Outdoor living and seasonal fun shape daily life in Donnelly
Tucked beside the expansive waters of Lake Cascade, Donnelly is a small Valley County city with a lot to offer. Rural roads reveal impressive lakefront estates, cozy vacation cabins and luxury ski houses that keep people close to all the fun. Daily life revolves around the outdoors, no matter the season, with mountains, lakes, national forests and Tamarack Resort nearby to explore. While the community is most active in the summer and winter, Donnelly remains more attractive for year-round living than most resort towns. It offers a quieter alternative to nearby McCall, with schools, jobs and essential services still close enough to make the area feel practical rather than remote.
Explore the mountains, lakes and hot springs surrounding Donnelly
Donnelly is known for its recreation. The options can feel endless with lakes, ski resorts, mountains, state parks and golf courses surrounding the community. Throughout the year, you can:
- Ski, snowboard and snowshoe at Tamarack Resort
- Boat, fish and kayak on Lake Cascade
- Hike, bike and snowmobile through the West Mountains
- Soak and swim at Gold Fork Hot Springs
“There are after-school programs for the kids to go to the ski hills, and Tamarack Resort has free ski passes for all kids in kindergarten through 12th grade,” says Heather Haynes, Realtor with Century 21 Whitewater Clark. “We want kids involved in winter sports as soon as they’re able to do any of it. Even if you don’t have the means to pay for a ski pass, you can get used gear, and your kids can learn!”
Buy resort homes, vacation rentals or open lots for construction
Most of the city is made up of vacation homes, second homes and properties that convert into short-term rentals when the tourist seasons hit. Open lots for new construction are also widely available. Buyers can find many unique options, from smaller ranch-style houses and one-story New Traditional homes to A-frames, wood cabins, modern mountain houses and custom lakeside estates. Some subdivisions have HOAs, which can mean strict community rules, architectural regulations, monthly fees or annual dues. This applies to the many ski-in/ski-out mountain homes surrounding Tamarack Resort, which can cost between $800,000 and $5 million. Resort condos can be more cost-effective, ranging from the $400,000s to the $500,000s. Outside the resort area, home prices usually range between $300,000 and $3.6 million.
How Donnelly handles the seasons and compares to nearby McCall
Many people only live in Donnelly during peak seasons, but the community is still less transient than most resort areas. Because of this, the city is well prepared for many environmental factors. Seasonal properties are annually winterized, and full-time residents know how to handle nine months of snow. “Nobody really gets snowed in unless you want to be,” Haynes says. Donnelly has a small but mighty snow removal team, and McCall’s snow removal industry keeps people moving between the cities. “We have more snow removal equipment in McCall than they do in the entire Greater Boise area,” Haynes says. “The only reason kids get snow days is when the roads can’t be plowed quick enough to get the buses to the rural communities. We’ve only had one or two snow days in the last 10 years, which I think is pretty good.”
Donnelly is similar to McCall, but there are a few reasons why you might pick one over the other. “Sometimes it’s affordability, but McCall is more of the hub where the tourists come,” Haynes says. “Sometimes people don’t want to live in the middle of that in summer.” McCall has more shopping and dining options, but the cities are close enough that it’s still convenient to live in the country and commute.
Highway 55 connects locals to work, healthcare and services
State Route 55 is Donnelly’s main commuter corridor. Drivers use the highway to reach important destinations in McCall and Cascade, like St. Luke’s McCall Medical Center. “The hospital is a big employer, but it’s also just such a great service,” Haynes says. “If you have kids or if you’re just an aging adult, you need a good hospital, and we have it.” Tamarack Resort is another major employer but much closer to home. Job opportunities spike seasonally, but many people work there year-round.
McCall Donnelly schools are some of the best in the state
Students attend the McCall-Donnelly School District, which is considered one of the best school districts in Idaho. Many families choose to live year-round in Donnelly because the local schools are so highly rated. Donnelly Elementary School is inside the city, while other public schools are 15 to 20 minutes away in McCall.
What to know about utilities and upcoming fiber expansion
Everyday utilities come from a variety of providers:
- The North Lake Recreational Sewer & Water District serves Donnelly, but some homes are still on private wells and septic systems.
- AmeriGas and Suburban Propane provide propane gas.
- Lakeshore Disposal offers trash services, or people can self-haul.
- Most areas have Sparklight cable internet, but rural homes may depend on satellite coverage.
Broadband coverage may be changing soon. Valley County, including Donnelly, is part of a huge fiber project that should be completed by 2027.
