The Columbia River Renaissance Trail connects downtown Vancouver to the picturesque Columbia River waterfront while the Discovery Historic Loop offers glimpses of Vancouver's rich history, passing through the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and Reserve, Officers Row and downtown Vancouver. The route also connects Fort Vancouver to the Columbia River via the unique Land Bridge over State Highway 14, which features scenic viewpoints and interpretive signs and art.
The Columbia River Renaissance Trail has recently gained an extension on the west end with the development of the Vancouver Waterfront and Waterfront Park with its iconic Grant Street Pier.
We started our hike at the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, which has restrooms, drinking fountains and free parking during the hours when the center is open.
This section of the route is on the Discovery Historic Loop. We hiked down the drive that connects the Visitor Center to the reconstructed Fort stockade, then took the Historic Loop across the Land Bridge, which was designed by artist Maya Lin for the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial. We passed the Old Apple Tree, the oldest domestic fruit tree in the Pacific Northwest, walked through a tunnel under the railroad tracks and reached the Columbia River waterfront where our route merged with the Columbia River Renaissance Trail.
After checking out the Columbia River, where osprey flew overhead and called to one another, we walked west on the Columbia River Renaissance Trail underneath I-5. We passed the former Red Lion Inn at the Quay, which is owned by the Port of Vancouver as Terminal One and slated for redevelopment.
We turned west to walk towards the Vancouver Waterfront, where buildings and parts of Waterfront Park still are under construction. The water feature was fenced off but the Grant Street Pier was open. Three restaurants catered to mid-day diners and tourists walked about with ice cream cones in hand.
We checked out the view from the Grant Street Pier, then continued west on the Columbia River Renaissance Trail to its terminus at a playground occupied by a half dozen toddlers and a picnic area with a half dozen tables.
We looped out of the park onto Columbia Way and headed east to Grant Street where we turned north and walked to Esther Short Park, where we resumed the Discovery Historic Loop. From the park, we walked north two blocks to Evergreen Boulevard and turned east. Evergreen took us past the historic Providence Academy, over I-5 on an overpass and into Officers Row. Continuing east on Evergreen, we reached the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center and closed our loop. We hiked 4 miles with 45 feet elevation gain.
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