New Wilton archery range cleans up an old shooting spot for the better

WILTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) - You might not expect it from the Wilton Mall or the local Moe's, but there's a new attraction in the woods off Route 50.

The new Saratoga Sand Plains archery range was unveiled on Thursday by the New York State DEC, with Commissioner Basil Seggos in attendance. The DEC played a central role in creating the range, and the state will manage it going forward.

The site is the former Parcel 45 Wildlife Management Area, which was used as a community shooting range until recent years. According to officials from the town of Wilton and Saratoga County, it was in bad shape when the project was proposed, and was the subject of community complaints.

The 50-yard range features 16 targets, divided into lanes for adult and child archers. There's also an elevated platform, designed to simulate shooting from a tree.

The creation of the range came with help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service department, to the tune of $15,000 through the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program.

The state is also hoping to use the range as a place to host archery lessons.