Woodley Park Archery Range

We started a lite late as there were a lot of people out there today. But Wayne explained the safety rules and how to shoot. It was quite fun.
And you have the pleasure of having Wayne teach you, you’ll be sure to get at least in the yellow.
Remember to Breathe

Awesome range!
It’s free and not too far from West LA
It’s outdoors and big with lots of targets
I seriously can’t say enough good things about this place
Open sunrise to sunset on weekends not sure about during the week
Have fun shooting!

Great place to come and learn a new sport or pick up a new hobby.
Went on a Saturday morning for the Introduction class. My wife had heard the class fills up and people get turned away so instead of showing up at the recommended 8:30am, we showed up at 7:30am. There were already 7 people there and I believe the class is capped at 25. Signed a waiver, and waited. Received equipment, and waited. Received information about body position, shooting, safety, and rules, and waited. There’s a lot of waiting in archery, so if you lack patience you will be tested.
The free shooting time is from 9am to 11am. The class (getting measured, distribution of equipment, coached shooting) takes about two hours of that time so you are left with about an hour to shoot on your own. Range master and instructors are constantly present so they provide feedback and coaching. Very helpful individuals, who are all volunteers.
Nice thing is, the next time you come back you can just show up around 8:30am and use the entire time to shoot as you have already taken the introduction class. Had a great time and learned the basics of a new sport.
Last thing to note. Wear sunscreen as you will be out in the sun quite a bit.

I come almost every Saturday, and want to come Wednesdays. It’s free, it’s awesome, you should do it.

I love this place! My husband bought his own bow and comes to this place anytime to shoot some arrows. For beginners, they give free classes on wednesdays and saturdays. Learned to shoot my first arrow here, and i must say they teach you well :) i just can’t believe it’s free! :) :)

Awesome beginner’s class (arrive early since the class is popular and fill up fast). I got into archery after going to the class at this place. I learned all e basics here. Friendly and knowledgeable instructors though the class is clouded…

Came here for the free beginner classes and let me tell you, as a first experience it was pretty great. As a tip make sure to make it there earlier because it does get packed. So now onto the experience. The shooting range is kinda small but they separate the lanes perfectly between the experts and buggier so that each one goes at their own pace. The instructors are pretty detailed and give a run down of the equipment and how to use it. Yes I do wish I could have spent more time one on one but then again it is free and there a lot of people waiting to learn as well.
The shooting was harder than I thought but they encourage you to keep trying and give you tips as you go. Overall I can’t wait to go again and see how much better I can get. What a great way for this place to expose people to something different.

Its pretty cool that the classes are free, but you gotta beat the crowd there in order to use the range. Ive tried twice to get in, arriving at 8 to 8:30 and i still wasnt there in time. Theres no organization either. I had no idea who was in charge and i wasnt sure where to stand in line to fill out the forms. Cant say ill ever come back

Very cool place! There are not many archery ranges in southern california let alone ones that are inexpensive (or free!). I’ll be back! :)
–Pros:
–Free Wednesday night and Saturday morning classes (2 hours)
–They provide all the equipment and make give great instruction (good quality equipment)
–Outdoor (this can be bad when it’s really hot but overall it’s nice to be outside)
–Large (it accommodates a lot of archers)
–Picnic benches to rest or for spectators
–Free parking
–Restrooms nearby
–You can set up a private group class here with one of the instructors (this is what I did)
–You can come and shoot (sunrise to sunset) if you have your own equipment
–Cons:
–For me it’s far!
–Wish I could just come and rent when it’s open at anytime (but this place doesn’t work like that)

My friends and I love going here. They have free 2 hour beginner classes on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. You can go as many times as you want and it’s always free. They Supply all the equipment you need so you don’t need to bring anything. Also if it’s your first time they will measure you and fit you with the right bow. They also split the range into two halves one side has the beginners class and the other side is for more experience archers. If you already know what your doing you don’t have to take the beginners class you can go to the other side and just free shoot. All the staff I’ve came across are very nice and do a great job teaching. This is a kid friendly place too. Although I do think they do have a 9+ age requirement. Get there 30 to 60 min early though because they do have a limited supplies and once they’re gone they’re gone. If archery is really something you like doing you can go on their website and sign up for their many different leagues.

I hate to give the range any less than 5 stars since I LOVE the range. It’s well maintained and clean. The foam backs of the short range and the hay bales of the long range are changed out frequently.
I haven’t gone for any of the classes, but I have gone on accident DURING the Saturday classes.
When this has happened, my friends and I share a lane to leave as much room as possible for the other people.
I don’t know what it is, but all of the instructors we’ve encountered run the spectrum of rude to mean. Not directly, though.
I don’t mind being reminded not to nock an arrow before reaching the line, but one of the things that really bothered me was that AS the instructor was watching my boyfriend DRAW his bow, he yelled «Clear.» and allowed the students to walk out and start retrieving their arrows.
If you’ve EVER taken a real lesson or spent a few hours on a range, you know that «clear» is a call and response. If you do not GET a response, you should NOT walk out onto the range. This is so that people don’t get SHOT. If you are the instructor you should not teach people that you saying «clear» automatically means its okay to walk out into the line of fire.
Another time the instructor just started yelling «last arrow» at us every third arrow or so. Not because they were done, just to try to stop US apparently.
Archery, with any type of bow, is fun and should be a comfortable experience.
I wouldn’t want to dissuade anyone from taking a free class with free use of equipment, but they DON’T follow their own rules and even when the classes aren’t overfull they aren’t respectful of anyone else who is on the range. It’s like the volunteers don’t want to be there. If that’s the case, they shouldn’t be there.

This is a well maintained public range built by the Loss Angeles Civil Engineers as a practice range for the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The club taking up residence is the Woodley Park Archers and they hold free beginner archery class on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings. There are also periodic tournaments, club sponsored gear swap meets and BBQs. The atmosphere is friendly and safe!

HAHA! JAMES R. SAYS I KILLED IT, but I only bruised it
BACKGROUND:
The Woodley Park Archery Range consists of a partially enclosed short range (18 meters) and an open air long range (90 meters per FITA specifications). The short range is equipped with a backstop made of tightly packed material, and has lights for night shooting. The beginner classes are held on the short range, as well as weekly club shoots and some special events.
The long range has 12 lanes equipped with compressed bales. Archers may shoot from 10 to 90 meters on the long range. It is often the site of World Archery (formerly FITA) qualifiers and special events such as SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) reenactments. Twice a month, on Sunday morning, there are clout shoots.
STATS:
FREE parking
FREE shooting Saturday mornings (call for details)
Hours: open from sunrise to sundown, seven days a week (check website for exceptions)
Range can be reserved for groups and private parties
Classes offered
Registration and Accident Waiver required
Offers beginner classes
ESSENTIALS:
Closed toe shoes
Comfortable clothing
Water
Liability waiver required
EXPERIENCE:
Long overdue shout out to James R. for inviting me to hit the bullseye with a bow and arrows. I had a great time, gripping the handle, fingering the nocking point, raising the bow, looking through the sight point, pulling back on the strings and letting goooooo. That’s the easy part, figuring out how to it the bullseye is a whole other skill. It was a hit or miss for me.
Upon arriving to the range, James introduced me to a few of his favorite archers. Then we newbies were welcomed and attended to a standing room only quick course in Archery 101. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of holding and shooting a bow and arrow, we stepped to the «fitting» area where we were given our own bow and arrows.
Fitted and strapped we were ready to hit the shooting line. Duck duck, no goose was injured in the flying of arrows, just a lot of fun was had by all. If you have a couple of hours on your hands and have never tried shooting a bow and arrow, this makes for some good times. They offer free days and time slots, check the website or call for more information.

Absolutely loved this place. A bit hard to find so come early. Print out the waver form ready and filled out. Saves time!
Listen to the instructions for about 45 minutes. Wait patiently.
Loved that we get a one on one instructor with 3 arrows. They help you with the perfect form. Them you are on your own practicing. The class is from 9am-​11am
Will be back for sure. This is a free class, and they do accept donations for equipment repairs :)

I love this place very much and have produced many friend’s here. The people are awesome patient and understanding to people that visit the range.
My intro to Archery started in 2005 at this location and shot constantly for three years and shot on hunting trips during that time, Colorado 2 x, Idaho, looking for Elk.
Stephanie P, is a new comer to the range learning the safety rules before she goes out to kill it!
The instructors are great and I see some new faces and long time friends including my friend and coach /​safety instructor Bill Devoe is out there guiding people on the correct methods .
It’s is a perfect day for Archery with blue sky’s and a small breeze and the sun is out and feals great. Come on out and learn the art of Archery

Went to the free Saturday Morning class @ 9am for first time visitors. (they have a free beginners class on Wed at 6pm as well) Fun, fun time! Couple of things to note: the beginner’s class has a roughly 30 person cap, so you want to make sure to arrive early enough to secure a spot in the class. We got there at 8am and were the first ones there, but the class quickly filled up by 8:30 so i recommend coming at least ½ hr early since they definitely had to turn people away.
Another thing to note for the beginner’s class is that there is a little bit of a wait until you actually start shooting. By the time they passed out all the equipment and gave the introductory lessons, we didn’t start shooting until around 10am (class ends at 11am). But they inform you of such in the beginning so the wait isn’t too bad. But, if you chose to return for future classes, you’ll start shooing right away so it behooves you to return.
You get 3 arrows in your quicker and shoot all three at a time at a bullseye target that is roughly 20 – 30 feet away. Once you wait for the entire class to finish shooting their 3 arrows, you retrieve your arrows as an entire group (one of their safely measures) and start over again. I’d say we shot roughly 6 – 7 rounds by the time class ended so it’s definitely enough to get a feel for the sport.
The instructors are a little quirky (would you expect anything less from men and women who fancy archery?!) but they were all extremely nice and knowledgeable. Great, unique experience and would look forward to going again. The class is free, but they accept donations to re-​stock equipment and keep up the facility.
Loved embracing my inner-​Daryl (for you Walking Dead fans) and am totally ready now for the zombie apocalypse, lol!!!

Very cool place with very cool people willing to help and teach you anything about archery.
I few years back I brought my group of volleyball kids here for a team bonding experience. All the kids and a bunch of the parents loved it!
They give free lessons on the weekends to anyone interested, look up the website for the hours.
i planned ahead and actually hired one of the old guys to handle my group. It was worth every penny spent and then some.

I can’t gave this place less than 5 stars!
I have never heard of a public anything offering free services to the community.
Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Get there early to secure your place in line.
There is a required safety «class/​course» you take when it’s your first time and it kinda sucks, but after that first visit you are good to go on your own and shoot.
When you are at the roundabout on Woodley, enter the driveway and there’s plenty of parking.

Hunger Games training? No, not me. But asides from knife throwing, archery has always been a sport I have wanted to try. There’s something fascinating to me about the silence of the arrow, the swiftness of it traveling through the air and the precision it takes to hit the target. Finally, I found the chance to try it at Woodley Park for FREE through some good friends of mine. Every Saturday, from about 8am-​12pm, there are free classes for beginners, equipment included. They also offer classes on Wednesdays from 6−8pm. Woodley Park is located between the 405 and 101 freeways, between Burbank and Victory closest to Balboa in Van Nuys. It requires you to wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning, but once you get out there, it’s definitely worth the treck and the training.
Supposedly there’s another place where you could train in archery for free in Santa Monica. It’s called Rancho Park. I haven’t been there yet but I thought I’d mention it in case people were wondering about other training grounds. For now, I’m pretty satisfied with going to Woodley Park. It helps to know that a US Olympian archer also trains there. Hunger Games? Nah. Survival training? Archery, isn’t a bad skill to pick up, if you think about it.

I came here on Wednesday for an intro to archery class and to shoot. Met up with friends and had a great time. Dune is an awesome instructor and really cute! ;-)
Free classes are on Wednesday from 6−8pm and Saturdays from 9−11am. Get there early to sign your life away on a waiver, get equipment, and get in on the intro class. I got there at 5:15pm on Wednesday. They provide all necessary equipment for free. That’s right – bow, arrows, arm guards, finger tabs.
Yeah, this is all free, which is awesome, but it’s highly recommended and encouraged to make a donation so they can get adequate equipment so we can all go there, learn archery, and have fun.