Cavanaugh Bay Resort

Overview

Cavanaugh Bay Resort, currently operating under the "Cavanaugh's" name (cavsresort.com), sits on Cavanaugh Bay on Priest Lake, in the small community of Coolin, Idaho, deep in the far northern part of the state near the Selkirk Crest. The name is worth clarifying, since it invites confusion: it comes directly from Cavanaugh Bay, the geographic feature on Priest Lake where the resort sits, and has no connection to the old Spokane-based "Cavanaugh's" hotel chain, which was run by Goodale & Barbieri and eventually became Red Lion Hotels, nor to the Coeur d'Alene Resort, a separate property owned by the Hagadone company. This is a distinct, small, independent Priest Lake operation, and the nearest larger towns are Sandpoint, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington, both a considerable drive away.

At its core, Cavanaugh's is a lakeside restaurant, a marina, and a recreation hub built around Priest Lake, one of Idaho's clearest and least developed large lakes. What makes the property genuinely unusual is an adjacent public backcountry airstrip, Cavanaugh Bay Airport (FAA identifier 66S), which lets pilots fly directly in for a meal — a rare feature for any restaurant, let alone one this far into rural northern Idaho. Lodging exists in the form of lakefront cabins and vacation rentals in Cavanaugh Bay, generally booked through vacation-rental channels, but the resort's public draw centers on the restaurant, the marina, and the airstrip rather than a large hotel building.

Winter: Backcountry Skiing and Snowmobiling

Priest Lake is a well-regarded winter and Nordic destination, and the broader Cavanaugh Bay area shares in that reputation even though the resort's restaurant itself operates on summer hours. Cross-country skiing is well established around the lake, and the region supports an extensive network of groomed snowmobile trails that draws riders from across the Inland Northwest. Ice fishing is also part of the winter picture on and around Priest Lake, in keeping with the lake's broader reputation for strong fishing across all seasons.

Because the resort's restaurant is seasonal and geared to summer hours, winter visitors to Cavanaugh Bay should think of the area primarily in terms of the surrounding backcountry recreation — skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing — rather than the dining and marina activity that defines the property in warmer months. Priest Lake's remoteness and relatively low level of development, especially compared with more heavily used lakes like Coeur d'Alene or Pend Oreille, make it a genuinely quiet winter destination for travelers seeking backcountry snow recreation away from larger resort crowds.

Summer on Priest Lake

Summer is when Cavanaugh Bay Resort operates at full capacity, and Priest Lake itself is the main attraction. Roughly 19 miles long and covering about 26,000 acres, the lake is known for exceptionally clear water, a quality that sets it apart from Idaho's other large lakes and reflects its relatively undeveloped, low-density shoreline. The resort's marina offers 24 complimentary boat slips for restaurant guests, making it easy to combine a day on the water with a lakeside meal. Boating, swimming, kayaking, and fishing are all central activities, and anglers on Priest Lake target huge Mackinaw (lake) trout among other species.

Beyond the water, hiking routes lead up into the Selkirk high country surrounding the lake, and mountain biking is available across the Kaniksu and Priest Lake State Forest lands that ring the shoreline. Flying in to the Cavanaugh Bay Airport for lunch is itself a distinctive summer activity, drawing pilots from around the region who treat the flight as part of the outing. Priest Lake's Thorofare channel connects south to the roadless, protected waters of Upper Priest Lake, and wild huckleberries growing throughout the surrounding forest are a well-known regional feature, adding a foraging element to summer visits for those who know where to look.

Where to Stay

Lodging around Cavanaugh Bay consists of lakefront cabins and vacation rentals, generally booked through standard vacation-rental channels rather than a single resort hotel or lodge desk. That structure means the range of available units, sizes, and amenities can vary from one booking to the next, and travelers should expect to shop specific listings rather than a uniform set of resort rooms. This is consistent with Priest Lake's broader character as a relatively undeveloped lake: lodging tends to be dispersed among cabins and private rentals rather than concentrated in large hotel-style buildings.

For most visitors, the restaurant and marina — not a hotel building — are the resort's core public draw, and travelers planning a trip built around dining, boating, or flying in should treat lodging as a separate booking to arrange alongside a visit to Cavanaugh's rather than assume a single integrated check-in experience.

Dining

The lakeside restaurant is the centerpiece of Cavanaugh Bay Resort, offering casual dining and craft cocktails with summer hours running roughly Sunday through Thursday from noon to 8pm and Friday and Saturday from noon to 9pm. Its setting is what makes it distinctive: the resort bills it as the only restaurant in northern Idaho accessible by airplane, thanks to the adjoining Cavanaugh Bay Airport, and one of only three restaurants on all of Priest Lake reachable by boat, aided by the marina's 24 complimentary slips for restaurant guests.

That dual accessibility — fly in or boat in for a meal — is rare among restaurants anywhere, let alone in a remote corner of northern Idaho, and it shapes the restaurant's role in the region: it functions as much as a destination stop for pilots and boaters touring the area as a dining option for guests staying nearby. Because the restaurant operates on seasonal, summer-focused hours, travelers should plan visits for the warm-season window and expect a casual, lakeside atmosphere rather than formal dining.

Getting There & When to Go

Cavanaugh Bay Resort sits on Priest Lake in Coolin, Idaho, in the far northern part of the state near the Selkirk Crest, with Sandpoint and Spokane, Washington, serving as the nearest larger towns — both a substantial drive from the lake. Most visitors reach the resort by car via the roads circling Priest Lake, but the property's two more distinctive access routes are by boat, docking at one of the marina's 24 complimentary slips, or by plane, landing at the adjoining Cavanaugh Bay Airport (FAA identifier 66S), a public backcountry airstrip.

Timing a visit depends on purpose. The restaurant and marina operate on summer hours, so travelers planning to dine at Cavanaugh's, boat in for lunch, or fly in should plan a warm-season trip. Winter visitors instead come for the surrounding area's cross-country skiing, extensive groomed snowmobile trail network, and ice fishing, with the understanding that the resort's dining and marina operations are largely dormant during that period. Given Priest Lake's remoteness relative to Idaho's more heavily trafficked lakes, travelers should plan routes and timing carefully, particularly if arriving by small aircraft or by boat across open water.

Fly In, Boat In: A Rare Kind of Access

Cavanaugh Bay Resort's defining feature is genuinely rare: it bills itself as the only restaurant in northern Idaho accessible by airplane, via the adjoining Cavanaugh Bay Airport, and as one of only three restaurants on all of Priest Lake reachable by boat, via its marina's 24 complimentary slips. That combination means a guest can arrive by highway, by water, or by air, and all three approaches are genuine, practical ways people actually visit — not a novelty mentioned in marketing copy alone.

The resort has been part of the Priest Lake community for close to 50 years, with roots dating to approximately the 1970s, and the current Cavanaugh's branding continues that long-standing marina and restaurant tradition rather than representing a new operation. Its setting adds to the distinctiveness: Priest Lake is markedly less developed than Idaho's other large lakes, prized for exceptionally clear water, a connection via the Thorofare channel to the roadless, protected Upper Priest Lake, wild huckleberries throughout the surrounding forest, and outsized Mackinaw trout in its depths. A separate Priest Lake Golf Course exists nearby but operates independently of the resort. Together, the airstrip, the boat-in marina, and the lake's wild, low-development character make Cavanaugh Bay Resort one of the more unusual dining and recreation destinations in Idaho.

Frequently Asked Questions