Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:612 E. Reserve St.
Vancouver, Washington
Tel:
(360) 696-7655
Visit what was once the center of political, cultural and commercial activities in the Pacific Northwest! Fort Vancouver gives a sneak peek into the Hudson Bay Company's fur trading operation and a lesson in local history to all who visit!
Built in 1829 as headquarters and main supply depot for the Hudson Bay Company's fur trading operations, it was here, at Fort Vancouver, that Native Americans brought furs, baskets, moccasins and boat paddles and exchanged them for trade goods like beads, clothing, blankets, muskets and tobacco. Though Fort Vancouver looks like the typical Western fort, built with typical high log walls, and staffed by the U.S. Army, this outpost became the center of political, cultural, and commercial activities in the Pacific Northwest under the leadership of John McLoughlin. Today, visitors can check out the 12 minute introductory video, and museum exhibits in the visitor center and take a rangers-led tour of the reconstructed version of the fort (the original burned to the ground in the 1860s), and learn about the life of the fur trappers, local natives and Hudson's Bay Company employees. You can actually enter the fur processing room, the Indian trade store and the director's house, for a simulated eye-witness view of 19th century life in the northwest region of the U.S. The grounds have a park area with large grassy areas for picnicking and there is also a covered picnic shelter and a small playground for families to enjoy. Though there is no camping, lodging or concessions on site, a variety of hotels, motels, restaurants and grocery stores are located nearby and there is camping available within 10 miles. If you're visiting in September, don't miss the annual Fort Vancouver candlelight tours—you'll get to see re-enactors assuming the roles of 19th century Fort Vancouver residents carrying on with their everyday lives.
To get to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site from I-5, take exit 1-C (Mill Plain Boulevard East). When you get to Fort Vancouver Way, turn south, and then at the traffic circle, go east on Everrgreen Boulevard. You'll start to see signs for the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center—just follow them straight to the site, and have a great time seeing how people lived almost 200 years ago!