Get Lost in the Sign Post Forest

The #1 attraction in Watson Lake, Yukon continues to grow

“Too freaking fun to miss!
It looks like a smaller attraction then you go in…
Signs from all over the world and…Canada
And some that will just make you laugh because they should not be allowed to have street signs named like that.
Do this. You’ll just feel silly and whimsical and then you’ll think of what sign you can ‘steal’ or call it ‘borrow’ to bring here.
Largest collection of stolen goods on public display – according to Guinness Records.”

– Comments posted recently on Trip Advisor.

We couldn’t confirm that Watson Lake’s Sign Post Forest is listed with Guinness Records for having the most stolen stuff on public display.

However, that’s not to say it isn’t true.

With 75,000 to 100,000 signs (it changes every day), the Signpost Forest is a massive, one-of-a-kind collection of relocated signage from everywhere.

The Sign Post Forest currently sprawls across more than two acres, with new signs and panels being added all the time, adding to the undergrowth.

There are street signs, welcome signs, signatures on dinner plates, and license plates from around the world.

While there, you’ll see equipment used to construct the Alaska Highway. A time capsule and cairn were placed at the Sign Post Forest in 1992, to be opened again in 2042.

If your wander through the woods whets your appetite for more information about the Alaska Highway, the Interpretive Centre is close by. There, you can learn about the history of the Highway and get all the travel information you need.

The Sign Post Forest was started in 1942 when U.S. soldier Carl K. Lindley, who was stationed in Watson Lake with an injury, was asked to paint and repair directional signposts. When he was done, he added a sign with the mileage to his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Others followed his lead, and the tradition has never slowed down.
You can learn more at the Watson Lake website:

“Unfortunately we no longer have the original sign or the post. In September 4 to 14, 1992 while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the building of the Alaska Highway, Carl and his wife Elinor returned to the Yukon and Watson Lake after a 50 year absence as guests of the Town of Watson Lake. While they were here, a replica of the directional post was erected and Carl replaced his missing sign of Danville, Illinois. On February 20, 2002 Carl Lindley passed away in Danville, Illinois were he had lived all his life.” – www.watsonlake.ca