National Park Signs

Schematic illustration of National Park Signs
Illustration of the subject; shapes are simplified.

Place, materials, and identity

National park signs guide visitors, identify places, and introduce the character of a landscape. The Yosemite archives document changing sign designs and the work involved in planning and maintaining them. Materials, lettering, and placement all affect how a sign belongs in its surroundings.

The National Park Service arrowhead emblem, authorized in 1951, gives many park signs a shared institutional identity. Its natural and historical imagery brings several aspects of the agency's work into one mark. Individual signs still need to answer local questions: where a visitor is, what lies ahead, and how to find it.

What to look for

  • Materials and lettering suited to a setting
  • Clear place names and directional information
  • A shared emblem alongside local identity

Sources and further reading

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