Woodley Park Archery Range is a public archery facility located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley near the junction of the 405 and 101 freeways. The range operates under permit from the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks and is maintained by the Woodley Park Archers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization. Founded in 1984 by the Easton Sports Development Foundation as a training facility for the Olympic Games, the facility continues to serve both competitive and recreational archers of all skill levels.
The range operates from sunrise to sundown seven days a week, except during scheduled classes, activities, and events. It features an 18-meter short range where competitions and league nights are held. The facility accommodates multiple archery disciplines, including Olympic-style recurve, compound, traditional barebow, and Asiatic horsebow archery.
Woodley Park Archery Range offers comprehensive instructional programming for beginners and experienced archers alike. Introductory classes are held Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and teach students ages nine and older the fundamentals of safe shooting, range rules, and proper technique. All equipment is provided during instruction. Returning student classes meet on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings, allowing continued practice under the guidance of certified instructors. The range also hosts a Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program for youth ages 8 to 20 on Tuesday evenings, offering instruction in both recurve and compound archery with pathways to local, regional, and national competition opportunities, including potential representation on U.S. Olympic and world teams.
Beyond formal classes, the facility hosts League Night on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring casual 300-round competitions for all skill levels in multiple divisions including barebow, Olympic, and compound categories. Traditional Night on Friday evenings is dedicated to barebow archers seeking competitive shooting experience. Both events are free and open to members and non-members.
The facility is staffed by an excellent coaching team of volunteer instructors, all certified by USA Archery (USAA), the governing body for target archery in the United States. The coaching staff brings decades of combined experience and specializes across all archery disciplines, offering one-on-one instruction, equipment setup and repair services, custom bowstring creation, and target fabrication.
Woodley Park Archery Range maintains a strong community focus. As a USA Archery member club and State Archers of California member organization, it serves as a hub for archery fellowship and education. The facility emphasizes safe equipment use, proper technique, etiquette, and sportsmanship. Class registration fees and community donations sustain the facility's operations and maintenance, with all losses and damage absorbed by public donations rather than city funding or taxpayer support. The organization accepts tax-deductible donations and welcomes volunteers to support its mission of elevating archery through education and promoting youth, family, and individual participation in the sport.
