Park’s archery course hits the mark in 1st year

Most days when Kelly Ezell drives past the archery park at Oak Mountain State Park, there is someone on the course. The park opened in August 2015, and Ezell said it has been a successful addition to the nearly 10,000-acre park.

“I never dreamed it would be used this much,” said Ezell, superintendent for Oak Mountain State Park.

The archery park was the 11th community archery range in the state when it opened last year, and it includes targets for adults and children as well as bow hunters and newbies.

“It has been very well received, not just for the hunters but for the enthusiasts as well,” she said.

After the archery park opened, Oak Mountain State Park started hosting training lessons for children younger than 12, under the instruction of park naturalist Emily Cook. The courses were complimentary after park entry fees were paid, and each lesson would fill up. The educational aspect of those archery lessons is important for the park, said event coordinator Anna Jones, and there are plans to continue lessons this fall.

“I just think it’s really important to make sure kids can have that kind of exposure, get them outside, get them active and get them involved with our natural resources,” she said. 

While there are other places to learn and practice archery in the area, most of those are indoor ranges.

Ezell said it is always nice to see children outside and remaining active. In addition to classes taught by Cook, there have been a few competitions at the park, and groups such as the Shelby County Bow Hunters Association have held events on the course.

In addition to the adult and youth targets visible from the parking lot, the course includes a 3D target range. Jones said this area serves a variety of uses from competition to everyday practice to qualifications for Oak Mountain State Park’s bow hunting season.

“There’s always somebody out there shooting, and there’s not even one type that’s favored,” she said, noting that people will use all sorts of bows and use the variety of targets.

The archery park was the result of a partnership between the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Shelby County and Alabama State Parks. Thanks to support and funding from the county, the archery park also has resources available to park goers who are not planning to pick up a bow and arrow, Ezell said.

The archery park provides extra parking near trails in Oak Mountain State Park, and the county also funded the construction of a covered pavilion and bathrooms nearby. 

“It’s offered a rest station for the bikers as well,” Ezell said.

Shelby County Chief Development Officer Chad Scroggins said the county was glad to help contribute to the archery park project, and the area also serves as a rest stop or picnic spot for park goers.

“It’s really nice to give people a covered place to get out of the rain in case a littler shower comes through, [or give] a place for people to sit down and eat,” Jones said.

The archery park also brings a new user group into the park, Ezell said. By reaching out to the archer community, she said the park is able to expose a whole new group to Oak Mountain State Park’s other amenities.

“For me personally, it is just a success to have kids and to have a whole new user group in the park,” she said.

Adding in an archery park not only provided an opportunity to reach out to a community the park previously did not cater to, but it also provided a way for individuals to learn about a sport they might not practice otherwise, Scroggins said. 

“It’s a good opportunity for folks, especially beginners or someone who has kids who may want to go out and try it,” he said.

Events at the archery park might also have a financial benefit for the county, Scroggins said.

“Anytime there’s an event, it allows for folks to generate sales tax, but depending on that [event], people might come in and stay overnight and generate lodging tax as well,” he said. “That is certainly one of the good things about having the amenity there.” 

Although there are no celebrations planned for the archery park’s one-year anniversary, Ezell said the park is expected to maintain its momentum. Reactions to the archery park, seen through attendance and feedback, have been positive, and when the weather begins to cool for the fall, the park expects usage of the targets and course to ramp back up. 

“It’s just been positive,” Ezell said. “We certainly haven’t had any complaints. We’ve only had positive feedback. What’s not to like? It’s nice; it’s in a great area. When you’re here, you don’t feel like you’re in town. You feel like you’re way away from it all, and that’s a good thing.”