DeGray Lake Triathlon

The DeGray Lake Triathlon is one of the original multisport festivals in Arkansas, held annually since the early years of the sport in the American South at one of the most scenically and practically well-suited lake venues the state offers. The 2026 edition takes place on Sunday, September 13, at DeGray Lake Resort State Park near Caddo Valley — accessible from Interstate 30 at Exit 78, then 2.5 miles north on Highway 7 to Skyline Drive, with the event centered at the Spillway Dam area at approximately 400 Skyline Drive, Arkadelphia. Registration is managed at degraylaketriathlon.com.

The Race: Distances, Courses, and Entry Points

The triathlon offers a full range of entry formats that genuinely accommodate all experience levels. The Olympic Triathlon covers a 1,500-meter open water swim in DeGray Lake, a 40-kilometer bike course, and a 10-kilometer run — available for individuals and teams. The Sprint Triathlon trims the distances to a 500-yard in-water-start swim, a 13.5-mile out-and-back bike course on Skyline Drive, and a 3.1-mile run combining Skyline Drive and Forestry Circle. The Sprint Duathlon, Aquabike (Olympic distance), and Open Water Swim round out the format options for participants who want the lake without the bike or who want the bike and swim without the run. All swim courses begin from the Spillway Dam concrete boat ramp with counterclockwise single-lap routing; transition is a single shared area open only to bib-numbered athletes. DeGray Lake’s reputation for clean, clear water in its deep Ouachita Mountain basin is the specific environmental credential that draws triathletes from across Arkansas and neighboring states — the visibility and temperature of the lake in mid-September is reliably excellent by regional standards.

DeGray Lake Resort State Park: Arkansas’s Only Resort Within a State Park

DeGray Lake Resort State Park occupies a singular position in Arkansas’s state park system as the only park to operate an in-park lodge and resort facility — a full-service hotel with a championship 18-hole golf course, marina, and beach access, all within the park boundary. The beach complex adjacent to the marina provides public swimming access, boat rentals, and a pontoon tour operation that gives non-racing family members a structured morning while athletes are on course. The lake itself covers 13,800 acres with 207 miles of shoreline backed by the Ouachita Mountains — big enough to absorb the triathlon’s logistics without making the water feel crowded, and scenic enough that the cycling and running courses along Skyline Drive function as a sustained visual reward for the athletic effort. For dinner in Hot Springs, 30 miles northwest on Highway 70, Maxine’s Live on Central Avenue is the most distinctive dining and live music venue in the city, with a concert-bar menu that takes the smash burger and the loaded nachos seriously alongside a live music calendar that rewards arriving without a reservation. For a more considered dinner, Colonial Steakhouse on Central Avenue has been Hot Springs’ premium beef-forward dining room since the 1980s; the prime rib on Friday and Saturday evenings and the house-made onion rings are the two ordering anchors that have built the restaurant’s continued following.

Planning Race Weekend

DeGray Lake Resort State Park is located 7 miles northwest of Bismarck, Arkansas, on Highway 7. The park lodge and campgrounds provide the most logistically practical race-weekend accommodation, though Hot Springs and Arkadelphia offer supplementary hotel options within 30 minutes. The resort’s golf course and marina remain open through the race weekend, giving non-competing family members full park access while athletes are in the water. September in the Ouachita Mountains averages in the mid-to-upper 80s Fahrenheit with low humidity compared to the Arkansas summer peak; morning conditions on race day are typically the most comfortable window in the day.

DeGray Lake Waterfront Stays on Lake.com

DeGray Lake’s 207 miles of shoreline and the surrounding Ouachita corridor offer waterfront cabin and lodge rental options through Lake.com that position families for full lake access before, during, and after the race weekend. Search DeGray Lake and Hot Springs-area waterfront options on Lake.com for September availability.