Miller

Our tradition is to go to McCall every 4th of July for the day and go swimming at Ponderosa. What a beautiful park with nice beaches and tons of trails and paths to explore. Great camping as well.

Joshua Cornelius

Pretty park with plenty of trails.

Donald Peck

Beautiful place with camping available. Recommend a reservation for camp sites. Park is well maintained with public restroom.