Vancouver, WA

The Old Apple Tree Park is located at 112 Columbia Way and is scheduled to host a festival the first week in October from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm after a two-year hiatus. It used to be that a trip to see the Old Apple Tree was, if not for it’s age, boring; at least for me. It was planted near the old Fort in 1826 when Hudson’s Bay Governor, Sir George Simpson, was given the seeds from an apple eaten at a farewell dinner and asked to plant them. The tree bore its first fruit, one apple, in 1830. It is thought to be the oldest apple tree in Washington.

If I remember correctly, there was concern over the past few years that the tree was damaged and might not survive. But the tree I saw, through vigorously pruned and only a shadow of its former self, was in full bloom. The park is large, but there are no benches or picnic tables.

This past year I have watched as a land bridge was built over Highway 14, between the reconstructed Fort and the western end of the Waterfront Renaissance Trail. This bridge ties these activities together; including a visit to the old tree tucked in between I-14 and the railroad tracks.

Taking the land bridge towards Fort Vancouver is a pleasant walk. I enjoyed the early photos of the area, and the plants native to Southwest Washington, which were on both sides of the walkway; but most interesting were the plaques, which told of Native American uses for some of these plants. The design of the walk is dynamic, including concrete, black metal safety rails which looked like anything but, and the wide gravel walkway.

There are restrooms on the Fort side of the freeway, but I have not seen any on the riverfront side of the freeway. I parked on the riverfront parking almost directly across from the Old Apple Tree, and after visiting the tree I was not ready to quit for the day so I checked out that park. There are two parking lots on the riverfront, several small walkways through the area, with benches and picnic tables with great views of the Columbia River. There is also a path that leads down to a long, narrow, sandy section of the waterfront where I saw a few teenagers dunking rocks.

While the river is quite beautiful in the sunshine, but it is also known to be a silent killer, taking many experienced and inexperienced swimmers unawares. It is always a good idea, if you plan to spend any time in the water even close to shore, to wear a life jacket; especially young children.