Support

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Pasadena Roving Archers is an all volunteer organization so, to ensure your questions or concerns are handled promptly, please use this FAQ contact form.

    No. The archery range is located in a public park and is open to the public except for Saturdays and Sundays when the range is reserved for PRA classes and tournaments. Even then, the public is invited, and welcome, to participate with PRA members in classes and tournaments if they register in advance and pay the nominal fee we charge to help offset mainenance of equipment and range facilities.

    However, all archers, with very few exceptions for students and visiting archers participating in our tournaments, are required by the City of Pasadena to have and carry a city-issued Safety Certification Card while using the Lower Arroyo Archery Range.

    The park and the range are open every day from sunrise to sunset.

    The public may use the range whenever the park is open except for Saturdays and Sundays from Sunrise to 2:30pm when it is reserved for PRA classes or tournaments.  There is also a homeschool class on the practice range from 9:00 AM to 11:00 on Thursdays during the regular school year (September to June) and summer programs that may occasionally preclude use of some targets.

    The City of Pasadena requires that all archers carry a city-issued Safety Certification Card while using the Lower Arroyo Archery Range from sunrise to sunset, Monday through Friday, and from 2:30 pm to sunset on weekends. In order to obtain the certification card, all archers must participate in a range safety course.

    City Certification classes are open to registered applicants only and held on the first and third Saturday of every month, from 8 am to 9 am, at the main range. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before class to check-in.

    Register for a class at the onlin signup page.

    Many people are surprised to learn that archery is one of the safest sports anyone could enjoy.  An insurer will tell you that you are statistically safer picking up a bow than a golf club or even going for a picnic on the beach.  In fact, since 1935, when the range first opened, there has not been a single reported archery-related accident in the Lower Arroyo! Can Little League or AYSO make that claim? We don't think so.

    You've probably seen the signs on the range that say "No Broadheads". Broadheads are a very sharp arrowhead that is used for hunting. Broadheads are not allowed on the range because they are both dangerous and do great damage to our bales. If you see an archer shooting a broadhead-tipped arrow, please report them to the police.

    Pets are welcome as long as they are on leash and not a danger to others. The range has many little animals that some dogs love to chase. We love pets so much we don't want to see them put in danger by careless owners who insist on violating the city's leash ordinance will be cited.

    The range is funded entirely by the members of the Pasadena Roving Archers.

    PRA instructors and coaches are all volunteers and actually incur steep fees to earn and maintain their USA Archery credentials needed for the "privledge" to volunteer their skills and services to the public.

    Even if you are not an archer, you benefit from Roving Archer volunteers who offer free and low-cost classes, maintain the range, ensure public safety by policing the park for unsafe activity, and contribute 40% of the club's revenues to the city annually. We are not aware of any other organization that contributes so much to use Pasadena's public park space.

    Please show your support for our non-profit by making a tax deductible donation here.

    We love teaching archery so the First-Time Archers Class is free!

    Classes are held at 8:00am every Saturday throughout the year except on the first Saturday of each month, which is reserved for the City Credential Class. Students should arrive not later than 7:30 AM to be checked in and fitted for their equipment.

    Please note that the range is closed when Christmas and New Year fall on Saturday. Classes may also be cancelled because of inclement weather and to allow the Club to participate in City-sponsored community events. Whenever possible, advance notice of closures will announced on the preceding Saturday. Last-minute range closures will be posted on the PRA’s Facebook page.

    There is no arbitrary age requirement.

    Participants need to be “old enough to follow instructions.” We’ve had 4-year-olds who could do that and 17-year-olds who couldn’t.

    Archers also need to be, in the opinion of the instructors, strong enough to handle the equipment, with enough physical coordination to execute the shot process, mature enough to remember and obey the safety rules, and emotionally developed enough to cope with the frustration that comes with missing the shot without having a tantrum.

    Generally speaking, age 6 is about when most children are able to participate, but you know your child better than we do. The instructors can and will remove a student who is unable to participate safely.

    One final note is that all students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian whom we encourage to also take the class.

    No. We provide all necessary equipment for our introductory classes. We recommend that you don’t spend any money on a bow or arrows until after you have taken lessons, learned about the equipment, and spoken to an instructor about what to buy. There is no archery equipment worth buying at any typical sporting goods store (Big 5, Sports Authority, Dicks, etc.). You need to go to a shop that specializes in archery equipment, and it helps to know what you’re looking for.

    A list of recommended archery pro shops can be found on our resources page.

    Wear clothes with non-bulky, snug-fitting sleeves (properly fitted long-sleeve T’s and sweatshirts are OK). Clothes must be free of large buttons, pins, badges, or other things on the front that can be caught in the bow string. Participants with long hair should put hair back in a pony tail. If you have jewelry on your face, cheeks, or lips, please leave it home or be prepared to remove it; the same goes for dangly earrings. The range is a woodland area and is uneven, dusty and dirty — footwear with heels or open toes is not suitable. Do not wear sandals, flip-flops, bare feet or “foot glove” type socks.

    The PRA range is located in the Lower Arroyo Seco Park, west of Arroyo Boulevard, about one-half mile south of the Historic Colorado Street Bridge. To find the range on your computer, search for "415 South Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena California 91105."

    Please allow extra time to find the range the first time you visit us, as parking at the Lower Arroyo Park is limited and quickly fills to capacity.

    Directions to the Pasadena Roving Archers Range:

    From the West: 134 Freeway east; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the East: 210 freeway west; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the South: 110 Freeway north; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the North: 210 Freeway south; exit at California Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    range-map

    The parking lot is at the bottom of the hill.

    From the Parking lot, walk across the footbridge then turn left to get to the practice range where first-time archers will check in. (see adjacent map)

    Additional parking is available on Arroyo Blvd but take note of the signs as some parking is unavailable on red flag days when fire risk is high.

    Preregistration is required for all archers. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    Click here to view upcoming class dates.

    Except for visiting archers competing in PRA sanctioned events, all archers who wish to participate in PRA returning classes must first complete the First Time Archers Class and will need a proof of completion credential which is issued at the end of the class. The First-Time Archers Class is more than just an introductory archery class. It is also a class on range etiquette and local (Lower Arroyo Archery Range) rules which you may be different from other archery ranges.

    Your best chance of successfully registering is to be at our registration page when new classes are posted every Friday at, or around, noon.

    The best way to successfully register is to be online and at our registration page when new classes are posted. We try to post a new class each Friday at, or around, noon. If you are at our page at that time and no class has been posted, wait a few seconds and refresh your screen. If there are still no classes showing, repeat the screen refresh.

    If you are unable to register, check back later. While rare, we do occasionally have cancelations in which case a space, or spaces, will become available after registrations are filled.

    Please don’t email us because you are having a hard time registering for classes. We understand your frustration but these classes are very popular and, to maintain the highest quality of education possible, we place strict limits on our student instructor ratio. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    Like many small non-profit clubs, PRA was impacted by the passing of AB-5 which put severe restrictions on our archery instructors who formerly taught group classes as 1099 independent contractors. While we are still sorting out the best way to offer group classes without over-burdening our volunteer instructors and coaches, they are occasionally offered.

    Please use the form below to tell us about your group, how many you would expect to attend, and several acceptable dates for your group class.

    Contact the Education Director





    The Returning Archers class is open to all who have completed PRA's First-Time Archers class. You do not need to be a member but there is a charge for non-members.

    Classes are held at 10:00am every Saturday throughout the year. The first Saturday of every month will be a rookie tournament.

    Please note that the range is closed when Christmas and New Year fall on Saturday. Classes may also be cancelled because of inclement weather and to allow the Club to participate in City-sponsored community events. Whenever possible, advance notice of closures will announced on the preceding Saturday. Last-minute range closures will be posted on the PRA’s Facebook page.

    range-map

    When you arrive for your Returning Archers Class, First-Time Archers will still be on the range so the parking lot will likely be full.

    Additional parking is available on Arroyo Blvd but be aware that some parking is unavailable on "Red Flag" days when fire risk is high.

    All returning archers check in at the PRA practice range (where you took your first-time class) across the bridge from the parking lot (see map).

    The cost for the Returning Archers Class is $10 for nonmembers and free for PRA members. Participants are required to show the PRA-issued card showing completion of the First-Time Archers class and PRA members may be asked to show their membership card.

    Membership has its privileges and free returning classes for members is a privilege that pays for itself in weeks. Membership information may be found here.

    All necessary archery equipment is provided. Participants should not purchase any equipment to begin their training. We recommend use of club equipment until you have completed several sessions and have discussed your equipment needs with an instructor.

    Preregistration is required for all archers. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    Click here to view upcoming class dates.

    Your best chance of successfully registering is to be at our registration page when new classes are posted every Friday at, or around, noon.

    The best way to successfully register is to be online and at our registration page when new classes are posted. We try to post a new class each Friday at, or around, noon. If you are at our page at that time and no class has been posted, wait a few seconds and refresh your screen. If there are still no classes showing, repeat the screen refresh.

    If you are unable to register, check back later. While rare, we do occasionally have cancelations in which case a space, or spaces, will become available after registrations are filled.

    Please don’t email us because you are having a hard time registering for classes. We understand your frustration but these classes are very popular and, to maintain the highest quality of education possible, we place strict limits on our student instructor ratio. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    The Youth Returning Archers class is for archers ages 8-20 who have completed the First-Time Archers class and would like to learn the USA Archery NTS (National Training System) shooting form.

    This is a youth only class. Youth archers are free to sign up for the regular Returning Archers class instead, especially if they want to shoot with a parent.

    Saturdays 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. All participants must pre-register online and classes are on a first-come, first-served basis as space allows.

    Please note that the range is closed when Christmas and New Year fall on Saturday. Classes may also be cancelled because of inclement weather and to allow the Club to participate in City-sponsored community events. Whenever possible, advance notice of closures will announced on the preceding Saturday. Last-minute range closures will be posted on the PRA’s Facebook page.

    Training takes place at Target #1. If you do not yet have your own equipment, come early to the main range to check out club equipment.

    The cost for the Returning Youth Archers class is $10 for nonmembers and free for PRA members. Participants are required to show the PRA-issued card showing completion of the First-Time Archers class and PRA members may be asked to show their membership card.

    Membership has its privileges and free returning classes for members is a privilege that pays for itself in weeks. Membership information may be found here.

    We recommend use of club equipment until you have completed several sessions and have discussed your equipment needs with your coach.

    Preregistration is required for all participants in this class. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    Answer coming soon.

    The best way to successfully register is to be online and at our registration page when new classes are posted. We try to post a new class each Friday at, or around, noon. If you are at our page at that time and no class has been posted, wait a few seconds and refresh your screen. If there are still no classes showing, repeat the screen refresh.

    If you are unable to register, check back later. While rare, we do occasionally have cancelations in which case a space, or spaces, will become available after registrations are filled.

    Please don’t email us because you are having a hard time registering for classes. We understand your frustration but these classes are very popular and, to maintain the highest quality of education possible, we place strict limits on our student instructor ratio. There is no waiting list and “walk-ups” will not be accommodated under any circumstances.

    We have classes for homeschoolers every Thursday morning at 10:00

    Our homeschool classes are for students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade.

    The PRA range is located in the Lower Arroyo Seco Park, west of Arroyo Boulevard, about one-half mile south of the Historic Colorado Street Bridge. To find the range on your computer, search for "415 South Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena California 91105."

    Please allow extra time to find the range the first time you visit us, as parking at the Lower Arroyo Park is limited and quickly fills to capacity.

    Directions to the Pasadena Roving Archers Range:

    From the West: 134 Freeway east; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the East: 210 freeway west; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the South: 110 Freeway north; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the North: 210 Freeway south; exit at California Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    range-map

    The parking lot is at the bottom of the hill.

    From the Parking lot, walk across the footbridge then turn left to get to the practice range where homeschool archery classes are held. (see adjacent map)

    Additional parking is available on Arroyo Blvd but take note of the signs as some parking is unavailable on red flag days when fire risk is high.

    No.  All necessary archery equipment is provided.  Homeschool archers should not purchase any equipment until they have completed several sessions and have discussed their equipment needs with an instructor/coach.

    Many private and charter schools allow students to earn PE credit off-campus.

    Contact the Weekday Classes Coordinator





    Membership is required. Archers who have completed Level I and II advanced courses in one of the three offered archery styles (Compound, Olympic Recurve, and Traditional),  or who have been referred by Level II coach, and/or  invited by ACG Coaches.

    The PRA Advanced Competitive Group training and practice sessions are run by qualified archery coaches with a minimum of a Level 3 USA Archery certification.  Focus is on development for the advanced archer which includes, but no limited to shooting form and archery practice.  Our coaches can direct programs in nutrition, sports psychology, equipment maintenance/tuning, physical training, and goal setting.

    The Advanced Competitive Group meets at bales #13-17.

    Saturdays, a two hour time period between 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

    Contact the Advanced Classes Coordinator





    PRA is unable to offer private lessons; there are individual coaches who do so outside of our operating hours at any of the nearby ranges. Many of them are listed online at a variety of sites.

    Absolutely! We love our volunteers who help us set up, check-in archers, hand out equipment, pin targets, and store the equipment after classes.

    Once we verify you have a current USA Archery credential and background check, we'll have you shadow an experienced PRA instructor or coach to familiarize you with how we teach archery. If you have a level 2 or higher credential you may teach classes after your training while Level 1 instructors must assist until they earn their Level 2 credential.

    At this time, only credentialed instructors and coaches are teaching city certification classes.

    Contact the Education Director





    Get your credential here.

    Contact the Education Director





    The PRA Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program is designed for youth archers (age 8-20).

    JOAD archers are expected to compete at a minimum of 3 tournaments away from the range per calendar year, with at least 2 of those tournaments being state/national events.

    Yes, all PRA JOAD archers must have their own equipment.

    PRA and will be assessed JOAD annual dues (currently $180) in addition to PRA membership due

    The JOAD team holds fund raisers and solicits donations to help with tournament related costs and scholarships but there will still be additional costs.

    Yes, scholarships are available. To help defray the cost of tournaments and training events, such as a USA Archery Regional Elite Development (RED) team camp, we are providing full and partial event “scholarships” for hard-working archers, to cover some or all of the registration and travel expenses. If you would like to contribute, please visit the PRA JOAD fundraising page.

    If you are interested in joining, or would like more information about our JOAD program please contact us using the form below.

    JOAD Contact Form:





    The best way to support Pasadena Roving Archers is by becoming a member. The City of Pasadena does not cover any of the range maintenance or target bales. Membership dues help to pay the city for our use of the range, pay for and maintain all of the target bales, and contribute to the cost of the equipment used in our Saturday classes and Sunday tournaments.

    You may renew your membership online here.

    As the commercial says, membership has its privledges and besides the satisfaction of contributing to, and supporting, the world's oldest field archery range, members enjoy many benefits.

    Benefits of membership:

    • No fee for returning archer classes.

    • No fee for non-invitational Sunday tournament competition.

    • Members are eligible for the PRA’s awards.

    • Members are invited to the PRA banquet.

    • Members can participate in the advanced classes.

    PRA offers the following membership options:

    • Individual Membership

      • Working Individual dues are $60/yr plus a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer work on the range, at tournaments, or other club duty.

      • Non-working Individual dues are $260/yr with, as the name implies, no working hours obligation.

    • Family Membership

      • Working Family dues are $92/yr plus a minimum of 32 volunteer hours.

      • Non-working family membership is $412 and a non-working individual membership is $260 with no work obligations.

    • Junior Membership (under 18 years of age)

      • Working Junior dues are $40 per year plus 4 hours work obligations.

      • Non-working Junior dues are $80 per year with no work obligation.

    • Collegiate Membership (Enrolled in college or university)

      • Collegiate dues are $20 plus 2 volunteer hours per four-month term (approximating a semester) running from September 1 to December 31, January 1 to May 31, and June 1 to August 31.

      • This is a nonvoting class and members of this class are not eligible to serve on the PRA Board of Directors; however, upon paying their third consecutive semester dues, Collegiate Members may convert their membership to an Individual Membership with all benefits and privileges of that class and only 2 volunteer hours required.

    Our online membership application can be found here.

    Contact the Volunteer Coordinator:





    Learn about volunteer opportunities here.

    The volunteer signup sheets are here.

    Contact the Membership Secretary:





    No. All our programs are open to the public. Participants in the Sunday tournaments must have their own equipment. The regular Sunday tournaments are free for members and $5 for non-members.

    For a complete listing and brief description of all our Monthly and Annual Tournaments in a printable PDF document, please click here.

    Registration begins at 7:00am on the day of the 21 or Bust Invitational Tournament.

    The 21 or Bust Tournament, scheduled for June 5, 2022, is a marked distance, 28 target, novelty event unique to the PRA where competitors shoot at playing card style targets while trying get as close to 21 points while not going over or “busting”. Medals are awarded for top performances in all age groups and bow styles.

    Download the 2022 Flyer.

    Contact the 21 or Bust Tournament Coordinator:





    The GPS coordinates for the Lower Arroyo Archery Range are: Latitude: 34.13963 | Longitude: -118.166167

    The PRA range is located in the Lower Arroyo Seco Park, west of Arroyo Boulevard, about one-half mile south of the Historic Colorado Street Bridge. To find the range on your computer, search for "415 South Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena California 91105."

    Please allow extra time to find the range the first time you visit us, as parking at the Lower Arroyo Park is limited and quickly fills to capacity.

    Directions to the Pasadena Roving Archers Range:

    From the West: 134 Freeway east; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the East: 210 freeway west; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the South: 110 Freeway north; exit at Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left on Orange Grove Blvd. Turn left at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    From the North: 210 Freeway south; exit at California Blvd. Turn right at California Blvd. California ends at Arroyo Blvd. Turn right. Go about 1/4 mile; there will be a driveway to your left.

    range-map

    The parking lot is at the bottom of the hill.

    From the Parking lot, walk across the footbridge (see map on right).

    Additional parking is available on Arroyo Blvd but take note of the signs as some parking is unavailable on red flag days when fire risk is high.

    Volunteer opportunities are listed with a signup sheet here.

    Contact the Tournaments Director:





    Learn about volunteer opportunities here.

    The volunteer signup sheets are here.

    Submit your volunteer hours here.

    Contact the Volunteer Coordinator:





    Donate online here.

    Please use the form below to contact our Armorer with a description of the equipment you wish to donate.

     





    Yes, Pasadena Roving Archers, incorporated as Pasadena Roving Archers Heritage, Inc. is a 501(c)3 charity and your donations are deductible.

    Current IRS status may be checked here.

    Contact the Treasurer:





    Celebrating the art of the Bow and Arrow in the historic Lower Arroyo since 1935