The original fort was moved from its first site near the riverbank to the current location in 1829 due to flooding concerns.
The reconstructed fort contains a massive palisade featuring over 1,500 hand-hewn logs.
The onsite Pearson Air Museum celebrates the 1937 flight of the ANT-25, which landed at the airfield after a trans-polar flight from Moscow.
The park contains the Vancouver Barracks, which served as a major U.S. Army military hub for over a century.
The site encompasses the Land Bridge, designed by architect Johnpaul Jones to reconnect historically separated Indigenous and colonial landscapes.
Archaeologists have recovered over 1.5 million artifacts from the site since systematic excavations began in the 1940s.
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site serves as a reconstructed 19th-century Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post and regional administrative center. The site features a wooden palisade surrounding a blacksmith shop, fur store, kitchen, and chief factor's house. Visitors can explore the Land Bridge, which spans State Route 14 to reconnect the fort grounds with the Columbia River waterfront. The site also includes the Pearson Air Museum, located at one of the oldest operating airfields in the United States. Excavations on the grounds have uncovered extensive archaeological remnants of the original 1825 settlement. The site functions as a multi-layered historic landscape encompassing military barracks, an airfield, and Indigenous ancestral lands. It represents the nexus of early Pacific Northwest trade, colonial administration, and military presence.
The elevated view from the Land Bridge overlooking the fort palisade and the Columbia River.
Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the site covers a large area with a mix of gravel paths and grassy terrain.
Check the visitor center schedule for seasonal artisan demonstrations, such as blacksmithing or cooking.
Bring water and sun protection, as the fort interior provides limited shade during peak summer hours.
Do not attempt to walk across the busy State Route 14; use the designated Land Bridge pedestrian crossing to reach the riverfront.
The reconstructed fort grounds may have reduced accessibility or modified programming during winter months; check for holiday closures.
Maintain respectful behavior around reconstructed buildings and archaeological excavation sites; do not touch historical displays or artifacts.
