Visiting Fort Vancouver NHS During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities. Please read on to learn more about current closures and what is currently available at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (NHS).

 

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Current Operating Hours in Vancouver, Washington

Location	Status
Visitor Center	Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Scroll down to learn more about visiting the Visitor Center.
Reconstructed Fort Vancouver	Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Scroll down to learn more about visiting Fort Vancouver.
Pearson Air Museum	Closed for exhibit installation. Pearson Air Museum will reopen in May, 2021.
Outdoor trails and grounds	Open, dawn to dusk
The Fort Vancouver Garden	Open, dawn to dusk
Parking Lots	Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm.

A note on parking lots: Gates to the Visitor Center and Fort Vancouver parking lots close promptly at 4 pm. Please remove vehicles before that time. The Pearson Air Museum parking lot is open dawn to dusk.

Current Closures in Oregon City, Oregon

Location	Status
McLoughlin House	Closed for rehabilitation. Learn more here.
Barclay House	Closed

 

What Can I Do at Fort Vancouver NHS?

Visit Fort Vancouver

The reconstructed Fort Vancouver is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Learn about the fur trade in the Northwest at this reconstruction of a Hudson's Bay Company fort that was located here from 1829 to 1860.

Visitors must wear face masks during their visit and follow social distancing protocols while visiting the fort. Entrance to the fort may be delayed as we allow for only limited occupancy. You may notice some changes to your visit to the fort. Select buildings within the stockade will be open, and some buildings will only be viewable from their doorway.

Visitors can purchase America the Beautiful passes and pay entrance fees at the Contact Station located just inside the fort gates, but if you are interested in a "touchless" option, you can pay entrance fes online! To pay entrance fees to the fort in advance, click here.

Learn more about visiting Fort Vancouver here.

Visit the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center

The Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. The Visitor Center is a great place to begin a visit to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. There, you can talk with a national park ranger, watch a film about the history of Fort Vancouver, and shop at the Friends of Fort Vancouver bookstore on Fridays and Saturdays. There is no entrance fee to the Visitor Center.

Visitors must wear face masks during their visit and follow social distancing protocols. Entrance to the Visitor Center may be delayed as we allow for only 10 visitors in this facility at a time.

Learn more about visiting the Visitor Center here.

Get Outdoors!

Fort Vancouver NHS's grounds and trails are a great place to walk, jog, bike, picnic, watch the sun set or rise, and exercise your pets! Grounds and trails are open from dawn to dusk.

Please be advised that powered skateboards and scooters are not allowed at the national park. The use of roller skates, skateboards, roller skis, coasting vehicles, or similar devices are allowed on paved trails where pedestrian traffic is allowed, but are not allowed inside the Fort Vancouver Garden. Read more about what activities are allowed at Fort Vancouver NHS here.

If you are bringing a pet to the national park, please follow our BARK Rules. More information about bringing pets to Fort Vancouver NHS can be found here.

Walking Fort Vancouver's trails is a great way to get exercise and discover our local history! Learn more about trails and outdoor activities at Fort Vancouver NHS here.

See What's Growing

A dedicated team of volunteers has continued to safely care for the Fort Vancouver Garden throughout the pandemic. Stroll the garden paths, see what's growing, and watch for birds, butterflies, and bees! The garden is open from dawn to dusk. Learn more about visiting the Garden here.

If you visit the garden, please stay on paths, do not bring your pets into the garden (service animals are allowed), do not ride bicycles, skateboards or scooters in the garden, and please do not pick produce or flowers.

Support the Friends of Fort Vancouver

You can support the Friends of Fort Vancouver, a local nonprofit that supports the educational mission of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, by shopping online on their website.

 

Visitation Guidelines

Mask Mandate

We encourage visitors to look out for each other's health and safety. Face masks are required in all federal buildings and federal lands. Masks are also required on NPS-managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks, and historic homes. Learn more here and here.

Other Guidelines

If you are planning to spend time on the grounds of the national park, for your safety and the safety of others, do the following:

• Do not visit the park if you are ill.
• Follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on personal hygiene prior to visiting parks or trails.
• Park furnishings (playground, picnic tables, benches, garbage cans) are not regularly sanitized at this time. If that becomes available, sanitizing schedules will be posted. We recommend you clean the space you are using prior to using it.
• Use of walking paths, open green space, and trails is encouraged. As always, wash your hands after being at the park.
• Limit size of social gatherings to follow state guidance. Maintain proper social distance (six feet) at all times.
• Share walking paths and trails, and alert others to your presence as you pass.
• Observe CDC's minimum recommended social distancing of six feet from other people at all times. The use of cloth face coverings is strongly encouraged.
• If these recommendations are not possible, visitors should find an alternate location or leave the park.

 

Good to Know

Parking	The Fort Vancouver parking lot, located north of the reconstructed fort, and the Visitor Center parking lot are open from 9 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Gates at these parking lots close promptly at 4 pm; please remove all vehicles before that time. The parking lot at Pearson Air Museum is open from dawn to dusk. Street parking is also available throughout the site.
Face Masks	Please bring a face mask with you on your visit to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. To help keep all of our visitors safe and healthy, we ask that you wear a face mask when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including on narrow or busy trails. Learn more here.
Restrooms	Available at the reconstructed Fort Vancouver and the Visitor Center.
Water	Drinking fountains and water bottle refilling stations are available at the reconstructed Fort Vancouver and the Visitor Center.
Fees & Passes	Entrance fees can be paid at the reconstructed Fort Vancouver. Interagency America the Beautiful passes are also available for purchase at the Contact Station at Fort Vancouver. You can also pay your entrance fees to the reconstructed fort in advance of your visit here. Please visit Recreation.gov for more information about ordering Interagency passes online. There is no fee to visit the grounds and trails at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. There is no fee to visit the Visitor Center.
Information	National park rangers are available to answer questions and provide assistance at the reconstructed Fort Vancouver and Visitor Center. You can also call [phone] or email e-mail us
Pets	Pets are allowed on the grounds and trails at Fort Vancouver NHS, but they are not allowed in the Fort Vancouver Garden. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet at all times. Please bag and throw away pet waste. Trash cans and recycling bins are located at Pearson Air Museum, the Fort Vancouver parking lot, and the Visitor Center. Learn more about bringing pets to Fort Vancouver NHS here.
Accessibility	Many of Fort Vancouver NHS' trails are accessible. Learn more about our trails here. If you have specific questions about accessibility concerns, please call [phone] or email us.
Passport Stamps	Passport stamps are available at the Visitor Center.
Junior Ranger Programs	Junior Ranger programs are available at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Fort Vancouver. You can also become a Junior Ranger at home by completing Junior Ranger activities online here, watch a swearing in ceremony on Facebook here, and email us to receive your Junior Ranger badge in the mail!

 

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