Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Managed by National Park Service
196 acres6.1 mi of trail
Discovery Historic Loop
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Vancouver
7% of Vancouver’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 53 miles of mapped trail cross Vancouver, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (6.1 mi), Vancouver Lake Park (2.3 mi), Frenchman's Bar Park (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #78 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
2,311 acres · of 48.8 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,233 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
160 mi
126 mi lanes · 28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
9 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Vancouver?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Vancouver have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Vancouver is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #78 of 285 in Washington. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Vancouver’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,233 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 73%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Vancouver ranks #131 on Outdoors.
Water is 7% of Vancouver’s area (4 of 53 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, with 6.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Vancouver Lake Park
Managed by Clark County
242 acres2.3 mi of trail
North Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Frenchman's Bar Park
Managed by Clark County
203 acres2.2 mi of trail
Lewis & Clark Discovery Greenway Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
David Douglas Park
Managed by City of Vancouver
66 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Curtin Springs Wildlife Habitat
Managed by Clark County
32 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Vancouver Trout Hatchery
Managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
23 acres0.9 mi of trail
Heron Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Marshall Park
Managed by City of Vancouver
21 acres0.9 mi of trail
Marshall Park
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 117 parks & preserves
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site196 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsVancouver Lake Park242 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Clark County
DirectionsFrenchman's Bar Park203 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Clark County
DirectionsDavid Douglas Park66 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsCurtin Springs Wildlife Habitat32 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Clark County
DirectionsCTC Central Park11 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsVancouver Trout Hatchery23 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsMarshall Park21 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsBeaver Marsh31 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
H.J. Biddle Nature Preserve21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsBagley Park18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsLeverich Park28 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsEsther Short Park8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFisher Basin Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsHomestead Park6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Vancouver
DirectionsMarine Park61 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsOakbrook Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Bella Vista Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Vancouver
Heritage Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Vancouver
DirectionsFruit Valley Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsHambleton Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Vancouver
Centerpointe Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsMarrion Elementary School Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Clearmeadows Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vancouver
Ellsworth Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsEndeavour Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFir Garden Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
John and Margrette Coop Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vancouver
DirectionsThe Downs Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsHanna Acres Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsLeRoy Haagen Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsPeter S. Ogden School Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsWaterfront Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsHearthwood Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsDubois Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Lieser Neighborhood Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDiamond Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Vancouver
Koles Landing Community Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSummers Walk Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Saint Helens Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Quarnberg Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsArnada Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsColumbia Lancaster Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Brickyard Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsWest Minnehaha Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Gretchen Fraser Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Landover Commons Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Bonneville Power Administration Park29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsEvergreen School Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Vancouver
DirectionsEast Biddle Lake Natural Area10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Raymond E. Shaffer Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Clark County
DirectionsKevanna Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsNikkei Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFircrest Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
South Cliff Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Burton Ridge Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Carl Gustafson Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Evergreen Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Jaggy Road Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsWashington Elementary School Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsVan Fleet Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
Ellsworth Springs Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
John Ball Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · School Property
Village Woods Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Vancouver
The Firs2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hidden Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFisher's Creek Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Vancouver
5th Plain Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Vancouver Parks and Rec
DirectionsColumbia Palisades Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsColumbia Springs56 acres
Vancouver Lake Wildlife Area31 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsMemory / Mill Plain Park21 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsBiddlewood Park18 acres · City of Vancouver
Waterworks Park13 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFranklin Park12 acres · City of Vancouver
Wintler Park9 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsDollie and Ed's Park9 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsOrchards Park West8 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsShillapoo South Wildlife Area7 acres · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsTranquility Nature Area7 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsWy'East Meadows Park6 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsWeber Arboretum6 acres · State
East Minnehaha Park5 acres · Clark County
Burnt Bridge Creek School Park5 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsLieser Crest Park5 acres · City of Vancouver
Wy'East Park5 acres · City of Vancouver
Landover - Sharmel Park4 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsFirst Place Park4 acres · City of Vancouver
Edgewood Park4 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsBurton Water Works Park3 acres
Countryside Woods Walking Area3 acres
Cascade Park3 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsCountryside Park3 acres · City of Vancouver
Wildwood Park3 acres · City of Vancouver
Sam Brown Park3 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsForest Ridge Park3 acres · City of Vancouver
Orchards Community Park2 acres · Clark County
East Image Park2 acres · Vancouver
DirectionsFather Blanchet Park2 acres · City of Vancouver
Behrens Woods2 acres · City of Vancouver
Meadow Homes Park2 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsLauren Park2 acres · Vancouver
General Anderson Park2 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsEast Biddle Lake Park2 acres · City of Vancouver
Pacific Community Park1 acres · Clark County
DirectionsSifton Park1 acres · Clark County
Old Apple Tree Park1 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsLieser Point1 acres · City of Vancouver
Evergreen Aboretum1 acres
DirectionsShumway Park1 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsTanglewood Park1 acres · City of Vancouver
Carter Park1 acres · City of Vancouver
DirectionsVeterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Plaza1 acres
DirectionsWyckoff Park1 acres · Vancouver
Ida Bell Jones Neighborhood Park1 acres
DirectionsHarmoney Height Park1 acres
The Glen Community Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,311 conserved acres
7% of Vancouver’s land. Water is left out: Vancouver has 48.8 square miles of land and 3.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Vancouver’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,671 ac
County890 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits228 ac
National Park Service161 ac
State fish & wildlife19 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land5 ac
Regional agency4 ac
Local Park · 1,040 acLocal Other or Unknown · 933 acLocal Conservation Area · 525 acConservation Easement · 169 acHistoric or Cultural Area · 161 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 169 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 121 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth197 Local Other or Unknown | County | 514 | Unknown |
| Loth168 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 395 | Open |
| Frenchman's Bar Regional Park Local Park | County | 252 | Open |
| South Vancouver Lake Lowlands Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 164 | Open |
| Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 161 | Restricted |
| Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway / Trail Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 119 | Open |
| Marine Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 105 | Open |
| David Douglas Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Vancouver Lake Park Local Park | County | 64 | Open |
| Harmony Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | County | 61 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
294 places to go in Vancouver
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Vancouver
Lieser Point
DirectionsSurprise Beach
DirectionsPlus 7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Vancouver
Pool
DirectionsSpa
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Vancouver
Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play StationIn Marshall Park
DirectionsCity Play for KidsFee
DirectionsDino Dig SandboxIn Nikkei Park
DirectionsDinosaur PlaygroundIn Nikkei Park
DirectionsFamily Play Space
DirectionsForest Ridge Park PlaygroundIn Forest Ridge Park
DirectionsHazel Hart ParkIn Hazel Hart Park
DirectionsHeights Bike Garden
Directions5 more playgrounds
McDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsMusic Play AreaIn CTC Central Park
DirectionsNature Play AreaIn CTC Central Park
DirectionsOakbrook PlaygroundIn Oakbrook Park
DirectionsPlayPlace
Directions224 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Vancouver
Clark County Dog Park
DirectionsIke Memorial Dog Park
DirectionsKoles Landing Dog Park
DirectionsVillas Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 17 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Vancouver
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Vancouver
LandIn Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
DirectionsLewis and Clark Trailstop and Viewpoint
DirectionsRiver
DirectionsViewing DeckIn Vancouver Trout Hatchery
DirectionsPlus 5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Vancouver
Eagle ShelterIn Vancouver Lake Park
DirectionsHeron ShelterIn Vancouver Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 12 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Vancouver
11 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.7 miUnpaved · 9.3 mi
Ellen Davis Trail2.1 mi
Blandford Canyon Trail0.9 mi
North Trail0.8 mi
West Pond Trail Loop0.6 mi
Lewis & Clark Discovery Greenway Trail0.4 mi
Heron Loop Trail0.4 mi
Discovery Historic Loop0.4 mi
Cedar Circle Trail0.4 mi
Lake to Lake Trail0.4 mi
Marshall Park0.4 mi
4 more trails
Trillium Trail
0.2 miBurnt Bridge Creek Trail
0.2 miGnome Trail
0.1 mi5th Plain Walking Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
160 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
126 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
28 mi
off-road bike paths
5.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
71Basketball
71Soccer
69Baseball
51Tennis
17Football
11Pickleball
8Tracks
4Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →21 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Fort Vancouver National Historic SiteSite · listed 1966
About itCovington HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itSlocum HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itOfficers Row, Fort Vancouver BarracksDistrict · listed 1974
About itHidden HousesBuilding · listed 1978
About itHouse of ProvidenceBuilding · listed 1978
About itEvergreen HotelBuilding · listed 1979
About itVancouver-Portland BridgeStructure · listed 1982
About itVancouver Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1982
About itElks BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itVancouver Telephone BuildingBuilding · listed 1986
About itU.S. National Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1988
About it9 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Vancouver: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 51 | 56 | 61 | 68 | 73 | 81 | 81 | 76 | 63 | 53 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 6.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 7.2 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and August the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 7.2 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Vancouver →
Next door
Vancouver and its neighbors
Vancouver has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Portland246 miVancouver53 miCamas26 miOrchards5.8 miFive Corners4.0 miHazel Dell2.1 miMinnehaha1.3 miLake Shore1.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 7% | 1.1 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Hazel Dell | 3% | 0.4 | 3 | 77% | C+ |
| Minnehaha | 2% | 0.6 | 3 | 99%+ | B |
| Five Corners | 2% | 0.7 | 3 | 89% | B− |
| Orchards | 1% | 1.1 | 2 | 99%+ | B |
| Camas | 5% | 1.8 | 25 | 99% | A |
| Lake Shore | 1% | 0.7 | 1 | 94% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Vancouver
Where can I hike in Vancouver?
The longest trail networks: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 6.1 miles; Vancouver Lake Park, 2.3 miles; Frenchman's Bar Park, 2.2 miles; David Douglas Park, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Vancouver is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Vancouver’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Curtin Springs Wildlife Habitat. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Vancouver?
160 miles of bike routes are on the map: 126 of painted or protected lanes, 28 of off-road paths and 5.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Vancouver?
59,163 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Vancouver or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,250 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Vancouver have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #78 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Vancouver neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →