Woodbury Archery Range Closes After Users Aim, Shoot At Nursery

WOODBURY, MN — The archery range at Carver Lake Park closed permanently April 18 due to safety concerns for park users and employees of Bailey Nurseries, which owns an adjacent property. Woodbury city officials say a few "unidentified archery range users" were intentionally shooting arrows over the fence/berm behind the targets onto the adjacent Bailey’s Nursery property, where many people work in the fields.

"This behavior was extremely dangerous," city officials said in a statement Wednesday. "Signs were posted warning users that if the illegal activity did not stop that the archery range would close permanently."

Parks employees removed the shooting bales and posted “closed” signage at the range site April 18. The city will continue to monitor the area for any unwanted activity in the park, according to a news release.

Only Woodbury Parks and Recreation youth archery courses will continue at the range as scheduled in 2017 and beyond.

A seven-target archery range with yard markers and shooting stands is located at the Lake Elmo Park Reserve, 1515 Keats Avenue North, in Lake Elmo. The range is open year round, weather permitting.

Call the park office at (651) 430-8370 or visit the Washington County website for details.

Image via Billie Grace Ward, Flickr, used under Creative Commons