Categories
Public Info

Union County Welcomes All Archers to Oak Ridge Park

Union County, NJ – Archery enthusiasts in Union County have something that few other archers in the central New Jersey region have: year-round access to a public Olympic-scale archery range. The range opened three years ago at Union County’s Oak Ridge Park in Clark and was an immediate hit with County residents.

“We’ve heard that viewership for the Olympic archery events has skyrocketed, and the Freeholder Board is very pleased that Union County can offer an affordable, accessible way for everyone to enjoy this popular sport, from beginner on up,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.

Last week, The New York Times reported that archery has been the most watched sport in NBC’s televised Olympics coverage, possibly sparked by fans of the hit movie “The Hunger Games.”

The Union County Archery Range is fully accessible by wheelchair and open to archers at all skill levels ages 9 and older.

The only requirement for use of the range is a Union County permit from the Department of Parks and Community Renewal.

Archers without experience can qualify for a permit by completing a safety training lesson offered by Union County at the archery range. The lesson includes use of the County’s archery equipment.

“If you’ve never tried your hand at archery before, our safety lesson provides a great introduction at a minimal cost,” said Mirabella.

Archers with experience can obtain a permit by providing a certificate or other documentation of their training.

Out-of-county residents are also welcome to enroll in a safety training course and obtain a permit.

Currently the fee for a one-year permit for Union County adult residents is $20.00, and $30.00 for non-residents. Youth and senior permits are slightly less.

The current fee for a safety training lesson is $20.00 per person. The lessons are taught in open groups of 8 to 24 persons.

Lessons can also be specially scheduled for families and other groups at the rate of $25.00 per person (these groups can be less than 8 persons).

The Union County Archery Range is open seven days a week all year, from dawn to dusk.

For all archery information, including scheduling a safety lesson and obtaining a permit, call the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal, 908-527-4900 or visit the Archery page online atucnj.org/archery.