Pete Lien Shooting Sports Complex
Master Planning | Construction Documents | Construction Administration
Rapid City, South Dakota
The Vision: A World-Class Destination for the Black Hills
Working as the lead site designer and master planner under JLG Architects, Tallgrass Landscape Architecture was instrumental in transforming 400 acres of rugged South Dakota prairie into the region’s premier shooting sports destination. The $20 million facility, managed by SD Game, Fish and Parks, was designed to accommodate everything from local enthusiasts to international competitions, requiring a master plan that prioritized safety, accessibility, and lots of users. The success of the project is found in the way it fits into the character of the natural landscape.
Design Strategy: Working with the Land
A project of this magnitude required moving nearly one million cubic yards of earth, yet our primary goal was to "fit" the facility into the existing topography.
Topographic Integration: We used the site’s natural draws and ridgelines to house the 200–300-yard ranges, minimizing the visual impact of safety berms and preserving the high-desert aesthetic.
The "Wayfinding" Experience: Tallgrass drove the design of the site’s structural identity, including the main entrance, facility signage, and peripheral site structures, ensuring a cohesive "Black Hills" feel from the moment visitors turn off Elk Vale Road.
Precision Engineering: We worked in close coordination with FMG Engineering to execute a complex grading plan that balanced massive cut-and-fill requirements while maintaining the exacting drainage and safety standards required for a multi-range complex.
Olympic-Grade Shotgun Fields
A highlight of the project was our collaboration with Olympic trainer and range designer Hank Garvey. We translated Garvey’s technical ballistics and geometry requirements into a precise construction layout for three specialized trap and skeet fields. The center field was designed for maximum versatility, allowing for Five-Stand overlays, ensuring the complex can host diverse shooting disciplines.
From Paper to Prairie: Construction Administration
Navigating a multi-year build with separate contractors for earthwork and finishing required attentive Construction Administration. Our team maintained a constant presence on-site to ensure the design intent survived the transition from heavy machinery to final finish work. Despite the challenges of a characteristically dry South Dakota climate, we implemented robust native grassland restoration efforts to stabilize the site and return the disturbed areas to a sustainable, natural state. It is a process, and we expect years of stewardship will be required to get this to its full potential.
Project Details
Prime Consultant: JLG Architects
Civil Engineering: FMG Engineering
Specialized Consultant: Hank Garvey (Shotgun Field Design)
Scope: Site Master Planning, Entrance & Signage Design, Construction Documents, CA.
Key Features: 160 shooting bays, 1,200-yard long-range deck, Olympic-level trap/skeet fields, and a 10,000 sq. ft. education center.