SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 23, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Lee Kay Public Shooting Range is offering free events and discounts for its 40th anniversary celebration this summer.
Lee Kay is one of two shooting range facilities owned and operated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said a news release. Located at 6000 W. 2100 South in Salt Lake City, it is currently the only outdoor shooting range in the Salt Lake Valley.
The range has undergone various expansions and renovations since it was opened. Today, it offers amenities including a 100-, 200- and 300-yard rifle range; 25-75 yard ranges with multiple lanes for handgun, rimfire, muzzleloader and rifle use; trap shooting; skeet shooting; five-stand shooting; an archery range with 15 lanes ranging from 20-90 yards; a dog training area with upland game and waterfowl habitats; and a bird-watching area on the north side of the property.
“The dog training area is probably one of the least well-known parts of the facility,” DWR Lee Kay Public Shooting Range Manager Blanche Smith said. “It provides a 934-acre area where people can train hunting dogs, and many of our users have told us they consider it to be one of the top 10 hunting dog training facilities in the U.S.”
On average, the Lee Kay Public Shooting Range has roughly 50,000 visitors a year to its various ranges, the news release said. Over 1 million clay targets are thrown each year at the shotgun ranges.
“We really enjoy the members of the public who visit, and our volunteers and staff who help run the ranges,” Smith said. “They are great people who are passionate about the outdoors and shooting sports. I love introducing people to target shooting for the first time and seeing their face light up when they hit a target for the first time. We are the last outdoor shooting range in the Salt Lake Valley, and we realize the importance of offering a safe, controlled environment for the public to come participate in shooting sports. This facility is an invaluable asset for residents along the Wasatch Front.”
To highlight and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the shooting range, several discounts for the various ranges will be offered throughout August, coinciding with National Shooting Sports Month. An instructor will also be available to offer training and tips for each of the different types of shooting sports. The discounts are as follows:
- Aug. 7: Visitors will be able to shoot at the archery range for free.
- Aug. 14: Visitors will be able to shoot at the Big Bore rifle ranges (100, 200, 300 yards) for free.
- Aug. 21: Visitors will be able to shoot for half-price for one round at one of the shotgun ranges (includes trap, skeet and five-stand).
- Aug. 28: Visitors to the 25/75 yard rifle ranges will be able to shoot for free.
Construction for the 1,034-acre shooting range began in 1979, and the dedication of the Lee Kay Public Shooting Range was held on Sept. 28, 1981.
The range was named after Lee Kay, who was instrumental in helping to start the Hunter Education Program in Utah, as well as creating magazines, videos and other outreach programs to promote gun safety, hunting and fishing in Utah, the news release said. He worked for the DWR from 1927 to 1962 and earned the nickname “Mr. Conservation.” The year that Kay retired, Utah received the National Rifle Association’s International Award for having the lowest gun accident rate. Kay died in 1980 before the shooting range was completed, and it was dedicated in his honor at its completion the following year.
