Fort Vancouver, Wash. now offers a dog-friendly self-guided tour.
Fort Vancouver Now Offers a Dog-Friendly Historical Tour
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, a beloved area in our Pacific Northwest, now offers dog-friendly self-guided tours for dog owners to learn about the area's history with canines.
Fort Vancouver has always been a popular site for people to walk their dogs anyway, but this new initiative — dubbed BARK Ranger — allows both owner and pet to delve deeper into the local area's past.
The BARK Ranger tour at Fort Vancouver was launched in May and is already very popular.
The tour starts at the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, where interested visitors can pick up a pack consisting of a park map with five stops to check out, plus some cute questions and a certificate to commemorate the day.
Each marked stop has a QR code for visitors to scan containing a ton of cool info about the location and how dogs have played a role in shaping it.
And best of all? The whole thing is free! What an amazing way to spend a day out in nature.
Fort Vancouver is a popular destination for a day out in nature.
"We’re excited to launch this new tour for our visitors and their four-legged friends,” Park Ranger Ada Gonzalez stated back in May. “We know how much people enjoy bringing their pets to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and we hope this will be a fun, meaningful way for them to connect with the park’s history. It’s also a great opportunity to share tips on how to explore the site safely and responsibly with dogs."
Dogs make up an important part of Fort Vancouver's rich history.
BARK Ranger Ambassador Caroline Krause said, "Since I first learned about the BARK Ranger program – which started at Olympic National Park in 2016 and has now spread to parks all over the country – I have taken my pups Harley Quinn and Louis on numerous adventures to explore and enjoy each site responsibly."
Krause added, "We come to Fort Vancouver every week to walk the grounds. As a volunteer and official BARK Ambassador, I have supported the development of the new self-guided tour. This park is perfect for dogs and their humans to enjoy the paths and trails together on leash, so I’m sure it’s going to be a big hit!"
Dogs are welcome at Fort Vancouver.
Aside from the BARK Ranger program, BARK is actually a national program to keep humans and dogs safe when out and about. It stands for:
- Bag and dispose of your pet’s waste in trash cans located throughout the park.
- Always leash your pet.
- Respect wildlife.
- Know where you can go.
You can learn more about BARK and BARK Ranger at Fort Vancouver on the National Park Service's website.