Volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent Wednesday, July 29, clearing and grooming Dog Beach in Sandpoint to prepare it for the 29th Annual Long Bridge Swim, set for Saturday, August 1.
The crew cut overgrowth, trimmed trees, and hauled away logs and lake debris to improve access and the overall atmosphere for swimmers finishing the two-mile crossing of Lake Pend Oreille. Dog Beach serves as the finish line for the event, with swimmers launching from the Sagle side of the Long Bridge and making their way to the Sandpoint shoreline.
A Youth Group Effort That Became a Tradition
The church’s youth group first got involved with the cleanup in 2023, after members reached out to Long Bridge Swim organizers looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the community. The partnership has continued each year since, with volunteers returning to prepare the beach before race day.
Swim official Karen McClelland acknowledged the contribution, telling the Bonner County Daily Bee: “We really appreciate their hard work.”
What to Know for Race Day
Participants in Saturday’s swim should plan to arrive at Sandpoint High School, located at 410 S. Division Ave., for packet pickup between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. A mandatory safety meeting follows at 8 a.m. Water-start swimmers will be assigned to the first eight buses departing for the Sagle launch point, with land-start swimmers boarding the remaining buses.
Beyond race day itself, the Long Bridge Swim has a broader community mission — the organization provides swim lessons to third-grade classes throughout Bonner County, with a focus on water safety skills for young residents growing up near the lake.
The Long Bridge Swim is one of Sandpoint’s most recognizable summer traditions. This summer has kept the community calendar full — the Festival at Sandpoint recently wrapped its first week of concerts, drawing large crowds to Sandpoint’s waterfront venues.