Priest Lake Triathlon

Hill’s Resort, on Priest Lake’s forested western shore, hosts a compact morning triathlon, starting at 8 a.m. and finishing by noon, built around genuinely clear mountain water, quiet backroads and a lakeside run — an intimate alternative to the larger, more crowded triathlons held closer to Idaho’s cities.

The clarity of Priest Lake’s water is the race’s signature feature. Swimmers move through water clean enough to see well below the surface, a rarity among triathlon venues, before transitioning to forested roads with little traffic and a run that keeps the lake in view for nearly the entire distance.

Because Priest Lake sits well off the main highway corridor, remote access and limited lodging mean resort, cabin or campground reservations are an essential part of planning rather than an afterthought. Visitors who secure a booking find plenty to extend the trip: Priest Lake State Park’s beaches invite a post-race swim, Upper Priest Lake rewards a paddle north for quieter water, and Selkirk Mountain trails offer forested hiking for family members not racing.