Tamarack Resort is on West Mountain, above the west shore of Lake Cascade, near Donnelly in west-central Idaho and 90 miles north of Boise. The summit is 7,700 feet, mid-mountain 6,700 feet and the base 4,900 feet, for 2,800 feet of vertical. There are 1,610 skiable acres and 57 named runs, rated 17% novice, 45% intermediate and 38% advanced. Seven lifts serve the mountain, including the Tamarack Express, Summit Express and Wildwood Express. The longest run, Bliss, is 2 miles long. Tamarack averages 300 inches of snow a year, with snowmaking on 306 acres and three terrain parks.
Lift-served skiing opened on December 15, 2004, and Wikipedia calls Tamarack the first new destination ski resort in North America in 23 years. It closed for the 2009-10 season during a foreclosure and reopened in December 2010. The resort also has the Osprey Meadows golf course, a marina on Lake Cascade and Nordic trails.
All five cams are live video. The Summit cam shows the top of the mountain, where wind and visibility matter most. The Mid Mountain Lodge cam and the Mid Mountain Snow Stake are at mid-mountain, and the snow stake is the one to check for new snow. The Osprey Meadows Golf Course cam looks at the course just below the base area, and the Marina cam looks at Tamarack Marina on Lake Cascade, so both show conditions down in the valley.
None of the cams shows ID-55 or the roads to the resort, so check them before you drive.
From Boise, take ID-55 north for 90 miles on the Payette River Scenic Byway to Donnelly. Turn left onto West Roseberry Road, follow it 3.8 miles, then turn left on West Mountain Road and drive 3.2 miles to the resort entrance. From McCall, drive south on ID-55 for less than 12 miles to Donnelly, about 20 to 30 minutes. The closest commercial airport is Boise (BOI), and the resort puts the drive at a little under 2 hours. Treasure Valley Transit runs a free bus with stops in McCall and Donnelly that goes to the resort.
The resort recommends a four-wheel-drive rental. Idaho law allows tire chains and bans studded tires from May 1 to September 30. Idaho 511 shows road conditions.
Tamarack is an Ikon Pass Bonus Mountain, with 2 days on the Ikon Pass and a few blackout dates over the holidays. The Ikon Base and Ikon Session passes don’t include it. No reservation is needed: Ikon holders scan their pass at the lift. Tamarack isn’t on the Epic Pass or the Mountain Collective.