The city's century-old archery range is set to host a Halloween archery tournament with divisions for both youth and adult competitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 26 at the Golden Gate Park Archery Range, located at 902 47th Avenue in the park's far-west end.
According to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the tournament will feature six categories: Olympic recurve, barebow recurve, traditional, bowhunter, unlimited and compound barebow. That spread covers everything from the sleek, sight-equipped bows used in Olympic competition to the stripped-down traditional setups favored by purists. For ordinary range use, archers generally bring their own equipment, and a nearby shop offers rentals.
A Range With Deep San Francisco Roots
The range's history is part of its appeal. The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department identifies it as the country's oldest public archery range, more than 100 years old, in the park's western reaches. The department says the range is free and open to all skill levels, with shooting distances from 18 meters to 90 meters.
Outside tournament days, the range is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Archers generally bring their own equipment and target faces; the department's facility listing notes that a nearby archery shop offers rentals. The range closes on the first Saturday of each month from noon to 2:30 p.m. for maintenance.
Range access beyond tournament day
For ordinary range use, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department lists 10 marked shooting lanes, including ADA-accessible lanes 7 and 8. Those facility details describe the public range, separate from the tournament’s arrangements.
Local Club Keeps the Tradition Going
The range's community ties run through Golden Gate JOAD Archery Club, which says on its website that it is based at the Golden Gate Park Archery Range and teaches recreational archery to kids and adults around San Francisco. The club also notes it holds an annual Halloween shoot of its own, a tradition that reflects the kind of seasonal programming the range has become known for among local archers.
Those interested in competing can register through the link included in the Recreation and Park Department's announcement. Anyone needing accommodations for the event can reach out to [email protected] or call (415) 831-6834, per the department's post.
