Trap and skeet shooters in the Pikes Peak now have a new place to sharpen their skills.
On Thursday, County Commissioners joined leaders from Fort Carson, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to christen the brand new range at the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex (CMSC).
A brief ceremony was held prior to the opening of the range. At the ceremony, Board of County Commissioners President Darryl Glenn proclaimed, “The development of the trap and skeet facility is another example of the collaborative spirit between Fort Carson and El Paso County. This addition will allow even more Fort Carson troops and El Paso County residents to enjoy this facility.”
According to El Paso County, the completion of the trap and skeet range was made possible by a $110 thousand dollar grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, $259 thousand dollars from the Colorado Lottery, the donation of labor materials by St. Aubyn Homes, and other private contributions totaling approximately $68 thousand.
The CMSC sits on 400 acres of Fort Carson property. The grand opening of the complex in 2013 came after three years of work to develop an agreement that would allow for the construction of the largest public shooting range in Colorado, but with open public access that would not require shooters to go through the Fort Carson gates.
The complex hosts junior development programs, beginner firearm handling classes, concealed carry certification and hunter safety classes. The shooting facility currently consists of seven ranges for both pistols and rifles, an archery range, and now a trap and skeet range. One of the ranges maintains scheduling priority to support area law enforcement.
County Commissioners Darryl Glenn, Mark Waller, Stan VanderWerf, Peggy Littleton and Longinos Gonzalez were joined by Fort Carson Garrison Commander Colonel Ronald Fitch, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Manager Dan Prenzlow and Sheriff’s Commander Clif Northam in firing the “first volley of bullets” on the new range.
Watch as @COParksWildlife‘s Dan Prenzlow, 2nd from left, joins the ceremonial first shot opening the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex. pic.twitter.com/4CfEyb160S
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) June 28, 2018
More information on the CMSC can be found here: https://www.elpasoco.com/cheyenne-mountain-shooting-complex/
