The Vancouver Land Bridge is a 40-foot-wide, earth-covered pedestrian bridge arching over Highway 14. It reconnects Fort Vancouver National Historic Site with the Columbia River waterfront and restores a route similar to an ancient Native American trail. Dedicated in 2008, it is the most visible piece of the Confluence Project.
Native architect Johnpaul Jones designed the $12.25 million crossing, which the Confluence Project built with the National Park Service, the City of Vancouver and the Washington State Department of Commerce. Walking the gentle ramp, you pass beds of indigenous grasses and shrubs, interpretive panels on regional tribes and river ecology, and artwork based on Native basket weavings. Two overlooks frame the Columbia River, and on clear days you can see Mount Hood. Below, traffic on the highway fades into the background (Visit Vancouver WA).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The bridge is free and open year-round. The south entrance sits on Columbia Way at Old Apple Tree Park, home to an apple tree planted around 1826. The north entrance is just west of Fort Vancouver’s reconstructed stockade. Weekday mornings are the quietest. Summer weekends and sunset bring the most walkers. The paved, gradual slope works well for strollers and wheelchairs. To make a fuller outing, pair your walk with the fort, Pearson Air Museum or the Waterfront Renaissance Trail. Parking is available near the fort’s visitor center and along Columbia Way.
