Payette National Forest to begin work on new trail projects next year

Payette National Forest officials approved two new trail projects that are designed to increase recreation opportunities in high-use areas.

The projects will be in the New Meadows and McCall ranger districts and are scheduled to be completed in 2023, according to a press release issued by the Payette National Forest. 

The first project is a 650-foot reroute of the Pollock Mountain Trail below Cold Springs Saddle in the New Meadows Ranger District. The new route will be less steep and recontoured to help soil retention, whereas the existing trail follows a steep grade and resulted in soil erosion and loss, Payette National Forest officials said. 

The second project calls for building a 3.2 mile Payette Lake Trail on the east side of Payette Lake in the McCall Ranger District. The Payette Lake Trail was proposed by the Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association and will be built on U.S. Forest Service lands and state land. 

Once completed, the new non motorized trail will connect the Fall Creek Loop trail with the “Silver Gate” Road on state lands, which will allow users to circumnavigate the lake when they use the new trail combined with the Payette Rim and Payette Lake trails on the west side of the lake. 

“As a public service agency, an important part of our mission is providing opportunities for people to access their public lands responsibly, while still striving to protect other important resources such as wildlife and drinking water,” Mike Beach, zone recreation staff officer, said in a written statement included with the news release. “Trails are one of our primary means of providing that access.”