Great Swamp Public Shooting Range
Visit Rhode Island’s Public Shooting Range
The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Fish & Wildlife welcomes sports shooting men and women, archers, and hunters to visit the Great Swamp Shooting Range, a free and public shooting range situated within the Great Swamp Management Area in West Kingston.
Established in 1976, the range has gone through multiple renovations, including a major renovation in 2018 to maintain the latest industry standards for safety and management practices. Funding for the range, range staff, and renovations is provided by Wildlife and Sports Fish Restoration Act and hunting license receipts. To learn more about how hunters, trappers, and sports shooters contribute to this funding, see How It Works.
The facility offers areas for three distinct disciplines: archery, clay target shooting, and paper target shooting. Additionally, the range supports DEM’s Hunter Safety Education Program, which instructs hunters and sport shooters in skill development and the safe storage, transport, handling, and shooting of firearms. Shooting accuracy is critically important for ethical hunting and the humane take of legally hunted game. Sighting in firearms, adjusting scopes, and simply practicing with targets are important and necessary steps to prepare for hunting with any firearm. The range provides a positive and structured environment for adults and youth alike to learn to use a variety of firearms. Firearms allowed at the range include handguns, shotguns, rimfire rifles, centerfire rifles, muzzleloader rifles, and air guns.
Before your visit:
It is important to know that it is mandatory to obtain a free permit prior to utilizing the Great Swamp Shooting Range (with the exception that the archery range does not require range permitting). Non-permitted visitors are allowed but they may not handle firearms and are not allowed on the firing line.
For more information and permit applications:
Visit www.dem.ri.gov/greatswamprange, call 401-575-6331 (M-F 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM), or email the Range Supervisor at [email protected]
Location, Hours, and Seasons of Operations:
277 Great Neck Road, West Kingston, RI 02892
Continue past the office complex and follow the signs to the range.
Open seasonally through spring, summer, and fall
8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, 7 days a week, holidays included
(The range is not open unless a Range Safety Officer is present.)
