Fort Vancouver Visitor Center/Gift Shop is located on the hill north of the fort near Evergreen Blvd. The NPS stamps as well as several other stamps are displayed at the counter. Several short films are shown by request and there are fascinating exhibits in glass cases.Established in 1825, Fort Vancouver was the administrative headquarters and main supply depot for the London-based Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) fur trading operations. The headquarters would oversee the immense Columbia Department of the HBC, and control an area that stretched from Russian Alaska to Mexican California, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The fort's location was chosen for ease of shipping, agricultural potential and amenable climate.
Under the leadership of Dr. John McLoughlin, the first Chief Factor, the fort became the center of political, cultural, and commercial activities in the Pacific Northwest. When American immigrants arrived in the Oregon Country during the 1830s and 1840s, Dr. John McLoughlin, against the wishes of the Hudson's Bay Company, provided them with food, medical and other essentials to begin their new settlements.
In 1846 the land claim question was at long last settled by Great Britain and the United States, setting the boundary at the 49th parallel. In 1860 the Company, which had transferred its headquarters to Fort Victoria in 1849, decided to abandon Fort Vancouver and the Hudson's Bay Company presence moved north. In the mid-1860s, the remainder of the fort mysteriously burned down.
In July 1954, the National Historic Site was created to preserve the history of the Hudson's Bay Company. The fort stockade, bastion, and nine of its buildings within its walls have been reconstructed. Guided tours are available. There are special events throughout the year to give more insight to life in the mid 1800s.
Fort Vancouver's intense effect on regional history and population is reflected in its status as a national historic site. The staff today, over 180 years after its founding, are dedicated to sharing the histories and legacies of its peoples.
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Visitor Center. Open All Year. Daily beginning May - October 9:00AM - 5:00PM. Daily beginning September - April 9:00AM - 4:00PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required taken at the Visitor Center with your GPSr or your stamped "Passport to your National Parks Book" included in the picture.