Hells Canyon Reservoir runs from Copperfield Oregon up north along the Snake River/Hells Canyon all…read morethe way up to the dam. It's a long, fairly narrow reservoir that sits in a steep, picturesque canyon. You can access it from both the Oregon and Idaho sides, with numerous areas for camping and boat launch on both sides. This river reservoir is nestled in a hot, dry climate and offers an emerald-hued escape from the oppressive heat. We visited on a day that crested well over 100 heatwave) and, well, that's pretty much perfect for enjoying the cool water. There are a ton of trailheads along the reservoir if you want to hike up to the canyon rim, and definitely tons of lakefront to stretch out on. Aside from the established campgrounds there are a bunch of pullouts on Hells Canyon Road suitable for car camping. This is definitely a locals spot, and not really a destination. I think Wallowa Lake is more for the Portland tourists. But that said, it's easy to see how this is a really popular spot for party boats, water skiing, and simple lake-style recreation.

The sunset cruise was one of the highlights of my trip to McCall! I wasn't sure what to expect…read moregoing in, but it ended up being such a unique way to experience the lake. We went on the Thursday evening cruise with live piano, and it was absolutely beautiful. Between the music, the mountain views, and watching the sun set over the water, it was such a relaxing and memorable experience. The staff was friendly, organized, and made everyone feel welcome from the moment we boarded. If you're visiting McCall, I highly recommend adding a cruise to your itinerary. Whether it's your first visit or you're returning after years away like I was, seeing the lake from the water gives you a whole new appreciation for how beautiful the area is.

Great cruise! The staff was incredibly friendly, the views were beautiful, and the drinks were…read moredelicious. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend it!

Highly recommend this place ! Dillon, Jake and Bill made great guides and hosts. We had an…read moreabsolute blast doing the jet boat down the river. The rapids were so fun ! We saw mountain goats and 2 bald eagle. Loved the history of Sheep Canyon and Kirkwood Ranch. Lunch was so yummy and such a scenic view Give yourself plenty of time to get there as it is quite remote and does take awhile to make the drive. Definitely do this if you can !

My husband and I just moved to Oregon, not quite a month ago. My best friend, Charity, came out…read morefrom Kansas City, and wanted to do something that she cant do back in Missouri. So, she was surfing the web and came across this. I am so glad she did! It took almost 3 hours to get there, but the scenery from Vale to the dam was well worth it. At first, I didn't want to spend that much money for a boat ride...but, I now think it is worth every penny and more! I had such a great time. Dusty was our guide (what do you call them? Are they Captains?) He was not only a great guide, he just seems like a great person. He was nice, polite, and did one hell of a job on the river! I have great memories with my bestie, and some really great pictures also. We didn't see any exciting animals, but that's ok. Still a great trip! I will go to Yellowstone for wild bears! :)

Pulled in here for a quick workout Paddle and was blown away by this great park. It's a perfect 5K…read more(3.12 Miles) workout from the park down to the The secondary water control area. The water was moving pretty good, if I had to guess somewhere around 1.75 to 2.5 mph, but I was still able to get a workout and my best Mile split time was returning in the current, I took a lot of pictures along the way. I paddle all over the country, and in many other countries, I like to record my Paddle, especially first time, and transfer it from my Garmin watch to the relive app. This app creates a video of the trail and any pictures taken along the way or Geos stamped on the trail while you watch the video. It's really amazing. This park was clean, self service for Park entry if the booth is closed. Nice restrooms. Apple parking and it was mowed later in the week so it really looked nice. Saturday morning 5/3/25. https://www.relive.com/view/vdvm44P3Nxq

Growing up here, some of my best memories were spent either by the water or on the water at Lucky…read morePeak. Just a short 20-minute drive from Downtown Boise, Lucky Peak is a man-made lake offering everything from sandy beach spots to camping, boating, swimming, and plenty of space for outdoor activities. Whether you're in the mood to relax by the shore or enjoy a day on the water, Lucky Peak is the perfect local getaway!

I Had a great experience at Idaho Water Sports. I have a new Bennington pontoon boat, which I had…read moreto buy out of state because it was the end of the year and they did not have it in stock at Idaho Water Sports. Idaho Water Sports is the local Bennington Dealer. I needed some work done on my boat when I received it, such as adding a ski towbar and having it winterized. Usually, a boat or RV Dealership will prioritize the people who purchased directly from them over people who purchased somewhere else. However, that was not the case here. Bekah in the Service department got me in right away and was very pleasant to work with. Billy, the service manager was also very pleasant to work with. Both Becca and Billy were very helpful, friendly and professional. They obviously care about their customers. They got my boat in and out quickly and everything was done to perfection. If you're looking for a new boat or you're looking to have your boat serviced, I would highly recommend Idaho Water Sports.

Wife and me fell in love with a 2022 axis T23 here. Drove from Vancouver Wa to nampa idaho for this…read moreboat!! Worked with Will who was amazing throughout the hole process! Hats off to their awesome customer service!

This place is the heart of McCall and Payette Lake. The dock staff is incredibly friendly, their…read moredrinks are killer and the atmosphere is upbeat and fun. I recommend this place to anyone who wants a pontoon rental, ski/surf boat rental or a nice meal on the water with great drinks and good vibes. They also have live music sometimes! The Marina is amazing, and I keep coming back every year for this reason - highly recommend. Don't let the negative reviews steer you, they are just upset and unhappy customers that couldn't find a better use of their time but to spread negative/untrue information. I have been around this crew for a few years now and they do an excellent job. Let's spread this positivity!! Definitely check them out if you're in the McCall area and enjoy the uniqueness of what the lake and people in this area have to offer. Once again, highly recommend. We all love Mile High Marina!!

The Manager at Mile High Marina (Kelly" is rude, demeaning and has no idea what customer service…read moremeans. She not only raised her voice and talked over me when we were discussing the cost of a "stick" getting caught in the impeller while we were were using it, but when I asked her to change her demeaning tone, she repeated it in the same tone 3 times...on purpose. I spent 40 years in sales and customer service, and I can tell you I would have fired her if she'd ever taken that tone with our customers. The other people there were very nice, but they need a new manager. What a terrible example.

excellent customer service machines ran good clothing and…read morehelmets all fit we will use this company again machines never stalled out ran great brian mazus

We had excellent service for business purpose very professional and was very satisfied with Cheap…read moreThrills. I would use them again both personal and for business purposes.

I love local companies. I am a huge supporter of local business. I am strongly against bashing…read morebusinesses in a small community. I preface this review with that because I want you to understand the magnitude of this negative review. As an Elite Yelper you can see that I pride myself in writing solid and truthful comments. I have NEVER written a bad review of a local company until now. I feel that my experience with this company was so horrifying that I need to protect my family and friends. I called several McCall boat rental companies to reserve a pontoon for Saturday, August 1st. I received friendly service from all but no availability. My cousin had a desire to jump off the cliffs and he wanted to go out on the Payette instead of Cascade. Upon the McCall places being booked I began to call Donnelly / Cascade. I reached Cascade Marina and my conversation was we wanted a pontoon that we could drive to McCall. Upon arriving I was shocked because it was much cheaper then the price I had seen on the website ($599) and quoted over the phone. I had planned $600+ $40 plus tax. I was planning over $700 and was shocked at $441. I quickly got over my shock when I was made aware we were not receiving a pontoon. The staff immediately recognized my disappointment regarding the condition of the boat. They began to quickly offer anything positive they could to conversation including trying to find common ground with mutual friends. We arrived at Payette later than anticipated. They were 10-15 minutes late to start the morning and the loading process took 30-45 minutes. We left there just after 10. We stopped at home on our way loaded swimsuits, waters, etc... and got to the Marina in McCall around 12:30 PM. Upon getting on the boat it was quite discouraging all the items that were broken and our in grave disrepair. The radio didn't work, the table was broken and difficulty adjusting, stains on the carpet, the tube had a little rip in it, etc... It was clear that we had been given an alternative to the pontoon that I had seen in the photos on the website. We made a little loop around And went to shore for a light lunch. We then went back out and a member of our party went to retrieve an item from the "dry storage" and it was filling rather quickly with water. We retrieved items and attempted To locate the problem. A member of the party, a chief in the United States Navy, got into the water and attempted to see if all the right plugs were in place, etc... The boat was taking on water pretty quickly and it was clear the bilge pump was not working. We returned to the closest beach (North Beach) and called the rental company. Our first call was at 1:45 P.M. after 1 little loop around part of Payette. I had family in town from all over, for one weekend. ... This is where the story gets good. We recognize our boat is sinking. We have come to shore to not fix the situation, but rather do we all did not drone in the middle of Payette Lake. Instead of saying, "I am so sorry, we will be there right away", we received a "ughhh??? We will call you right back." Finally, after sitting on the shore next to the sinking boat for OVER 5 hours, their 18 year old son and his buddy show up. The first question he asked is if we hit any rocks? We hadn't had time to hit any rocks. On the phone with his father he also says there is not damage to the boat and he had walked the perimeter. As if this were our fault???? He then returns our party of 4, the 4 that had been stuck there waiting with the sinking boat, we return to the Marina. Upon loading up the son says, "I don't know why we rent that boat. It belongs to someone else and we like rent it for them. We always have problems with it." Not only do I recommend a different rental company, I would avoid doing business with this company all together. Their service sunk to an all time low, like literally SUNK.

Amazing rental company! Very helpful and friendly staff! Loved our rental boat this past summer and…read moreplan to use them again next summer when we go up to Cascade!

this trip was the very first camping / river rafting trip me and my husband have ever been on, so…read moreneedless to say we were a bit nervous going in. Minam's team exceeded our expectations! They are so knowledgeable and truly so good at what they do, we couldn't have felt more safe and taken care of. The camping and rafting was exciting and fun, then we were wine and dined the entire 4 days. This team can truly do it all, I am still thinking " how do they do this?!?!" if you were ever thinking of going on a guided trip like this, I couldn't recommend the Minam team more. Grant, Jerry, Ian, and Robert, you all are incredible . Thank you!!! We are already trying to plan for next year!

I took the 4 day 3 night trip down from Wallowa (town) on the Wallowa river to the confluence where…read moreit becomes the Grande Ronde river (the rivers connect at the Minam store). A friend and I went by van ride up to the launch in Wallowa and went forward into the wilderness of the Blue mountains. This is geologically beautiful country with magical rock formations thronged by big horn sheep - we saw a group of 20 that entertained us across the river at camp. The fishing was fantastic. Half of the fish were around 14 inches up to right around 20 inches. These are highly capable broad-shouldered fish. Captain Grant, Captain Bobby, and First Mate Callen capably led our expedition. The well-trained and yet affectionate dogs put a cherry on top. Highly recommended. I effing love Oregon. They have a rail ride too.