Rampart Range---West of Colorado Springs

[Colorado Osprey]

It was all over the news last night that the Forest Service is looking into making it more regulated or closing it down. The amount of trash left has caused some public outrage.....they are also looking into charging for use as well as mandating less hours open.

I wonder if you have to pay to use a National Forest Shooting Range, will they be liable for vehicle damage from the unmaintained road?

[PhL0aTeR]

http://coloradoshooting.org/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3739

[abert]

I was wondering if anyone has been to the Rampart Range in the last month or so. Is it still open? How is the access road?

Thanks for any info!!

[AR Will]

I drive the Range road to fish Rampart Resevior alot. The shooting range is open and in very bad shape. Woodland park maintains the road at the top till the Boy scout camp. From Garden of the Gods it is ok till you hit national forrest then it gets worse. If you drive a truck you'll be fine if you have a car make sure you have a spare. I will not shoot at that range I have a few horror stories. There is no range control or any posted regulations. Please pack out your trash.

[roman gnome]

I would like to keep it open, It keeps alot of the [gunslingers] in one area.

[abert]

Thanks for the update - have a jeep 4x4 so no problem on the road. I was just looking for a place where I could do some quick testing on some reloads without having to pay a range fee for half an hour's use.

Will note warnings!

[roman gnome]

http://www.gazette.com/articles/range_29772___article.html/forest_service.html

[rtr]

I was just up there yesterday (12/4/07), the road was better than I'd seen before. The range while still full of trash had a significant amount less than I have seen in the past as well.

[Justin]

Does anyone else find it ridiculous that there is a 10-11% federal tax on firearms that is supposed to be used for maintaining places like Rampart, yet every time the topic comes up, everyone just shrugs their shoulders and says that there's no money?

With all of the millions of guns sold in this country, you'd think that they'd be able to tap that money and use it for it's intended purpose.

[Bang]

[Colorado Osprey]

Yeah, just like when Colorado instituted a gasoline tax for highway maintenance and funding....that some how just ends up in the state general fund so pet projects can get completed and the 40% plus of bridges that needed to be replaced just get older.

Isn't state and federal gas tax like 49 cents a gallon? At one time it was over 50% of the gas price.

[rtr]

When I was up there it struck me that it's really sad that a shooting range in such a beautiful place is so full of trash and so unsafe. It would be really nice if some money could be invested in berms between the three ranges and people would treat it better. Guess that's just pie in the sky thinking.