Hobbs shooting range serves area need

Rifle and handgun shooters now can access a redesigned, renovated and reopened shooting range at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area east of Rogers following a two-year rebuilding project.

The range features five shooting lanes of 100 yards in length, including one lane designated for wheelchair use. Use of the facility is free.

"There is great demand for public shooting ranges, especially near large population centers," said Chris Colclasure, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission deputy director. "The Hobbs range serves a great need for the public in Northwest Arkansas."

The range is about 9 miles east of Rogers, 14 miles east of Bentonville and about a 30-mile drive from Fayetteville. The range was closed two years ago due to safety concerns, requiring an evaluation of the range design and operations. The resulting redesign and major rehabilitation cost $126,555, with the money coming from an Arkansas Natural and Cultural Council grant, according to Grady Spann, director of Arkansas State Parks.

"We understand how important this shooting range is to the community, and we're glad to be reopening it," Spann said in June.

The park provides target holders. The shooting range is designed for rifles and handguns, but is not designed for shotgun use. Only paper or cardboard targets and wood clothes pins are allowed.

The shooting range is near the intersection of Arkansas 12 and 303. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The range is closed Mondays for maintenance.

It will also close for permitted hunting seasons at the park for five days in November, five days in December and two days in January. Hobbs is Arkansas' largest state park and the only one where hunting is allowed.

The range is unsupervised, and shooters are asked to communicate with others to safely use the facility.

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