Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties are teaming up to open a shooting range at the site of the former Clear Creek County Sportsman’s Club on Stanley Road.
The new facility, which Clear Creek County Special Projects Manager Lisa Leben said is set to open by summer 2024, is designed for 45 outdoor shooting lanes and an operations building with restrooms and a classroom.
Clean up of the previous CCCSC site, which existed for decades with a lease through the county, is nearly complete. More than 60,000 pounds of lead (bullets) have already been remediated from the site, according to county commissioners.
The nearly $2 million project is funded by a $1.1 million grant from Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Gilpin County will kick in an additional $400,000 toward completion.
An important reason for the range is to entice legal shooting on U.S. land surrounding Clear Creek County, according to Leben.
“We were having problems with recreational shooting in dispersed areas of the National Forest in several counties,” Leben said.
Initial estimates put the cost of renting a shooting lane at $20 an hour. Discounts for Clear Creek and Gilpin County residents are still being discussed, Leben said.
Clear Creek County is still searching for qualified applicants to manage and operate the public gun range.