Nearly 40 years ago, The Walt Disney Company first introduced its “I’m going to Disney World” ad campaign to promote its famed theme park. It was an effective marketing ploy that highlighted the family fun that could be had, but it failed to mention the long lines, the crowds, the summer heat, and constant overstimulation.
Supporters of the Second Amendment do have plenty of alternate destinations that should be considered for the summer getaway. Chief among these could be the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Spanning more than 33,300 acres – larger than Walt Disney World – it features around two dozen shooting ranges that accommodate virtually every firearm discipline, including trap, skeet, sporting clays, handguns, black powder, and extreme long-range (ELR) shooting with steel targets stretching from 100 yards to beyond 3,700 yards.
More importantly, the center is also much more than just the shooting ranges.
There is no shortage of outdoor recreation and family-friendly activities at the NRA Whittington Center.
“The size and scope of the NRA Whittington Center is absolutely jaw-dropping to folks who haven’t experienced it in person,” explained Nathan Brown, head of advancement at the NRA Whittington Center. “There is truly no place like it on earth for sheer size of a shooting range that is open to the public!”
The History of the NRA Whittington Center
Founded in 1973, just two years after Disney World, the NRA Whittington Center has expanded as much as the amusement park. As the largest shooting range in the world that is open to the public, the center has something for everyone.
Instead of thrill rides and interactive meet and greets, the center is a way for the family to get back to nature.
It offers lodging and camping for those who like roughing it, to accommodations for those who desire much more in the way of creature comforts. This includes primitive tent sites to RV hookups, rustic cabins, and modern lodges. The Brownell Suites offer luxurious, fully furnished private suites with full kitchens and satellite television.
During specific events and organized gatherings, the center features a full-service cafeteria as well as the Shotgun Café, which serves American comfort food.
There are all-inclusive guided hunts, seemingly endless trails for mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking for visitors of all levels. A portion of the historic Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail even runs through the property, and visitors can take in the Van Houten ghost town and mine ruins.
Shooting Range of Activities
As a true pro-Second Amendment destination, the NRA Whittington Center is now built around its 25 shooting ranges, which are divided into specialized areas. This includes its Shotgun Center, which is currently one of the largest in the United States, with 17 Trap Fields, four Skeet Overlays, two Five-Stand Fields, and three Sporting Clay Courses.
In addition, there is a high-power 1,000-yard range for rifles, a high-power rifle silhouette range, which features a life-sized steel “white buffalo” target at 1,025 meters, and the Cooper Rifle Walk Range, a multipurpose, multi-distance back-country range stretching from 25 yards to more than one mile.
In fact, the King of the Two-Mile event showcases specialized firearms and professional shooters who engage targets more than two miles distant. This event started at the Center more than a decade ago and has been the driver of the expansion of ELR shooting into a worldwide event.
A sight-in range is provided specifically for hunters to zero rifles between 25 and 200 yards, and the Coors Benchrest Range was built for precision benchrest competitive matches.
For those who want to put their tactical skills to the test, there is the Practical Police Combat (PPC) range, which offers tactical, law enforcement, and military training from three to 50 yards.
Other specialty ranges include small-bore rifle, small-bore rifle silhouette, hunter’s pistol silhouette, and long-range pistol silhouette.
There is also a static archery range with frames placed from 10 to 60 yards, and a 20-station, 3D big-game animal print target course that bow hunters can loop through in under a half-mile.
“When you include our multiple shotgun ranges and sporting clays, the individual multi-purpose bays, Coal Canyon, and the long-range shooting areas within the backcountry, there’s more like 30 plus ranges in total,” Brown told The Armory Life, adding there is discussion about a dedicated PRS range. The long-range plan may include a large horse arena for Mounted Cowboy Action shooting and other equine events. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”
360-Training Course
Brown further highlighted the NRA Whittington Center’s 360-degree training, a dynamic firearm course that utilizes specialized multi-purpose bays to teach dynamic movement, defensive postures, and real-world tactical awareness. Students taking part in the program practice moving, finding cover, and shooting from various tactical positions, rather than just standing still at a bench.
Hosted through the WU Defensive Academy, it offers sources in pistol and carbine handling, and the training is designed to simulate actual, high-stress environments. Instructors even integrate scenario-based training to help students develop muscle memory under emotional duress, while the program covers everything from fundamental defensive marksmanship to lowlight/no-light engagement.
The NRA Whittington Center is also the original home of the 3-Gun shooting events and annually hosts the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun challenge started by Randy Luth, Jerry Miculek and other pioneers of the industry.
There is even a focus on the legalities of using concealed carry firearms.
“With our extensive availability of outdoor ranges and the amazing natural terrain, all Whittington-U courses are taught on 360-degree ranges where dynamic movement, defensive posture, and the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship are emphasized to provide real-world defensive and competitive experience,” Brown explained.
The Thrill of the Hunt
The center provides Big-Game Hunting that is made possible by the facility having almost its own ecosystem. That includes resident elk, mule, deer, pronghorn, black bears, wild turkey, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, and more.
“There is a waiting list for the large game animals, and our new trustees are looking at several new ideas for the management of our wildlife on the property,” Brown acknowledged.
The center currently provides guided big-game hunts, but there are also self-guided opportunities.
“Visitors regularly see deer and pronghorn, and at times, we must even push them out of the way for events,” Brown added. “Contrary to what you might think, the wildlife is very adaptive and has learned to co-exist with our members and visitors to the largest shooting range in the world.”
Size Matters, When Done Right
The size of the NRA Whittington Center is what sets it apart from the average range, and very much in a good way.
Visitors can shoot multiple and varied disciplines in the same day or multi-day trip, while the on-site accommodations allow for wildlife viewing and a truly holistic experience for the entire family.
There are also multiple indoor educational facilities for classroom training and dining.
As a non-profit organization and 501 (c) (3), The NRA Whittington Center serves to provide a world-class shooting and recreation facility for shooters and families from all walks of life, and in support of the Second Amendment for perpetuity.
The Center relies entirely on memberships, industry support, and the generous contributions and planned gifts of donors who want to preserve the heritage of freedom for the next generation of shooters and hunters.
Beyond the ranges and outdoor activities, there is the Frank Brownell Museum. Established in 2008, it is presented as the center’s “jewel box museum” with more than 200 firearms beautifully exhibited in a spectacular 2,750 square foot facility. It serves essentially as an annex to the NRA’s larger museum back east.
“In 2024, a project for an additional 4,000 square foot expansion was completed, giving us over 6,000 square feet. When you enter the museum, you’ll see a set of exhibits around the perimeter of the facility that follows the history of the Southwest,” said Brown.
Free and open to the public, the Frank Brownell Museum allows visitors to be immersed in the long and storied history of the region and the firearms that shaped our country’s destiny, starting with the Native Americans and then the Spanish colonization, Spanish exploration, the conquistadors, the Spanish-American War, the American Civil War in the Southwest, the Old West, and other major historical events.
A Family Friendly Destination
As an NRA facility, the center is very much in support of the Second Amendment, but that doesn’t mean it is just about firearms. As noted, there are trails for hiking and mountain biking, and plenty of other activities for the whole family.
“We have extensive outdoor opportunities and our own ghost town of sorts with the Van Houten mining town remnants on the property,” said Brown. “We also have a frisbee golf course, archery target ranges, shotgun ranges, firearms rentals, and UTV’s are permitted on the main roadways. Our Adventure Camp is an annual immersive outdoor and shooting experience for ages 13-17 that we hold every summer.”
Likewise, the Women’s Wilderness Escape, held annually, is a “one-of-a-kind immersive experience designed exclusively for women ages 18 and older. This empowering event provides a supportive, safe environment where participants of all experience levels-whether complete beginners or experienced shooters—can grow their skills, confidence, and connection to the outdoors.”
The NRA Whittington Center is now exploring grant opportunities and fundraising ideas further to expand its already expansive mountain bike and hiking trails. Additionally, the local area includes the Capulin Volcano monument, the Sugarite Canyon State Park, and Lake Maloya. The cities of Santa Fe and Taos are close by and have many cultural experiences, including ancient Native American and Spanish American culture sites, skiing, and UTV trail riding options as well.
There might not be a fairytale castle or the Pirates of the Caribbean. Instead of the thrills rides, there are the dusty trails, and the adventures are far more real. All of that is what could make the NRA Whittington Center the most Second Amendment friendly family place on Earth.
