Vancouver Land Bridge

If you visit beautiful Fort Vancouver, you must take 15 – 20 minutes to walk to the land bridge for a self guided tour of local history (from a white perspective, that is). The art work and landscaping are inspired, inspiring and generously open to the public.
On a summer day, this walk can be blistering hot. Today, I’m glad for the extra layers to help me stay warm. No matter what the weather, the views and the ideas behind this stunning place are beautiful and worth taking in.
I’ve only discovered this gem in the last six months, and I’m so glad I did. I urge you to visit – just know it’s a bit rustic. No water fountains, no bathrooms, and only a few places to sit until you get to the mouth of the bridge. Still, it’s quiet and peaceful here. Take it in.

What an amazing place to see. I’m not sure if I thank the city, county or Fort Vancouver… THIS WAS COOL!
First off, it’s a «walking» bridge… so you’re going to walk. Although there were several joggers and bikes. My point is that there is NO close up parking. It’s at the far end of Pearson Air Field just beside Fort Vancouver. As a matter of fact there are 2 more cabins to check out that was part of the Forts history. The walking bridge has nicely landscaped plants and bushes along with explanations as to their purpose for the area. There was a lot of Native art and defined languages. At the end (or beginning… depending on where you started) are 2 canoe paddles with artwork etched on it for the sun to pass through. Oh, you will also find the areas oldest apple tree.
My suggestion, don’t pass this one up. It’s for sure worth the stop.

If you park in the lot at the Fort Vancouver visitor center, you can take a nice brisk walk through the fort grounds, over the land bridge and finish your walk along the Columbia River. Nice setting indeed for a 4 mile walk.

I think sometime it’s hard to appreciate the history of where you live. I know I did when I heard about the idea for the land bridge a few years ago:
Vancouver Native Jenny: «You’re going to connect that empty grassy field by the fort with that old tree by the railroad tracks?
Skeptic Jenny: «…And you expect me to come walk over the noisy freeway to see both of them… repeatedly?»
Of course there was more to it than that, and I’ll be the first to admit that I really didn’t give it much more thought until I read who one of the masterminds was:
Architect Jenny: «OMG! Maya Lin is involved in this!!!»
Alright, so it must be cool then… and while Lin is responsible for many of the art pieces along the entire Columbia River confluence project the actual bridge is designed by Seattle architect Johnpaul Jones. It aims to reconnect Fort Vancouver with the Columbia River via the historic Klickitat Trail, swinging by The Old Apple Tree (an historic and deciduous landmark in le Couve). In doing so, it remembers the first Europeans who settled here, the Lewis & Clark boys, the Kaiser shipyards during the war, and most importantly the Native American cultures who consider this site a historic tribal crossroad.
It’s a beautiful crossing and as the native plants continue to mature it will no doubt become an important testament to the history of this area, regardless of the season. If you find yourself looking for a place to explore, a new pathway to run, or a bit of regionalism to appreciate this is your spot. It’s simple places like this that make me realize we live in a 5 Star part of the country in terms of history and preservation.
And we’re pretty lucky out here… even if we forget it sometime.

I was pleasantly surprised by what a nice presentation the Vancouver Land Bridge had. I was skeptical, it seemed like it would be just a basic overpass and a bit of a waste of money. However, we parked at the overflow at Who Song and Larry’s and walked under the railroad bridge to get to the entrance of the project.
We were greeted by a neato arch with oars and nice wood and stone. Then we started up the path and found really interesting pavement, nice on our feet for walking. I had to read each sign and information piece along the way, and it would be fun to come back when some of the native plants were actually showing. There were seats and edges on the way up for if you need a rest along the way. And then when we got to the top of the overpass, there were really cute seats with metal carvings and a lot of indian words.
After getting to the top, there is still a bit to see — walk further and it’s close to the Evergreen airport and planes actually land very close to where you stand!
We’ll definitely go back.

The weather was gorgeous, and it was just about dusk. It was a perfect time for a walk, which was when I discovered the Vancouver Land Bridge. This lovely and twisty/​turny bridge-​trail takes people from one side of Highway 14 to the other – from the Vancouver National Historic Reserve at Fort Vancouver to the Columbia River.
As part of the Confluence Project, it aims to help connect the past and present (in addition to connecting two sides of a highway), by calling upon its cultural and land history.
Walk across the bridge, and stop at one of its several lookout points and read about the people who lived here long ago. On the way down, examine photos of old trains and the nearby tracks. Also, native vegetation grows, with placards explaining its origin.
And when you reach the Fort Vancouver side, it’s nice to run around in the grass, or stay to the rocky path.
Overall, it was a nice surprise over the busy freeway.