Foothills Public Shooting Complex marks 10 years in Cherryville
Foothills Public Shooting Complex has grown into a countywide asset with 185 acres, seven disciplines and all-day admission starting at $16.
Foothills Public Shooting Complex is a 185-acre public campus off 283 Fielding Road in Cherryville, with a Shelby mailing address. The complex opened on April 19, 2016, marked its 10th anniversary in April 2026, and later expansion work made it the largest outdoor public shooting complex in the Carolinas.
Its range lineup includes rifle, handgun, steel targets, skeet, trap, archery and 3D archery. Range 1 is a precision rifle range with fixed target stands at 100, 150, 200 and 250 yards. Range 2 serves handguns, Range 3 handles rifle and pistol use, and Range 4 is set up as a steel-target, multi-purpose range.
All-day admission is $16 for adults and $8 for those 17 and under, with separate pricing for skeet, trap, 3D archery, steel-target use and lane fees. The site also offers discounted Tuesday-through-Friday admission for veterans, first responders, seniors, disabled visitors, North Carolina Wildlife members and Cleveland County employees. The complex is also available for private events, group outings and corporate functions that require range rentals and dedicated Range Safety Officers.
Safety rules are built into every visit. Shooters and spectators on firearms ranges must wear eye and ear protection, and all new visitors, including shooters, spectators, minors and vendors, must submit an online waiver. Anyone with a government-issued photo ID is eligible to use the range. Staff can help with rifle zeroing, handgun fundamentals, shotgun patterning, safe firearm handling and Hunter Safety classes.
Cleveland County’s FY 2024-25 budget says visitor numbers continue to rise and calls the complex a long-term regional travel and tourism draw. Commissioners’ minutes include budget amendments tied to the complex in 2018, 2024 and November 2024, and county financial records list a Public Shooting Range Capital Project Fund in the 2019 audit-era documents. In January 2025, the county announced a grant from the N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission to buy new range vehicles.
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