Does anyone know a good, safe place to shoot on Mount Hood? I love Mount Hood and want to take care of it, so I am trying to do this right. I am taking a small group of inexperienced young women up to Mount Hood for a camping trip on 7/13/16 (one week away). One of our main activities is shooting. I have called and stopped by the Zig Zag ranger station, scoured the internet looking for "where to shoot", I then spent about 5+ hours today driving around Mount Hood following directions from the ranger station and internet suggestions, but came up with no really good options. Can anyone help?
Tell those young women that the safest way to shoot is while wearing tiny bikinis & hi-heeled shoes! (just kidding.... maybe)
Anywhere you can hunt. I don't know that area well other then the ski resorts. Are you camping in zig zag or close by?
Yes, camping near zig zag. It was really difficult to find an area that had a good backstop that wasn't too rocky and didn't have us shooting at trees. I'm sure others may "shoot anywhere", but I would like to protect the forest and teach these young women how to do the same.
I assumed proper backstops and target shooting rules applied. I see spots with litter like shotgun shells on my way up to hunt so I was guessing there might be something like that out there is why I commented on anywhere you can hunt.
There is a place called the Memaloose gravel pit. It is 7 miles or so south of HWY 224 just beyond Estacada. Drive over the green Memaloose bridge: Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/45%C2%B011'32.8%22N+122%C2%B012'44.2%22W/@45.1924448,-122.214476,510m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d45.192441!4d-122.212282?hl=en) And then drive and drive over a paved forest service road (NF-45) until everything opens up and there is a massive backstop in a gravel quarry. Only problem is there was a fire there 2 or 3 years back and the forest service shut it down. I'm not sure if it is open yet. I do believe we're talking at least a 45 minute drive from ZigZag, though.
Here is the actual pit I'm talking about: Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/45%C2%B008'04.8%22N+122%C2%B010'53.8%22W/@45.1346798,-122.183807,511m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d45.134676!4d-122.181613?hl=en) If you click on Earth, you can see that there is another pit right up the road if the first seems too busy.
Thanks CHLChris for showing me this spot. Unfortunately the logistics of driving 45 minutes to shoot for our trip isn't realistic. If you know of anything closer, please let me know.
@RJCook, @CHLChris I believe the NF-45 road (Memaloose Bridge) is still closed, so you'd need to take the long way via Hillock Burn rd. Mt. Hood National Forest - Alerts & Notices (http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5191108)
The asphalt on NF-45 (from Hillockburn Rd.) eventually goes bad right at a cut-off around another shooting area called 5-Way. The road from HWY 224 is great all the way to the gravel pit. If he's not up for Memaloose gravel pit, he's not going to be up for the other end.
Is there a link showing that the NF 45 road from 224 is now open? Last I heard, in the last month or so, it was still closed because of the hillside in the first mile or two was unstable. I suppose a person could call the ranger station in Estacada? Granted, the back way in from Hillock Burn rd is a looong drive! Never done it, but looks bad on the map.
The link above that you listed, @Mikej, clearly shows that NF-45 is still closed from the bridge in about 3 miles. Hopefully that gets repaired and opened pretty quickly.
nf 45 is closed from 224. I know there is another way to get onto it from springwater, but I have heard bad things about the lack of a good backstop. And depending on which direction you shoot off of nf 45, you could send lead in the direction of the highway! Me and my wife were just up at Wildcat mountain Yesterday shooting. Great spot, with a great backstop. as much as a 80 yard run. Its officially allowed and set up for target shooting by the forest service. Google maps link below. Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/45%C2%B018'46.1%22N+122%C2%B004'53.4%22W/@45.3127939,-122.0825994,396m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x549588167487e15d:0x6d3be862c3bf9b0c!7e2!8m2!3d45.3127939!4d-122.0815051)
ok thats funny.... I just tried it and it worked fine for me. Try this... Google Maps (https://goo.gl/maps/KjPF8MRifuM2)