How Many Signs Are in Watson Lake’s Signpost Forest?
Where is Watson Lake Signpost Forest?
Who started Watson Lake Signpost Forest and why?
Let’s see if we can answer the above questions. During our RV trip to Alaska, in the summer of 2006, we visited the Signpost Forest, Watson Lake, YT, Canada. The town is located at mile marker 635 of the Alaskan Highway.
The Signpost Forest was started in 1942 by a member of the U. S. Army Engineer, 341, Company “D” which was part of a large contingency sent to construct the Alaskan Highway. Bare in mind that in 1942 this area was a vast wilderness. There really wasn’t anything for the soldiers and engineers to do other than work.
Many became homesick. One such individual was Carl K. Lindley. He decided to post a sign showing the distance to his hometown of Danville, Illinois.
So the first sign posted was “Danville, Illinois” 2,835 miles. That started the tradition of adding one’s hometown sign to the forest.
The 10,000 sign was placed by folks from Byron, Ohio on July 20, 1990. In 1992 Carl Lindley and his wife were invited back to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the forest, during which the 18,000 sign was placed. When our group of RVers visited the forest, 2006, it was estimated that over 60,000 signs had been
placed. Each year, between 2,500 and 4,000 are added.
The forest is located on several acres of land, snaking through the trees. You’re probably wondering where all the signs come from. Well, most of the signs
come from folks that are traveling on the Alaskan Highway. It really is a must stop for RVers. All of the RV caravan tour companies stop to post a sign or
signs at the Signpost Forest. As a matter of fact one member of our group posted an old pair of tennis shoes, which of course he autographed.
There are traffic related signs, left turn signs, license plates and handcrafted signs, including signs made from discarded items like pie tins, hubcaps
and even moose antlers.
While the predominance of signs are from the United States, there are signs from other parts of the world. One of the real mysteries is a 6 x 10′ sign from
the German autobahn. How in the world did they ever get that sign all the way from Germany to Watson Lake?
So, when you’re packing your RV for your Alaska journey be sure to include a sign that you can leave at Watson Lake
