For the past ten years, recreational target shooters have enjoyed a place on their own public land called North Fork Wolf Creek Rd Target Shooting Lanes on the Northeast corner of the Tillamook State Forest in Oregon. It has become, perhaps, the most popular place for dispersed recreational target shooting on public land in the Pacific Northwest.
This is not a designated shooting ‘Range’, as there are no facilities, no Range Safety Officiers (RSO), and no fees. It is simply a dispersed shooting place with strategic improvements.
Here are the key features and benefits incorporated in these lanes:
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It’s located in an area with little other kinds of recreation, therefore reducing conflicts with other forest users. It’s on an old dead-end logging spur road.
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It is designed with public safety as the top priority. Each lane guides the shooter as to where to shoot from, the direction of the shooting activity, and has a large earthen berm backstop so you know where your bullet will stop.
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Fire safety is an important priority. It is well known wildfires can and do start from target shooting sparks. Potential fire hazards, such as downed logs, brush, and trees were removed to reduce the risk of fire starts. Recently, Aug of 2026, a larger firebreak line was cut around each lane to further lessen the risk. If target shooters keep their shooting activity within the cleared out lanes, the chances of a fire are greatly reduced.
As a public land owner, it’s your place. Our place. And it’s a place where you can shoot legally, safely, and responsibly on our public land while enjoying a special kind of recreation.
How it started
Our involvement with Oregon Dept of Forestry began in 2015, when the recreation manager at that time was Randy Peterson. He reached out with some concerns about target shooting and invited us to talks. (There had recently been wildfires started in that area and were confirmed to be from target shooting.) We began discussing options and exploring ideas.
We recruited volunteers from NorthwestFirearms website forum, and organized annual cleanups at the shooting sites. As you can see in the photos below, it was not an easy task! Rough terrain, thorn bushes, steep hillside incline and mud made for a difficult cleanup. It’s no wonder why people would leave their targets! (At that time, there were only 3 sites along that spur road where people were shooting. A fourth lane would be added the next year.)
Lane 3 2015 1
Lane 3 2015 2
Lane 3 2015 3
Lane 3 2015 4
Meetings, Ideas, Suggestions and Planning
Three of us met with Mr. Peterson and other foresters to discuss ideas to improve the situation. But rather than simply closing it, ODF chose to explore other options. We were grateful for a forest management agency to consult with users of the land and listen to our input. We proceeded with great enthusiasm.
Bryan Olson, who later became a Co-Founder of Trash No Land, spent countless hours on ‘Ride-a-Longs’ with forest officials while they mapped many dispersed shooting sites and graded them as to fitting certain criteria for an appropriate shooting site.
It was finally decided to choose the spur road along N. Fork Wolf Creek Rd as the place to improve. In 2016, ODF crews made it happen. In the process, a fourth lane was added (lane 2).
Upgrades to Lanes 2 & 3
By 2018, the dirt backstop berm mounds had diminished down to an unacceptable height, so we planned an improvement to restore lanes 2 & 3. As a newly formed 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2017, Trash No Land was able to accomplish the task with fundraising efforts and a grant from the NRA Foundation.
And that brings us to 2026.
You wanted longer lanes and less mud. Oregon Dept of Forestry Recreation Manager Ben Burns wanted fewer fires. TNL wanted to include wheelchair access to each firing line and to the backstops. We found a happy medium where everyone wins!
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There is now a large firebreak line around each lane.
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Lane 1 was 35 yrds, and now is 120 yrds..
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Lane 2 was 24 yrds, and now is 70 yrds.
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Lane 3 was 60 yrds plus the 16 yrd pistol berm, and is now 70 + 18 yrds.
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Lane 4 was 80 yrds and is now 106 yrds.
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Each lane has a gravel pathway to access all the way to the backstops. This not only enables you to setup and retrieve your targets in the rainy seasons, but also accommodates wheelchair access.
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All lanes are now free of graffiti.
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All lanes have new Kiosk Signage (a more simplified version).
Funding for this major improvement project came from supporters like you, local businesses and manufactures product donations and a special gift from a private funding foundation (name not included at their request).
Our fundraiser was held at the awesome Wendel Museum of Animal Conservation, Vancouver, WA.
Our contractor was King and Sons Excavating, Inc. from Yamhill, Oregon. They really do NICE WORK!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!
As you can see, this project went over budget due to typical unexpected circumstances. But with the quality of work that was done, it is well worth it! Trash No Land was able to absorb the extra costs, including sign printing and graffiti removal, but it did put us in a bind for now. If you can help with a donation, it is very much appreciated. Link below.
Our Sponsors for this project
Give a shout out of appreciation to these sponsors, as they helped promote responsible recreation in the shooting sports on public lands! Support them when ever possible!
Sporting Systems, Vancouver, WA |
Minuetman Ammunition |
onX Hunt Map Apps, Montana |
Addicted Fishing, Ridgefield, WA |
Leupold Optics, Beaverton, OR |
Chets Wood Shop, Battle Ground, WA |
Aloha Arms, Aloha, OR |
The Meating Place, Hillsboro, OR |
J & B Firearms Sales, Beaverton, OR |
Rick Howell |
Fisher’s Guild Service, Carlton, OR |
David Cogley Artist, Texas |
Columbia River Knife & Tool, Tualatin,OR |
Hatpoint Target Stands, Oregon City, OR |
Car Stereo City, Aloha, OR |
The Metric Group, Portland, OR |
Here’s a little show of our appreciation for their help. All sponsors received this gift, but not all took pictures. The wooden engraved plaques were designed, produced and graciously donated by The Metric Group! Thank you!
What’s next?
Use it and abuse it, Or do we Care and Share?
Over the years, Wolf Creek Shooting Lanes have seen its ups and downs. A lot of downs! Typically it’s trash left behind. Sometimes it’s destruction of your public property to the Kiosk signs. Often it’s graffiti tags to boulders and jersey barriers. And sometimes people shoot tracer rounds, incendiary devices, and explosives. All of which are illegal on any of our public lands.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I gotta say it again… “If you abuse it, we all loose it”! Each one of us who use these lanes, or any other target shooting site on public lands, need to be responsible enough to respect our lands by taking ownership of it, and caring for it in the present and for our future generations.
Aldo Leupold said it quite well…
“A community to which we belong.” That’s ownership.
It means we respect our land by not damaging or destroying it. It means we always take a couple trash bags with us and plan on cleaning up the mess you and others made, as it’s part of our everyday recreation. It means we always pack fire prevention gear no matter where you shoot. A shovel and a gallon or two of water could make a huge difference! A fire extinguisher and shovel is even better.
And it means we report illegal activity to local Sheriff’s office, State Police, and/or ODF’s office in Forest Grove.
