Priest Lake at Cavanaugh Bay is my all time FAVORITE place for air-camping. You will not find a place the exceeds the pristine beauty of this area and it's surroundings. It is one of those rare places where the airstrip is located on the edge of the lake. Boating, fishing and a nice resort with a restaurant and bar are within a 3 minute walk from your tie-down.
Fly In and Stay at the Resort: If you prefer not to camp, you can fly in and walk to the end of the runway where you'll find the resort located at the waters edge. The rooms are nicely appointed, food is great, water is crystal clear and they rent boats for daily use. Guided fishing trips are also available. The resort owner, Trent, is very airplane friendly and really goes out of his way to give you the best experience possible. The resorts website is www.cavanaughbayresort.com. However, to see the beauty of this place, check out my photos. They tell the story much better than the website.
Cavanaugh Bay Airport is a manicured grass airstrip similar to Johnson Creek.It combines the best of both worlds for any pilots palet.It has a very nice camping area with bathrooms and even a shower. The airport manager treats his camping guests to freshly brewed coffee every morning.The runway is in great condition with an easy approach from over the lake…just watch out for deer or moose. Although it seems to be downplayed by the locals, note that you are in bear country. The locals say, “Bears…oh, they’re just little guys.If they tear up your stuff, it’s because they are babies and don’t know any better." If camping, I would suggest placing your food on top of the picnic table roofs where the bears can’t get it. The one time I forgot to put my food out of reach, a bear found it and tore into the duffelbag. Another pilot saw the baby bear and chased him away.I learned that bears not only tear things up, but they slober all over everything making a sticky gooey mess.
