Activity Barn tubing hill in McCall could see big expansion, new summer activities

Brundage Mountain Resort has applied to expand operations at its Activity Barn.  

Brundage operates the McCall Activity Barn, which is open from Thanksgiving through mid-April yearly. The barn includes a lift-operated tubing hill, a free Nordic trail, and a market with local vendors open twice a week, among other facilities.

The resort now wants to keep the Activity Barn open year-round, with proposed hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 

“Brundage Mountain Resort has successfully run the property since 2016,” the application said. “The McCall Activity Barn has provided a great winter experience to visitors of McCall and the surrounding area for over 20 years. There is a significant demand to expand recreational activities and provide activity and outdoor event space in the community.”

The current facility takes up about 35 acres of the 115 acres of Brundage-owned property at 141 Moonridge Drive, south of the City of McCall.

Brundage writes that there is a need to expand “with Valley County becoming a tourist destination.”

It is also asking for a capacity increase from 150 to 500 guests. 

As for the year-round activities, Brundage is proposing adding a disc golf course, and multi-use trails for walking, mountain biking, and running. The resort would also opt to keep the market open year-round.

“There are no intended changes to noise from operations currently,” the application said. “Proposed activities such as disc golf, multi-use non-motorized trails, and other low-impact recreation activities would create very little if any additional noise.”

The resort is proposing two residential tiny homes for employee housing that could fit up to four people. The anticipated rent price is between $800 and $1,200 a month. If two people live in each home, the cost would be between $400 and $600 per person per unit. 

Parking would need to be expanded by about 1.7 acres and a second entry is proposed on the north side of the property.

The applicant is seeking conditional use permit approval from the Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission. The activity barn has a hearing date set for June 15.