Lake Lenore Shooting Range

Lake Lenore Shooting Range officially opened in April 2025 as a purpose-built public shooting facility along Highway 17, approximately 5.4 miles north of Soap Lake. Located within the Sun Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, the range represents a significant investment in safe, accessible recreational shooting in central Washington.

The facility includes:

• •Rifle and pistol range backstops at 100, 200, and 300 yards
• •300-yard seasonal pad available during low fire-risk periods
• •Concrete firing line pads for shooter stability and consistency
• •75-by-300-foot gravel parking area built over geotextile for durability
• •Barrier rocks and maintenance gates for controlled access
• •Designated fireline perimeter to mitigate wildfire risk

The range transformed a previously informal shooting site into a structured, managed facility. The $300,000 project was funded through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office's Firearm and Archery Range Recreation (FARR) grant program ($150,000) and state funding ($150,000).

The site sits on two parcels originally donated to Washington State Parks by the Grant County Sportsman's Association in 1944. Formal management transferred to WDFW in 2022.

The range was designed with dual focus:

1. Safety infrastructure - concrete pads, proper backstops, and controlled access reduce accident risk 2. Wildfire mitigation - shooting pads and perimeter design address the risks of informal target shooting on public lands

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted archaeological assessments in 2021 to ensure no historic or cultural resources were impacted by construction.

Lake Lenore serves recreational shooters of all skill levels while providing WDFW with a managed alternative to uncontrolled shooting on public lands. The facility supports both shooting recreation and public hunting opportunities within the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area.