San Diego Archery Ranges
When you are first starting out in archery, one of the first challenges is finding a place where you are allowed to shoot your bow. I recently got back into archery – along with my 9-year-old son – and we’ve been checking out the various archery ranges in San Diego.
In this guide, I’ll provide a rundown of archery ranges across San Diego County, including indoor and outdoor ranges, as well as free (or very cheap) public ranges and paid private ranges. Below, I’ll also share some information on San Diego Archers, a regional archery club that manages the Balboa Park Ranges and offers programs and events.
Rube Powell Balboa Park Archery Range
The Rube Powell Balboa Park Archery Range, nestled within Balboa Park in San Diego, offers a unique outdoor archery experience. This 30-acre facility features a 28-target archery walking course, reminiscent of a golf course, where archers can shoot arrows at targets instead of golf balls. The range is managed by San Diego Archers and is open to the public from sunrise to sunset all year round, with a $2 day-use fee. It’s a popular venue for tournaments and regular shoots, boasting a practice range with targets at various distances.
- Location: Balboa Park, San Diego, California
- General GPS Coordinates: 32.730476, -117.1523466
- Management: San Diego Archers
- Detailed Guide to Ruby Powell Archery Range
Morley Field Archery Range
Also located in Balboa Park, the Morley Field Archery Range offers a standard range with 34 lanes. This range, located in the northeast corner of the park, is divided into two halves, with target butts at distances ranging from 10 to 90 meters. It’s suitable for both practicing for tournaments and fine-tuning your archery skills. The range is open every day from sunrise to sunset.
- Directions: Exit I-8 at Texas St, follow Texas St south, crossing University Ave, and continue until you cross Upas St. into the park towards the Morley Field Municipal Pool, then turn right into the parking lot.
- GPS coordinates for parking lot: 32.737307, -117.13782
- GPS coordinates for range: 32.736739, -117.13779
- Detailed guide to Morley Field Archery Range
Lake Poway Archery Range
The Lake Poway Archery Range is an ideal location for both solitary shooting and friendly competition, offering a picturesque setting for practicing archery. This outdoor range operates on a first-come, first-served basis, but can also be reserved for private events like birthday parties and tournaments. The range is open daily, beginning 30 minutes after sunrise and closing 30 minutes before sunset. Archery cards are required for use and can be obtained with an application and a fee (park rangers do check). You can get the cards at the small shop near the lake, just up the hill from the range.
- Location: 14644 Lake Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064
- Contact: 858-668-4772
- Lake Poway Office Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 6:00 AM – Sunset
- Website: Lake Poway Archery Range
Easton Archery Center of Excellence
Located in Chula Vista, the Easton Archery Center of Excellence is a world-class facility dedicated to archery training. This center is part of the Easton Foundations family and offers a comprehensive range of archery classes for both youth and adults, including Olympic Archery in Schools programs. It’s an great place for both learning and honing archery skills, with facilities suitable for both beginners and experienced archers. The center is known for hosting events like the SoCal Showdown and JOAD Indoor Nationals.
- Location: 2800 Olympic Parkway, Building 2000, Chula Vista, CA 91915, United States
- Contact: 619-205-4326
- Website: Easton Archery Center of Excellence
Performance Archery
Performance Archery in San Diego, located in the Miramar Road area of San Diego, offers a in indoor archery range and pro-shop, making it the largest shop-range combos of its kind in the county. This well outfitted pro-shop caters to all forms of archery – from bare bow to high-end compound bows – and offers a range services, including basic-archery lessons.
- Location: 8665 Miralani Dr., Suite 301, San Diego, CA 92126
- Contact: 858-653-5945
- Website: Performance Archery
Willow Creek Archery
While not technically is San Diego, Willow Creek Archery, situated in Southern Riverside County, is close enough. It’s abowhunting and target archery shop serving the Riverside/San Diego county archery community. The facility offers a wide selection of bows and accessories, along with a 13-lane, 20-yard air-conditioned indoor archery range. The range is open six days a week, with specific hours for adult lessons and league activities. They also provide beginner to advanced archery instruction.
- Location: 27496 Commerce Center Dr. #C, Temecula, CA 92590
- Contact: 951-587-9928
- Website: Willow Creek Archery
- Store Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 am to 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; Closed Sunday
Sun God Archery at UCSD
Sun God Archery at UC San Diego (UCSD) is an archery club that focuses on social, recreational, and competitive aspects of archery. It serves not only UCSD students, faculty, and staff but also welcomes adult archers from the San Diego community. The club caters to both new and experienced archers. It offers various events and membership benefits, providing opportunities for training and competition.
- Contact: info@sungodarchery.org
- Location: East Campus Recreation Area (ECRA), 9300 Campus Point Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037
- Website: Sun God Archery at UCSD
Bear State Bowhunters
Bear State Bowhunters is an archery range in Santa Ysabel, San Diego County, that caters to both hunters and non-hunters. The range, located behind the Lake Henshaw Campground, actively promotes fellowship among archers and is keen on introducing new participants to archery. They offer a comprehensive course designed to cater to various skill levels. Other than on special occasions, the range is only open to members of the club.
- Contact: 760-505-0913
- Address: 26439 Highway 76 Santa Ysabel Ca. 92070
- Website: Bear State Bowhunters
San Diego Archers
San Diego Archers is an archery club based in San Diego, California, that manages the Rube Powell Balboa Park Archery Range and the Morley Field Archery Range. The club is actively involved in organizing archery tournaments, open to both members and non-members, with the majority hosted at the Rube Powell range.
Their focus is on fostering a community around archery, welcoming archers of all skill levels. San Diego Archers emphasizes safety and traditional archery, prohibiting the use of equipment like crossbows at their ranges. The club’s commitment extends to maintaining the ranges and promoting archery as a sport for personal growth, competition, and recreation.
The location: Lake Powell Archery Range
Should actually read: Lake Poway Archery Range
Thanks for Catching that Oscar. Just updated it.