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Meet McCall

McCall is nestled between big Ponderosa Pine forests and the incredibly clear water of glacially carved Payette Lake.  Although a mountain town with a decidedly resort flare, it has all the amenities and business opportunities that big time destinations offer.  

The mountain scenery and abundant recreational opportunities have amassed a dedicated fan base since the Hotel McCall started welcoming guests in 1904. Historically, mining and logging were the main economic drivers, and once the railroad was complete in 1914 the area became popular with hunters and fishermen. By the time Hollywood showed up to film the Academy Award-nominated Northwest Passage, plans for the Shore Lodge were underway. The Lodge opened in 1948 and has since become a symbol of everything good about Idaho lakes and summer fun.  

Logging and mining have slowly given way to espresso shops and marinas, but another iconic employer remains to this day – the U.S. Forest Service smokejumpers. In 1943, the Forest Service opened the McCall smokejumper base, one of only eight in the nation. Located at the airport, a few miles from downtown, the site includes a smokejumper training unit, paraloft, dispatch office, and the McCall air tanker base.

Business District

Tim Cochrane, McCall Area Chamber of Commerce CEO has been on board for less than a year but already he’s fostered a new economic attitude and philosophy.  

A strategic plan being developed for the next 30 years includes hot topics like a new regional airport, proper growth in downtown, including  first floor retail, second floor office and the third floor condo/residential, and purchasing a year-round sports floor for the event center ice rink.  “We will then be able to make the ice rink a true convention facility,” said Cochrane.  

Like the rest of the nation, McCall is seeing a whole new crop of home based businesses, and the city is actively growing several incubator locations – with the idea that those home based businesses will need a commercial location as they grow.  

“Our single biggest employer is the federal government,” said Cochrane. “The Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, state parks, smoke jumpers – all are a vital part of our economy, but as a community, we’re coming up with ideas to expand our economic base.”   

“It’s not about building new convention centers or large monuments, it’s about being open for business,” said Cochrane.  “We don’t need to sell the lake or the beautiful recreational amenities in McCall – we need to sell that visitors are welcome here, and come up with ideas to use the great facilities we already have.”  

Case in point: the ice rink. The community put together a coalition and marketed to the Idaho Jr. Steelheads. “We didn’t have to build an ice rink – we had one, but we actively marketed it,” said Cochrane. As a result, families, friends and fans will be visiting McCall -- and supporting the local economy -- for 11 games during the 2009-2010 season.  

“A lot of towns have dried up with the economy, but we’ve continued to go forward with projects – the brand new downtown park on the lake is absolutely beautiful, and I can’t believe how many people are down there,” said Diane Wiegand, owner of McCall Vacations and Mountain Lakes Realty.  “Another example is the new Alpine Village multi-use complex – we are going forward and we want new businesses here.”  

Wiegand’s parents started both businesses close to three decades ago but Diane was living and working in Michigan. Eventually she was drawn to McCall because of the lifestyle. “I had a 7 year-old daughter and kept thinking about raising her in the big city,” said Wiegand.  “I moved to McCall and I can’t imagine a better town to raise children, plus it’s a great place to have a business.”  

Quick Facts

  • Population: 2,500, growing to more than 20,000 during Winter Carnival Week
  • Elevation: 5,030 ft
  • Average Snowfall: 37.1 inches
  • Average Max. Temperature: 80 degrees (F) 

Living the Dream

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” said John Watkins, owner of Mountain Monkey Business, an upscale clothing store, now in its 23rd year.  “McCall has a lot of good opportunities; in fact we did not see a slowdown in our economy this season like the rest of the nation.”

“I think we’re successful because we listened to our market and have adjusted our merchandise accordingly -- and we have great employees who have been with us a long time” said Watkins.  “Employees are loyal here -- in fact we’ve got a few that have been here all 23 years we’ve been in business.” 

Recently, six new ventures have opened in McCall and joined the Chamber. One newbie, the Fogglifter Coffee House, had a solid idea -- offer a great product and outrageous service. “It’s true,” said Cochrane.  “The second time I walked in it was ‘Good morning Tim’.”

“McCall offers so much to do, this is where I decided I wanted to live,’” said Fogglifter Café owner Steve Binninger. “I had a lot of support -- the city was easy to work with and very reasonable.” 

Susan Bell who moved from Boise to McCall to manage McCall Glassworks, a new auto glass repair and replacement shop, is happy with her decision. “I drive by the lake on my way home each night,” said Bell. “The air is clean, it’s a wonderful community and the people are nice."

Each new business seems to share the same story – the owners have been visiting for years and they wanted to live in McCall full-time. “I’ve worked with most of them to find commercial space and they’re all living the dream,” said Cochrane. “They’re in McCall and they’re running a business.”