The Sign Post Forest: The Yukon’s Heartwarming Sign Collection
The frozen wilds of Canada’s Yukon Territory isn’t the first place that comes to mind when a weary traveler is searching for some faint reminder of the comforts of home. Many travelers speeding along a remote stretch of the Alaska Highway are pleasantly surprised when they stumble upon a vast collection of signs from all over the world known as the Sign Post Forest.
The Sign Post Forest was created by a lonely soldier in the 1940s who lovingly crafted a hand-painted sign and pointed it towards his hometown of Danville, Illinois. The Sign Post Forest features thousands of signs, including a sleek sign from Germany, a rustic sign from the Jackson National Fish Hatchery, and a rugged license plate from the state of Wyoming. Visitors are welcome to leave a street sign from their hometown, or a handmade sign that offers words of comfort and wisdom to fellow travellers.
Location:
Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Y0A
Canada
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Sign Post Forest, Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada (OSM attraction-area center; not an individual sign or entrance)
- Coordinates
- 60.06341, -128.71386
- Access
- The Town of Watson Lake maintains this outdoor sign forest at the Alaska Highway/Robert Campbell Highway junction. Visitors may bring a sign; the nearby Visitor Information Centre across the road can provide nails and a hammer when it is open. The Centre is seasonal and closed October 1–April 30; its published 2026 summer schedule was daily, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. The forest’s own access hours are not published.
- Admission
- No entry fee or ticket requirement is listed by the Town, Yukon tourism or the Yukon Historic Places Register; an independent visitor guide describes the forest as free. No separate admission charge was found. The Visitor Information Centre is across the road and has a separate seasonal schedule.
- Time needed
- No official visit duration is published. One independent visitor guide suggests about an hour, depending on how many signs you stop to read; treat it as a flexible estimate, not a timed attraction visit.
- Best season
- The Town and Yukon do not name a preferred season for the outdoor forest. You can visit the site independently of the seasonal Visitor Information Centre; the Centre is open May 1–September 30 (published 2026 schedule: daily, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.) and closed October 1–April 30. Those are Centre dates and hours, not forest hours.
- Opening hours
- The Town and Yukon publish no daily opening or closing time for the outdoor Sign Post Forest. The nearby Yukon Visitor Information Centre is open May 1–September 30; its published 2026 schedule is daily, 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and it is closed October 1–April 30. These are Centre hours only; check local notices for site conditions.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-11
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-11
Map marks the area, not a visitor entrance.
Location
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