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Map of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
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DESCRIBING: A color, wayfinding map of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, park features, and environs.
SYNOPSIS: The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site map is a horizontal, rectangular, northerly, bird's eye view wayfinding map of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington. The Visitor Center is located in the northeast corner of the site, just inside the East Evergreen Boulevard entrance to the park. The map shows the locations of the main park areas: Fort Vancouver, Pearson Air Museum, Pearson Air Field, South Barracks, and East Barracks, and Parade Grounds. Other park features shown include restrooms, information stations, parking lots, and picnic areas. Accessible parking is located at all parking areas. The historic site is bounded by East Evergreen Boulevard to the north, East Reserve Street to the east, the Columbia River to the south, and I-5 and Fort Vancouver Way to the west. Areas outside the park boundaries are visible but covered by a white semi-transparent layer.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site map includes wayfinding and natural feature information and is shown from a northerly, bird's eye view perspective at an approximate foreground scale of one inch equals 100 meters. The Visitor Center is located in the northeast corner of the park. The map legend includes icons for the park's restrooms, information centers, parking lots, and picnic areas. Accessible parking is located at all parking areas. The park is bounded by East Evergreen Boulevard to the north, East Reserve Street, an airport, and an industrial area to the east, the Columbia River, railroad tracks, and SR-14 to the south, and I-5 and Fort Vancouver Way to the west. East Fifth Street runs parallel to East Evergreen Boulevard and bisects the park into northern and southern areas.
The following is a description of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site map described in a clockwise direction, starting at the Visitor Center just inside the East Evergreen Boulevard entrance to the park at the 1 o'clock position. The Visitor Center includes a parking lot, restrooms, and an information center. The Japanese Memorial is a small monument located directly west of the Visitor Center. Two picnic areas are located to the south of the Visitor Center in the Great Meadow, a grassy area with many trees. Two small, unlabeled administrative buildings are located to the east of the Visitor Center at the junction of East Evergreen Boulevard and East Reserve Street.
Pearson Air Museum is housed in two airplane hangars at the 2 o'clock position south of East Fifth Street. The museum has restrooms and a parking lot accessed from East Fifth Street. Just west of Pearson Air Museum south of East Fifth Street is the Chkalov Monument, a small outdoor sculpture. An unlabeled square building is located just west of the monument. Nearby is one entrance to the Spruce Mill Trail, which is marked in a yellow dashed line. The Spruce Mill Trail is a loop that leads from the Pearson Air Museum complex to the front gate of the reconstructed Fort Vancouver.
Pearson Field, a municipal airfield airstrip, runs parallel to and north of SR-14, the railroad tracks, and the Columbia River from 4 o'clock to 6 o'clock. Grassy areas fill in the spaces between Pearson Air Museum, Pearson Field, and the reconstructed Fort Vancouver.
The reconstructed fur trade-era Fort Vancouver is located in the center of the map. The fort is surrounded by a wooden stockade wall. Labeled buildings inside the fort are the Chief Factor's House, Bakehouse, Blacksmith Shop, Indian Trade Shop, Fur Store, Bastion, Carpenter Shop, Counting House, and Jail. Next to the Fur Store is a white flagpole flying a Hudson's Bay Company flag, a red flag with a Union Jack and the letters HBC. Paved paths lead between the buildings. An icon indicates the location of restrooms inside the fort. Outside of the stockade wall, directly to the north, is the Garden, a rectangular outdoor area where small plants can be seen growing. Fort Vancouver is accessed from the parking lot south of East Fifth Street, and a picnic area is located across the street to the north.
A paved park road with vehicle access leads from directly across from the Fort Vancouver parking lot on East Fifth Street to the Visitor Center parking lot at East Evergreen Boulevard. This park road curves across a grassy area with some trees, up the hill to the north of the fort and towards the Visitor Center.
The Orchard is located west of the Bastion and west stockade wall. The orchard is a collection of approximately 30 trees arranged neatly in diagonal rows.
From East Fifth Street, north of the fort and orchard, a trail extends south from the street and west past the orchard and towards the Fort Vancouver Village, which consists of two reconstructed one-room cabins, then turns south towards the Land Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses over SR-14, a wide, multi-lane highway that runs east to west along the bottom third of the map.
Along the bottom edge of the map, the Columbia River is shown in blue south of SR-14 and the railroad tracks. In the 7 o'clock position, the Land Bridge connects pedestrians from the Fort Vancouver Village to the Fort Vancouver Waterfront. The Land Bridge is a pedestrian bridge that crosses over SR-14 and underneath the railroad berm. It leads from the Fort Vancouver Village to Old Apple Tree Park and the Fort Vancouver Waterfront a park situated along the river south of SR-14 and the railroad tracks that has a parking lot and a picnic area.
Old Apple Tree Park is located in the 8 o'clock position between the railroad tracks and SR-14. The South Barracks is shown in the 9 o'clock position, to the north of the Village area and south of East Fifth Street. One unlabeled brick building is seen in the South Barracks area.
North of East Fifth Street from the 9 o'clock to the 11 o'clock position is the East Barracks. The East Barracks is bounded on the west side by Fort Vancouver Way, which runs north to south. McClellan Road travels east to west through the East Barracks, and can be accessed from Fort Vancouver Way. McClellan Way continues east to connect to the park road, which leads either to the Visitor Center or East Fifth Street and the reconstructed fort. Along McClellan Road are three large two-story double infantry barracks buildings and one two-story administrative building. Several other early 20th century military buildings are located in the East Barracks, connected by roads and paths. A parking area is located adjacent to McClellan Road. The area is bisected diagonally from southwest to northeast by Alvord Road, which is closed to vehicles. The Clark County War Veteran's Memorial is located in the East Barracks on the east side of Fort Vancouver Way.
North of the double infantry barracks buildings, in the 12 o'clock position, is the Parade Ground, a open grassy field dotted by evergreen and deciduous trees. In the center of the Parade Ground is a large flagpole. To the east of the flagpole is a white gazebo-style Bandstand. East Evergreen Boulevard runs along the northern edge of the Parade Ground.
The Fort Vancouver Visitor Center is accessed from East Evergreen Boulevard. The reconstructed Fort Vancouver and Pearson Air Museum are accessed from East Fifth Street. Pedestrian trails are shown as yellow dashed lines throughout the park. The Discovery Historic Loop Trail connects most of the park's features, including the Land Bridge, Old Apple Tree Park, and the Fort Vancouver Waterfront. A historic trail leads along the south stockade wall of the fort; this trail can be accessed from the north side of the Land Bridge. This trail also connects to points east along East Fifth Street outside of the park and beyond the map's limits. The Spruce Mill Trail connects Fort Vancouver with the Chkalov Monument and Pearson Air Museum. Trails are accessible to walkers, joggers, bicyclists, and wheelchair users.
CREDIT: NPS / FOVA
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This view from the air shows one of the many reasons why city residents treasure this park. Its fields and paths are perfect for all kinds of outdoor activities and events. Plus, the river is just a Land Bridge away. And on a sunny day the view is spectacular.
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